English Language

Your lecturers spend a lot of time deciding which resources to recommend, so always look at your module reading lists first. The link above takes you to the lists for courses in SELL.

Explore Credo for trusted reference sources like dictionaries - a great alternative to Wikipedia! 

Watch these short videos to get started:

1. Search tips
2. Using the automated mind map

Access around 200,000 ebooks across all subject areas.

Access over 1000 Cambridge e-textbooks across most subjects. Register for a free personal account to use features such as notes and bookmarking. Watch these short videos to learn more. 

The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication features full-length articles.

A collection of over 500 full-text social science textbooks from SAGE.

Over 250 unlimited access in-depth guides to current and classic research across a range of subject areas. If you can't access something via this site, put the book title into our general Portsmouth catalogue as we have some titles via Ebook Central instead.

Access books and videos about quantitative and qualitative research methods and many more social science research topics. Use the Tools drop-down at the top centre of the screen to access a handy Project Planner which is full of FAQs about what you need to consider at each stage in a project/dissertation. Tools also contains a Methods Map which is ideal for quickly finding details about a particular research method.

Access over 800 entries about key practical and theoretical aspects of TESOL. Each entry is organized into three sections: "Framing the Issue", "Making the Case", and "Pedagogical Implications".

Freely available, high quality dictionaries in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish with translations into other languages also provided. Audio files give the pronunciation for every word listed.

A good site for helping with your reading and writing

The most trusted source about words in English, containing definitions, plus very detailed word histories.

Access a range of English and multilingual dictionaries, including synonyms, abbreviations and acronyms

A leading international peer-reviewed journal publishing articles at the boundaries of discourse analysis and the social sciences. It focuses on theory formation and analysis of the relationships between the structures of text, talk, language use, verbal interaction or communication, on the one hand, and social, political or cultural micro- and macrostructures and cognitive social representations, on the other.

An international peer-reviewed journal for the study of text and talk. Articles cover the structures and strategies of written and spoken discourse, with special attention given to cross-disciplinary links.

A popular and highly regarded, peer-reviewed journalfor all those involved in English Language Teaching, whether as a second, additional, or foreign language, or as an international Lingua Franca. The journal links the everyday concerns of practitioners with insights gained from relevant academic disciplines such as applied linguistics, education, psychology, and sociology.

An international peer-reviewed journal which focuses on the description of the English language within the framework of contemporary linguistics.

A very popular, easy-to-read, peer-reviewed journal containing reports on all aspects of the English language, including style, usage, dictionaries, literary language, Plain English, the Internet and language teaching, in terms of British, American and the world's many other 'Englishes'. Its global readership includes linguists, journalists, broadcasters, writers, publishers, teachers, advanced students of the language and others with a professional or personal interest in communication.

A popular, peer-reviewed, international journal of sociolinguistics concerned with language and discourse as aspects of social life.

An international, peer-reviewed journal aimed at language teachers, researchers and policy makers. Articles cover classroom practice in all its aspects, relationships between policy, theory and practice, multilingualism and multiculturalism, new technologies and foreign languages and much more.

Read expert overviews of research in the field of second-language teaching and learning. You will find critical survey articles of recent research on specific topics, second and foreign languages and countries.

A very popular, peer-reviewed journal aimed at professionals in the field which includes articles on English language teaching and learning and standard English as a second dialect.

A popular, peer-reviewed journal covering the study of English in global, social, cultural and linguistic contexts.

A key source for tracking down articles on a broad range of journalism, communication and media topics.

Provides access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, reports and primary sources in 75 disciplines.
Watch this video for great tips.

JSTOR started as a journal archive but it now offers much more. Jump straight to the articles and chapters on JSTOR which are most useful for Language, Linguistics and Literature topics. You will also find tips about using JSTOR and carrying out research.

Full text articles from many news sources and trade journals both UK and international. Archives sometimes stretching back to the mid 1980s. For use in the UK only.

PressReader lets you access UK and international newspapers, plus a wide range of magazine content. Everything is full colour with archives varying in length depending on the publication.

Login guidance

Use with care as this tabloid is known for its strong views but it can help with some assignments and certain dissertation topics. Search for stories or use the browse feature to flick through the paper on particular days, including special editions published in connection with Queen Victoria, George V, Elizabeth II's coronation and Winston Churchill. Use Nexis if you want to go beyond 2016.

Access the full text of popular entertainment industry magazine archives, including New Musical Express, Variety, The Stage and Screen International.

Access stories and photos from The Guardian (1821-2003) and The Observer (1791-2003). Use Nexis if you want to search up to the current day.

A searchable archive of the US (1867 to present) and UK (1930-2015) editions of Harper's Bazaar. This resource chronicles over 150 years of American, British, and international fashion, culture, and society, supporting researchers by offering unique insights into the events, attitudes, and interests of the modern era.

Launched in 1855 as an affordable newspaper, by 1876 The Telegraph was the largest-selling newspaper in the world. The newspaper was directed at a wealthy, educated readership and is commonly associated with traditional Toryism, despite its more "liberal" beginnings. The Telegraph Historical Archive has over 1 million pages of content and includes the Sunday edition from its inception in 1961. The archive offers a fundamental insight into UK domestic and international affairs and culture.

During the twentieth century, The Telegraph cemented its reputation as a pioneering yet reliable source of news reporting. There was the infamous uncensored interview with Kaiser Wilhelm of 1908, in which he successfully alienated Britain, France, Russia, and Japan. In 1942, the newspaper published the cryptic crossword puzzle responsible for recruiting Allied codebreakers during the Second World War.

Search over 200 years of articles. Articles are full facsimiles of what was published on the day and you can view the article in its original page location if you want.

Watch this video showing you how to make the most of the features available.

Search the backfiles of leading women's magazines from the late-19th century through to 2005. Titles include Company, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Prima, Seventeen and She from the UK and Canada. If you want to search just the UK versions, go to Advanced Search, then scroll to Place of Publication and tick London. Access more recent content via PressReader.

One of the fashion industry's most influential journals, coverage is from the first issue in 1910 to material from within the last twelve months. Every page, article, advertisement and cover has been included and is fully searchable.

An archive of UK television and radio programmes from free to air channels (1998 onwards). For use in the UK only. Find some great tips about how to use BoB in these short videos.

A unique collections of films including award-winning documentaries, training films and theatrical releases on every topic imaginable. Content can be searched or browsed.

Online learning and training courses covering business and employability, as well as creative and technical skills.

Use this site to find UK Government information, publications or statistics.

Oxfam's Inclusive Language Guide is a resource to support people to think about how the way they write can subvert or inadvertently reinforce intersecting forms of inequality. The language recommended is drawn from specialist organizations which provide advice on language preferred by marginalized people, groups and communities, and by Oxfam's staff and networks, to support us to make choices that respectfully reflect the way different groups wish to be referred to.

A good resource for English Language teachers compiled by the British Council and BBC World Service

Improve your listening skills by listening to the latest news

A free site which is useful for students learning English as a second/additional language and TESOL teachers. The site provides lesson ideas based on stories in the news and caters for learners at different levels.

Go to 'Stuff' for Students for grammar lessons, pronunciation, quizzes etc.

A free website from the British Council, including Listen & Watch, Grammar & Vocabulary, Fun & Games.

A site recommended by your lecturers to help improve your reading skills

A site recommended by your lecturers to help improve your reading skills