Entry 2

Critical analysis of language learning websites.

We live in the 21st century where many websites have been created for effective learning. I have used many of them and I liked "Exam English" very much.

The purpose of the website is to prepare people for IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, CEFR systems. It is very useful because many young people want to go abroad in order to get higher education in other countries where English is essential for entering University. Also it is well organised. It is possible to find what is needed: the names of the systems are on the top, the materials are below. This structure is very comfortable for me. The content is informative. First of all, there is a short information about each type of examinations, the requirement of taking them, the cost and the process of holding including a detailed description of four skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking. Moreover, there are many sources for practising and useful tips for those who have never passed these international examinations before. The website allows to check language level according to European standards. Besides, it is always updated. Therefore, new electronic books and texts often appear there. The materials are convenient for preparation as they are taken from previous examinations and included in books and the website for training purposes. The tracks are produced by native speakers without any spelling mistakes. The reading part is very interesting because the texts are authentic, difficult enough and don't contain grammatical mistakes. Also, many exercises can be taken and given to students of colleges, lyceum and universities for developing all aspects of learning English.

However, the website has some drawbacks. Firstly, it is the design. I think that it is not very attractive because there is no variety of colours and pictures, everything is white and dark blue without any change. Secondly, the speed of the website is not fast: some pages, especially the scripts in the listening part, download slowly. Thirdly, there is no information about the author and the quality of several tracks are not very good.

To sum up, I would like to say that despite some disadvantages this website is very useful for learning English and taking the above mentioned examinations successfully.