Our Free tools and resources

  • Free Corpus-Based word lists

    Over the past 11 years we have created a large and growing number of corpus-based word lists designed to meet the needs of second language learners. Each list provides the highest coverage in its area, making them efficient tools for systematic language study. Most are designed in a modular fashion, meaning the lists can fit together in different ways to meet the differing needs of students and language programs.

    You can access two TED Talks I gave on our first 2 lists here. All the lists below, as well as a wide range of additional free learning resources can be accessed from my NGSL Project website:

  • Free Vocabulary Apps & Tools

    We have just release the NGSL Profiler, which is a powerful online text analysis tool that utilizes wordlists for ESL/EFL learners from the NGSL Project to analyze the difficulty of texts and then to simplify them to the level of the students or intended audience. It also includes two AI-powered tools for text creation and text simplificition. The lnk is here.

    One of the more interesting free learning tools we’ve created is our “Interactive Learning Dictionary” with a video concordancing tool that provides access to thousands of authentic video clips for each of the words in our New General Service List. A link to the tool and its explanation is here.

  • Free Vocabulary Tests

    Here you can access the free paper-based tests for our New General Word List and New Academic Word List. We also have a free online placement test for the NGSL which can be accessed here. There is also a free vocabulary testing function in our Word-Learner app. Information about the app can be found here.

    CBC Consulting excels in the area of online, computer-adaptive testing, co-owning the patent on the IRT-based “V-Check” vocabulary test developed for Lexxica, and has developed online language assessment tools for GoFluent, Cambridge University Press and EnglishCentral. Whether you need to develop a norm-referenced proficiency test like the TOEIC test of business English, or a criterion-referenced placement tool for an in-house language learning program, we are able to create, deliver and even administer reliable and valid online and paper-based testing instruments to meet your needs.