Junior World of Words

The early stages of learning English as a second language could be quite demanding, and if the student’s interest is not caught from the very beginning, it could all become a hassle.

Fortunately, the Internet offers plenty of interactive applications you could resort to in the process, and Junior World of Words is one example in this regard.

Being aimed at learners who are just starting to figure out what English sounds like, the program bets on their visual memory since it prompts them with a series of images they get to associate with specific words or sentences.

The software utility covers a multitude of topics ranging from the alphabet, the body, colors, and days, to music, pets, shapes, transport, vegetables, the weather, and many others, all of which can be accessed from the main window.

Once you select the one you are interested in, various images are displayed, and at mouse hover, you get to hear a word or sentence about the object or the activity taking place in it. Naturally, these are simple phrases, such as “That’s an eraser” or “That’s a dolphin.” What’s more, a small box is displayed as well so that you can associate the pronunciation of the word you are learning with a specific spelling.

Aside from this word-learning module, there is also the one teaching sentences such as “The monkey’s got a long tail.” We won’t argue here this approach to teaching English, but in our opinion, this is rather old-fashion and might not encourage fast and natural learning.

Last but not least, a quiz is also integrated so that you can put your language skills to the test. In any case, what is great is that the program comes with instructions in 5 different languages and that keeping track of your progress is possible with the help of reports that can be printed in the blink of an eye.

Junior World of Words is a nice tool both British and American English learners could take a look at if they have trouble memorizing words. The app should enhance their vocabulary using pictures, which could prove a great idea, especially if they are children with a short attention span.