iPhone English: Freerice

In this week's post we're looking at a great website which not only helps improve your English, but also helps feed hungry people all over the world. If you want to do both of those things (and why wouldn't you?), then read on.

This blog post could easily be titled “How to save the world by learning English”, which sounds quite grand but then the idea behind Freerice is very noble.  The basic premise is this; you can choose from a range of subjects including Geography, Maths, Chemistry, Humanities, Languages and of course English and the website tests you on your knowledge of each subject.  The English section is divided into Grammar and Vocabulary, ranging in difficulty from level 1 – 60, so no matter what your level of English is, you can make is as challenging as you like.  I started on level 60 but I’m afraid it was way too hard for me!

Sounds good doesn’t it?  Well, here’s the really interesting part: for every correct answer you give, Freerice donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme to help end world hunger.  Even if you get an answer wrong, you get the chance to try again until you get it right – and you donate more rice.  Too good to be true right?  You improve your English AND your donated rice helps hungry human beings to function better and be more productive.  Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that your correct answers helped to provide.

FreeRice has two goals: to provide education to everyone for free and to help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.  It is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Programme.

I don’t know of any other website that has such educational and philanthropic benefits, and I strongly recommend trying it.  Start saving the world today! 

By Andy

grand – (adj.) very good or impressive

noble – (adj.) admirable

basic premise – (adj.+n.) the simple idea

donate – (v.) give something to someone without expecting money

productive – (adj.) able to work better, faster or more efficiently

non-profit – (adj.) an organisation that doesn't make any money as it gives any profits away

philanthropic – (adj.) having concern for human welfare

Thanks to Bethan Lewis for telling me about this website.