Learn a Language

Mango Languages

Mango Languages: Through fun and engaging interactive lessons, Mango makes learning a new language fast, easy and incredibly effective.

Available online through the library’s website or through an app on your mobile device.

English Conversation & ESL

Practice your English conversation skills with other language learners in a warm and welcoming setting.  This program is free and open to all. Virtual and in-person sessions are available. Registration is required for most.

ESL classes are offered throughout the year at various levels. Please see our ESL page for details.

World Language Storytimes for Kids

Visit us on YouTube for storytimes in English, Spanish, and Chinese, always available.

Find more information about library storytimes here.

Especially for Kids

The library offers world language Story Times, Muzzy, a BBC online language program, plus TumbleBookLibrary, animated talking picture books in French and Spanish as well as a print collection for books and magazines.  Kanopy Kids offers instructional videos, such as Muzzy, for learning a variety languages, including English.

Downloadable Audiobooks, eBooks, Magazines & Newspapers

Audiobooks: Explore Pimsleur Language Programs in multiple languages and levels in Overdrive/Libby. Also try Hoopla, which includes a selection of first level instruction from Pimsleur in over 30 languages.

Ebooks: The collections in Overdrive and Hoopla include dictionaries, phrasebooks, grammar workbooks, vocabulary, etc.

Magazines: Borrow unlimited titles in many languages from Princeton Overdrive website or the Libby app.

Newspapers: Access to hundreds of U.S. and international newspapers in English and their original languages plus the ability to translate many titles into 20 different languages, through PressReader.

A comprehensive list of materials in multiple languages in our print and digital collections can be found here.

Available online or through an app on your mobile device.

Print Collections

The Language Learning neighborhood, in the 2nd floor Reading Room, has grammar, conversation, and vocabulary workbooks, dictionaries, CDs, and phrasebooks for a variety of languages, including English. Popular reading materials in eight languages can be found in the World Language collection on the 1st floor. Newly added, in 2023, is a collection of popular fiction and nonfiction titles in Hindi. The children’s World Language collection includes chapter books, picture books, DVDs, and audiobooks in nine languages, plus magazines in four. Our adult print magazine collection includes magazines in Chinese, German and French, plus the World Journal (newspaper) in Chinese. There are hundreds of titles in many languages in our digital collection. A comprehensive list of materials in multiple languages in our print and digital collections can be found here.

Videos & Film

Kanopy offers a collection of streaming instructional videos for language learners, including English, Spanish, French, and more. Documentaries and feature films are also available. Look under the subject heading Global Studies & Languages/ESL & Languages for the complete list. The Little Pim and Muzzy series are geared for children.

Access Video On Demand offers a few language learning videos including sign language. There are also French and Spanish movies and a selection of Spanish television shows.

World Cinema Collection

Do you enjoy learning about world cultures and language through international films? Check out the selections, from Arabic to Zulu, in our World Cinema DVD collection, located on the 1st floor of the library.

Streaming videos are available on Kanopy and Access Video on Demand.

Mobile Apps

Learn on the go! Visit the library’s mobile apps page for links to the apps you need to enjoy our eLibrary selections.