If you’d like to learn a foreign language you’ve come to the right place! Perhaps you have always wanted to learn a specific language related to your family heritage or to prepare for a long-awaited bucket list trip? Or, maybe you want to communicate better with others in our diverse community? The Library has an array of language learning resources from complete courses (including an online program) to phrasebooks for travelers, visual dictionaries, and bilingual short stories. We have what you need to get started on your foreign language learning or ESL path. We even have Sign Language learning resources and instructional materials to assist teachers of ESL/EFL.
This new LibGuide highlights resources for each of the top 6 most popular languages to learn (Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Korean), as well as the most commonly spoken foreign languages in the Davenport Area and Quad Cities Region which includes some crossover (Spanish, Vietnamese, German, French, and Chinese). ESL and Sign Language resources are also in this LibGuide, along with a page of Other Foreign Language resources and Community Resources.
English is considered the global language, or lingua franca, which means it is often used as a common language between speakers of different native languages in business, education, and international communication. Because of this, both children and adults around the world invest significant time and resources into mastering the language for many reasons, but particularly for better educational and professional opportunities. Learning English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL) has become increasingly important in today’s interconnected world. According to the British Council in 2023, over 1.5 billion people globally are currently learning English, making it the most widely studied language on the planet. As English continues to dominate international media, science, and diplomacy, learning the language provides valuable advantages.
Learning Chinese opens doors to understanding a rich and ancient culture and a language that is increasingly relevant in our globalized world. Mandarin Chinese, the most widely spoken language in the world, boasts over 1.1 billion native speakers, primarily in China, Taiwan, and Singapore, along with Macao, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Indonesia (worlddata.info). Mandarin Chinese is also spoken in at least 21 other countries as a mother tongue by a part of the population. The Wu and Min dialects of Chinese each have upwards of 80 million native speakers, and both languages are only spoken in Taiwan and some regions of China. There are many vibrant Chinese-speaking communities or “Chinatowns” across the world, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and Madagascar (worldpopulationreview.com).
The history of the Chinese language dates back over 4,000 years, with the earliest written records found on oracle bones from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE). Over centuries, the language evolved through various stages, including Old Chinese, Middle Chinese, and Modern Standard Chinese. The development of a standardized written form, based on the Beijing dialect, was a significant step in unifying the languages spoken in China – a family of dialects with significant regional variations. Mandarin, the official language of China, is the most widely spoken, with approximately 70% of the population using it as their primary language. Other major dialects include Cantonese (spoken in Guangdong province and Hong Kong), Wu (including Shanghainese), Min (including Hokkien), and Xiang. Each dialect has its own unique phonetic, lexical, and grammatical features, and many are not mutually intelligible (fluentu.com). Other than in China, the Chinese language is spoken in 21 other countries as a mother tongue by at least a part of the population including many neighboring countries in Asia and surrounding regions (listed above), but also further south to Australia and New Zealand and parts of Oceania. The language is also spoken in Chinese communities or “Chinatowns” across the world, including in the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom and other locations in Europe, along with a small number of countries in Central and South America as well as some African nations like Nigeria and Madagascar.
Globally, the Korean language is spoken by over 80 million people, primarily in South Korea (51.7 million) and North Korea (26.4 million). Beyond the Korean Peninsula, significant Korean-speaking communities exist due to historical migration, notably China with approximately 2 million speakers. Japan hosts about 500,000 Korean speakers, mainly descendants of Koreans who migrated during the early 20th century. Further abroad, the United States is home to around 1.8 million Korean speakers, with large communities in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C. Other countries with notable Korean-speaking populations include Russia, with approximately 250,000 speakers, and Canada, where around 218,000 individuals speak Korean (worlddata.info). Australia has a Korean-speaking population of about 102,000, primarily residing in New South Wales. Smaller communities are also found in countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and various European nations. These global communities maintain the Korean language through cultural institutions, schools, and media, preserving their linguistic heritage and contributing to the worldwide spread of Korean culture (britannica.com and pathtokorean.com).
But, according to a 2021 report from the language learning app, Duolingo, Korean is in the top 6 most popular languages to learn around the world (English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Korean). The surge in interest in learning Korean is largely attributed to the global phenomenon known as the Korean Wave, or “Hallyu,” which encompasses the international popularity of Korean music, films, and television dramas. This cultural movement has significantly increased the number of non-native speakers learning Korean, as individuals seek to engage more deeply with Korean media and culture (linguakorean.com and asiasociety.org). Learning Korean opens doors to various career opportunities, especially in fields like international business, technology translation, and diplomacy. South Korea is home to global giants like Samsung, Hyundai, and LG, making knowledge of the Korean language an asset for professionals looking to engage in the East Asian market (koreatimes.com). Moreover, the U.S. government considers Korean a critical language, offering scholarships and career opportunities in agencies such as the CIA, Department of State, and NSA for individuals with Korean language skills.
The Italian language has a long and rich history in the United States. For centuries, especially during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, large numbers of Italians immigrated to the U.S. in search of a better life. They tended to settle in large cities where they established thriving Italian communities. Today, many of their descendants continue to speak Italian and maintain their cultural heritage. Roughly 764,000 people in the U.S. speak Italian at home according to the U.S. Census Bureau. New York and New Jersey have the highest number of native Italian speakers (294,000 and 116,000, respectively), but communities of Italian speakers can also be found across the country, especially in large cities like Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, St. Louis, and Buffalo, among others. Italian is still an essential regional language in many American communities. Depending on the source, Italian is listed as high as the 4th (and as low as the 12th) most-studied foreign language in the United States. Since much language learning now occurs online or casually through an app, and not in a formal classroom setting, these numbers are difficult to confirm. 
