Voice of America has had its great Special English section for year, offering accessible news stories for those who are learning English. But I’ve always wondered why they didn’t have more online learning activities — it seemed to me to be a natural extension.

Well, it appears that they reached the same conclusion. I’m not sure how long they began their VOA News: The Classroom (it must not have been too long ago, since some of the sections seem light on materials), but they have what looks like the beginning of a nice new site.

I especially like their Articles section, which has lots of interactive exercises related to engaging news articles. I’m adding this section to The Best News/Current Events Websites For English Language Learners.

Their Activities section looks like it will be a nice feature when they bulk up the interactive resources they have there.

I’m less impressed with their Interactive Learning feature, which includes a dictionary and idiom guide that could be more accessible and engaging.

But it’s a very nice start!