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Featured Resources
Mango Languages »
Learn a new language! Mango offers lessons in 44 languages, including English. Learn on the web or download an app for iPhone or Android.
Little Pim »
Young children (ages 3 through 6) can learn Spanish, Chinese, English and other languages through these interactive online videos.
A Chicago Public Library card is required to use this resource unless using a Chicago Public Library computer.
Search in the Library
- Bilingualism and Multilingualism »
- Languages and Linguistics
- Learn:
- Picture Dictionaries »
- Read Fiction in Chinese, French, Polish, Russian and Spanish »
- Teaching Language Learners »
- Watch Films in Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian and Spanish »
Featured CPL Collections
- eBooks, eAudiobooks and More »
Learn a language on the go with eBooks and eAudiobooks. The Language Instruction collection includes study materials in a wide range of languages. - Literature and Language Department »
The Literature and Language Department at the Harold Washington Library Center maintains a World Languages collection with fiction and nonfiction in many languages, reflecting local language populations in its areas of emphasis. In addition, language learning materials are available in a wide range of formats, including audiobook CDs. - Social Science and History Department »
The Social Science and History Department at the Harold Washington Library Center features an extensive collection of current travel guides as well as books describing cities, countries, ancient civilizations and archaeology help the traveler prepare for a trip.
Helpful Websites
- BBC Languages »
Practice a new language with audio and video courses. Learn essential phrases in 40 languages and find facts about languages, such as the world’s most spoken languages. Resources for instructors include suggestions for lessons and grammar notes.
- Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center »
This organization offers online learning and assessment tools. Phone Conversations provides audio of casual phone conversations in Arabic and Spanish dialects. Topics include education, family life and shopping. GLOSS features reading and listening lessons in about 30 languages.
- Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish »
French in Action »These Annenberg Learner video series for college and high school students and adult learners teach speaking and listening skills.
- Learn a Language »
Find lessons, online flashcards, activities and games to enhance language learning. Available languages are Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. The site also offers English instruction for French and Spanish speakers.
- Spanish Proficiency Exercises »
This University of Texas at Austin website compiles video clips in which native speakers of Spanish demonstrate a wide range of activities, from identifying objects and negotiating a taxi ride to sharing information about a favorite hobby or discussing a bad date. Speakers are from locations throughout Latin America and Spain.
In addition, there are a number of fee-based language schools in Chicago.