Resources

I’ve been teaching English to monks for a few years now. Some people think monks shouldn’t learn English. Though I agree it’s not essential, and sometimes misused, I think the pros outweigh the cons. Here are some of the benefits I see:

• More learning resources: most research, material online, courses, books, etc. are in English nowadays.
• International communication: nowadays, the Saṅgha, Buddhists in general, and general audiences are much more connected than in the past due to the internet. English is often the common ground in which this communication occurs.
• Propagation: knowing English, monks are able to teach Dhamma in many countries and academic institutions.
• Fulfilling Paṭisambhidā: though not essential for arahatship, learning languages is so for special attainments such as that of Chief Disciples or Sammāsambuddhas.

Here I’m collecting useful links or resources on this topic:

MonkType

Website where you can practice typing, spelling, listening, and also learn the meaning of words in any language. You can make your own lists and translate them into any language. Watch the video to know how to use it (not difficult).

---

Test-English.com

After a good amount of research, this is the grammar source I settled for. There are accessible level-based lessons with exercises. It’s particularly good for grammar (up to B2), but also offers good resources for other aspects of the language such as writing exercises.

---

Busuu

This is a website / app that can help you learn the basics and get exposed to the language in general. As a sole tool for learning a language, it is not enough, so I recommend it as a supplement for brainsoaking.

---

Oxford Vocabulary Lists

The official word lists used in the course, hosted by Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries:

• Oxford 3000 and 5000: the most important words to learn in English, organized according to the CEFR levels.
• Oxford Phrase List: the most important phrases to learn in English.
• OPAL – Oxford Phrasal Academic Lexicon: the most important and useful words and phrases for academic English, in four lists (written single words, written phrases, spoken single words, and spoken phrases). This is the list used in the higher semesters of the course, at ~150 items per week.

---

Quizzes

• 📈 Practice Irregular Verbs
• 𝕒 / 𝕒𝕟 / 𝕥𝕙𝕖 – Practice Articles
• Practice Relative Pronouns
• 📝 B2 Phrases – Column 1 (49 phrases)
• 📝 B2 Phrases – Column 2.1 (24 phrases)
• 📝 B2 Phrases – Column 2.2 (31 phrases)
• 📝 B2 Phrases – Column 3 (29 phrases)
• 📝 B2 Words – Column 1 (18 words)
• 📝 B2 Words – Column 2 (70 words)

---

Grammar Notes

Organized by level, following the grammar contents of Test-English.com and supplementary to them. Notes that encompass a topic through several levels are kept under Specific Topics.

A Level

• How Come
• Pronunciation of the Number 0
• Serious Writing Mistakes

B1–B1+ Level

• Present Perfect Simple vs. Continuous
• Identical Zero and 1st Conditional
• “So that…“
• Adjective Order
• Gradable vs. Non-gradable Adjectives
• Present Simple vs. Perfect in Future Time Clauses
• Article Position with Pretty, Fairly, Rather, and Quite
• Adverb Position
• B1+ vs B2 Lessons: Shared, Unique, and What Gets Added

B2 Level

• Gerund vs. Present Participle
• Participial Clauses
• Absolute Phrases
• Active Infinitives with Passive Meaning

C1 Level

• May well vs. May as well

Specific Topics

Notes that cover a topic across several levels.

• All Conditionals: 0, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Mixed
• Structure of All Tenses
• Unusual Usages of Tenses
• Present Perfect Continous Passive: not used
• Relative Clauses in depth
• To + ing Cases
• Participial Adjective vs. Passive Voice
• Do, make, do make, make do
• Meanings of “Should”
• Meanings of “for”
• Lay down vs. Lie down
• Hard vs. Hardly
• Most vs. Mostly
• Comma with “Sometimes”
• “In common with” vs. “Common to”
• Base vs. Basis
• Some Confusing Verbs
• Refining Common Adjectives
• Common Sayings / Expressions / Proverbs
• Animals and Their Onomatopoeia
• Expressions with Infinitive and -Ing

---

Pronunciation

• Tongue Twisters
• Difficult Words

---

The IIT English Language Course

The English language course taught at the International Institute of Theravāda (IIT): a structured program that takes students from the basics (A1) to an advanced level (C1), following the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), with grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening, writing, speaking, and pronunciation.

• 📖 Student Handbook: everything students need to know about the course – the course outline per semester, the grading method (how writings are graded, participation, passing grade, and the repeat-protocol), serious writing mistakes to avoid, taboo words, writing topics per level, the OPAL vocabulary schedule, and the listening homework.