The World Wide Web, as its name suggests, is basically a web of linked information held on internationally accessible computers.
When you're on the web (and you're on the web if you're reading this page) you can access a site by typing in the address (sometimes called URL) in the white panel below the toolbar - our url is http://www.bbcworldwide.com/talk. Once in a site, you can jump to related information on other pages by using the mouse to click on underlined text (called hypertext) and on certain areas of the page (often buttons) where the mouse pointer turns into a hand symbol.
In this site we've coloured the underlined hypertext green, (visited hypertext is grey). If you want to read the related information, click on the text. For example, you'll often want to click through to access the Worksheets for a particular activity. The navigation bar on the left hand side of the screen also contains hyperlinked buttons which take you to activities for other languages, feedback areas and a page with useful links to other sites.
To 'bookmark' a page (to be able to return to it in the future) pull down the menu options in your browser window until you find 'Bookmark'. Release the mouse - the page's address is stored in the computer's memory. You'll find the page's title listed in your bookmarks for future reference.
The length of time you'll wait before you see a page depends on a variety of factors including the number of pictures the page contains. We've tried to limit the number of pictures to speed up the process.
In the UK you'll also find it quicker to access most sites in the morning (before America wakes up and goes online).
For a really good guide to the internet visit BBC Education's netbasics site.
If you have anything to say about the site, we'd be delighted to receive an email and will, of course, send you a reply.