Vol. 1. No. 4 INT-1 June 1995

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On the Internet

EX*CHANGE World-Wide Web Site

Heidi Shetzer
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
<hshetzer@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>

If you teach ESL/EFL, learn ESL/EFL, or are interested in learning about different cultures, come check out EX*CHANGE, a not-for-profit World-Wide Web (WWW) publication organized by a team of graduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

The mission of EX*CHANGE is twofold: (1) to provide an opportunity for non-native English speakers to improve their English and express themselves through the use of English and (2) to create a unique source of knowledge and insights about different cultures from people whose ideas might otherwise go unheard due to language barriers. To accomplish this mission, EX*CHANGE primarily publishes writings of non-native English speakers from all over the world.

EX*CHANGE does not follow the traditional concepts of magazine publication, so the concept of issue does not apply. Submissions are published as soon as they are reviewed and accepted. Because of that, EX*CHANGE is always expanding and evolving.

Through EX*CHANGE, ESL/EFL learners can submit their writing and have the chance to reach a world-wide audience. In April, for example, EX*CHANGE received 16,018 accesses from over 34 different countries. There are four sections to EX*CHANGE which continually accept contributions. World Cultures is where writers may share different aspects of their cultures, including personal accounts about customs, traditions, and events. The second section, World News and Events, is where learners can contribute newsworthy articles related to the past, present, and future. The Stories section encourages learners to submit any type of creative writing, and to begin or add to chain stories. The final section, Learning Resources, is divided into six categories: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, Grammar Tutorials, Learning Tips, and References for English learning. In this section students can access materials to practice various English skills. Instructors and other interested individuals are encouraged to contribute learning activities for this section of EX*CHANGE.

In terms of editing learners writing, the EX*CHANGE staff aims to provide an outlet for the expression of ideas. They give feedback concerning the content of the submissions instead of picking apart various grammatical aspects of the submissions. Since the main goal is to provide such a communicative environment, the many readers of EX*CHANGE will encounter varieties of English writing styles as well as structures. [-1-]

Take a moment to discover EX*CHANGE. Point your World-Wide Web browser to the following URLs:

Graphical Format:

http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/exchange

Text Only Format:

http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/exchange/exchange.html

For questions regarding EX*CHANGE, e-mail Heidi Shetzer

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