I’ve just begun writing a monthly column for The New York Times and their Learning Network: “Ideas For English Language Learners.”

Check out the first one — focusing on the Olympics.

Two years from yesterday, the London Olympics begin and the “hype” has begun! And since it has, I figured this was as good as time as any to begin a “The Best…” list for the upcoming event (which will certainly have many additions to it over the next two years).

You might also be interested in:

The Best Sites For Learning About Oscar Pistorius

The Best Sites To Teach & Learn About The 2008 Olympics

The Best Sites To Learn About The Vancouver Winter Olympics

Here are my choices for The Best Sites For Learning About The London 2012 Olympics:

Two Years Out is a slideshow from The Wall Street Journal.

The CBBC Newsround has many accessible resources.

In pictures: Two years until the London Olympics is a BBC slideshow.

Get Set London 2012 is the official site for educators. It’s beginning to build-up a nice set of resources, like an Olympic Values Game and a very good Olympic History slideshow.

The official site for the London Olympics has a number of multimedia resources.

The Olympic Museum’s Heroes! site is a must-see.

The BBC’s Primary History site on the ancient Greek Olympics is very good.

Scholastic’s Go For The Gold has some dated activities, but also a number of still useful resources.

History of the Marathon is an interactive book with audio support for the text.

Word Hurdles is a game for English Language Learners on the history of the Olympics.

Sporting English is another game for ELL’s on words that might be used at the Olympics.

The Language Olympics is a neat infographic showing the languages spoken on each of the continents. Once you go to the link, you have to scroll down to get to it. You’ll pass another infographic related to world languages that I personally find rather incomprehensible, but it might just be me.

The route for the 2012 London Olympics Torch relay was recently chosen. The BBC has a slideshow on the history of the relay.

London 2012: a virtual tour of the Olympic Park
is from The Guardian.

London’s Olympic Venues is a Wall Street Journal slideshow.

New aerial photos of London 2012 Olympic Games venues is from The Telegraph.

English For 2012 is a special feature created by The British Council for English Language Learners.

London 2012: Torch relay heading for 1,000 places is from the BBC and has numerous interactives.

The Children’s Olympics is a useful interactive from Succeeding With Science.

English For The Games is a special ESL/EFL site set-up by the British Council for the upcoming Olympics.

Olympic Preparations for London 2012
is a photo gallery from The Atlantic.

London 2012: Seven Unique Venues for the Olympic Games is a slideshow from TIME.

Top athletes to keep an eye on at the London Olympics is from the Associated Press.

Olympic Project
is from David Deubelbeiss.

London 2012: Olympic Games flame lit in Greece is from The BBC.

Lighting the 2012 Olympic Flame is a photo gallery from The Atlantic.

Greece Lights Olympic Torch is a slideshow from TIME.

Olympics 2012: Carrying the flame is a photo gallery from The Boston Globe.

Olympic Portraits, Part I: American Athletes is from The Atlantic.

Olympic Portraits, Part II: Londoners is also from The Atlantic.

Fifty Stunning Olympic Moments is a series of photo galleries from The Guardian.

The Associated Press has interactives on diving and on gymnastics.

The Guardian has a zillion interactives.

Interactive: London Summer Olympics venues
comes from The Detroit News.

If the resources I already have on this list aren’t enough for you, then check out The Clever Classroom’s Pinterest Board on The London Olympics.

Here’s a BBC trailer for the Olympics:

How much were the original Olympics like the modern Games? is from The BBC.

Michelle Henry has a zillion resources accessible to English Language Learners.

‘Blade runner’ Pistorius handed dream double Olympic ticket is a CNN article and video on double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius qualifying for the Olympic Games. I’ve embedded the video below, but you might have to click through to view it if you’re reading this on an RSS Reader. You can read more about it in The New York Times article, In First for Olympics, Amputee Will Run. I’ve also embedded a video from ABC News.

video platform video management video solutions video player

USA Today has a special site with just about everything you want to know about the London Olympics and just about any Olympic Games in history.

50 Olympic Athletes to Watch is a feature from TIME Magazine.

Securing the London Olympics is a Wall Street Journal slideshow.

Are you over the hill for Olympic sports? is a neat interactive from The Washington Post.

The BBC has a constantly updated page filled with every possible piece of info on the Olympics.

The evolving Olympic athlete is a neat interactive from CNN.

The Telegraph has a constantly updated page on the Olympics.

The New York Times also has a constantly updated page on the Games.

“Science Of The Summer Olympics” is a series of videos NBC has produced with the National Science Foundation. You can also read more about it here.

Immediately following each Olympics (and they use the same facilities) comes the Paralympic Games. Check out this video about them:

10 Infographics On The London Olympics

Of course, NBC’s Olympics page is a pretty useful place.

Olympics 2012: Athletes in training is a photo gallery from The Boston Globe.

The Associated Press has an interactive on Oscar Pistorius.

I’ve already mentioned the regularly updated Telegraph page on the Olympics, but their guide to every single Olympic sport, including infographics, just needs to be highlighted.

The New York Times has three excellent resources on the Olympics: a feature page, a blog, and a Twitter account.

America’s adopted athletes is a really nice interactive from the BBC profiling immigrants who are competing for the United States.

London 2012 Olympics Infographic is from Time Out London.

Playing London’s Games is a Wall Street Journal interactive.

London 2012: Inside track on Olympic running surface is from The BBC.

A Sprint and Leap Into the Unknown is a fascinating article about a blind long-jumper competing in the Paralympics.

Fists of Freedom: An Olympic Story Not Taught in Schools is from GOOD.

The Art of Gymnastics is an interactive from The Associated Press.

The Wall Street Journal has a special Olympics page.

2012 Olympics to Be Greenest Ever is a lesson plan from News English Lessons.

The Associated Press has released several interactives:

Collecting precious medals

Road to the London Games

2012 Summer Olympics

The New Yorker has a slideshow of Olympics-related cartoons from over the years. Several are quite funny.

London 2012 security: Covering all fronts is an interactive from The Associated Press.

The Smithsonian Magazine has tons of Olympics resources, and I especially like the “Cheat Sheets” they have for each sport.

Dressed for a world record? is a nice interactive from The Washington Post.

Igniting the games is another Associated Press interactive.

Going for Tchotchke Gold is a Wall Street Journal slideshow.

Biggest, Fastest, Strongest is a cool interactive from The Wall Street Journal.

CNN has a regularly updated special page bringing together all of their coverage.

All the Fastest Men is a cool slideshow from The New York Times.

Here’s a fun video: Teaching Team USA athletes to speak cockney rhyming slang:

The shifting pattern of national participation in the modern Olympics is an interactive chart from The Economist.

The Washington Post has a helpful interactive on gymnastics scoring.

Teaching For The Games is a series of lesson plans from The British Council.

Check out the “12 Best Ads of the 2012 Olympics.”

Navigating the ‘Isles of Wonder’: A guide to the Olympic opening ceremony is from CNN.

Olympics: Opening ceremony is a CNN slideshow.

London 2012 Olympics: Opening Ceremony is a Wall Street Journal slideshow.

Blind archer posts first world record of London Olympics is from CNN.

London 2012 | Summer Olympics opening ceremony is a slideshow from The LA Times.

London 2012 Olympics Opened is a lesson plan from News English Lessons.

Here’s the official London 2012 video:

And here’s a nice story — not about this Olympics, but a previous one:

 

Infographic: discontinued sports of the modern Olympics is from The Telegraph.

The Independent has an incredible collection of interactives on each of the sports. Scroll to the bottom of their main Olympics page.

How would you go against Usain Bolt? Test your time is an interactive from The New Zealand Herald.

Immigrants on the U.S. Olympic Team is from About.com.

Here’s a great U.S. Olympic Team Tribute To Muhammad Ali:

Visualizing The Evolution Of Olympic Speed is a pretty cool interactive.

A look at the many different sports represented during the 2012 London Olympics is an interactive from The Associated Press.

NBC did this interesting interview with double-amputee runner Oscar Pistorius. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About The London 2012 Olympics:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This is probably going to be the best photo from this Olympics, if not the best sports photo of the year (thanks to Ed Yong for the tip).

The New York Times has an ongoing collection of their choices for the best photos from the Olympics.

Oscar Pistorius Makes Olympics History
is a slideshow from The Huffington Post.

Olympic Park: Transforming London is an Associated Press interactive.

Athletes and the body is another Associated Press interactive.

Most decorated Olympian: Phelps wins his 21st Olympic medal at London Games is also from The Associated Press.

Go to London 2012 and write a message on virtual placards held up by virtual signs in a virtual stadium at a virtual Olympics. You can do it without registering and then send or post the link to your creation.

The New York Times has published three extraordinarily creative interactives — they compare Olympic gold winners from throughout the year in running, swimming and long-jump events.

INFOGRAPHIC: Olympic Physics is from NPR.

I’m sure I’ll be adding a zillion resources to this list in the future, and suggestions are welcome.

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You might also want to explore the 475 other “The Best…” lists I’ve compiled.