Tag: foreign language

LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 4 — GERMAN

- Jill Leave a comment

Continuing in our monthly series of language resources offered by The Library, our focus in April is GERMAN. While the German language is on the decline in the United States (according to census.gov), it is still in the top ten languages (other than English) that are spoken at home. And, while it is spoken in just over 900,000 homes across the nation, North Dakota is the only state in which German is the second most commonly spoken language according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. If you remove the Spanish language from the mix, 16 mostly Midwest and Western states emerge, revealing their German influence. The bulk of these German speaking populations are in Midwestern states, but the spread is from Alabama and Tennessee to the south and as far west as Idaho and Utah. Notable exceptions on the list in the Midwest are Minnesota (Hmong language), Michigan (Arabic), Illinois (Polish), South Dakota (Dakota), and Nebraska (Vietnamese), demonstrating our country’s diverse populations and the influence of immigrants from other nations.

In Iowa, German is the third most commonly spoken language. The Amish population in southeast Iowa accounts for some of that finding, although that does not completely explain the fact as German is the third-most spoken language in a lot of states that don’t have a significant Amish community. According to IowaPBS.org, “German immigrants historically were the second largest immigrant group (behind people from the British Isles) to settle in Iowa”. Beginning around 1840, millions of Germans began immigrating to the US. The entry point for many of these immigrants to the upper Midwest region and points west was Scott County (IA) where the first passenger railroad crossed the Mississippi River. In 1900, Joseph Eiboeck, a veteran German newspaperman, described Davenport as, “the most German city, not only in the State, but in all the Middle West, the center of all German activities in the State.”

These German immigrants spread widely into every county across the state – more than any other immigrant group – and by 1900, the US Census indicated that over half of the citizens in Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota were German immigrants or their descendants. By 1920, at least half of all farmers in Iowa were of German ancestry as well. Many of these Germans who settled in the Davenport area attempted to maintain a close-knit German community. They continued to speak their own language, published a local newspaper “Der Demokrat”, and formed their own social club, Turn Germeind, or Turnvereins (turner halls), which were an athletic and social gathering place for their community.

These immigrants also established the practice of going to parks for picnics, where they would listen to band music and drink beer. This brought alcohol consumption out of the saloons (that were typically only frequented by men) and perceptions slowly changed such that by 1900 the City of Davenport had over 100 taverns and beer gardens (Biergarten). Many orchestras and bands were formed within the city as well and they regularly played venues such as Schuetzenpark (which during its heyday, in addition to a music pavilion, also consisted of an inn, dance hall, shooting range, refreshments, bowling alleys, a roller coaster, and a zoo).  Music was such an important facet of German immigrant culture that their influence helped begin one of the oldest continually operating symphonic orchestras in the United States, The Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra. These are just some of the many cultural facets German immigrants brought with them from their homeland, becoming an integral part the “history and fabric of life in Iowa” as well as in the region and the country as a whole.

The decline of the German language is due to many factors including, among other things, the growth of industries in the area which draws in a talented and diverse workforce and impacts population growth. We also continue to see an influx of immigrants in the Quad Cities Area. We have a long history of welcoming immigrants, and our cities today continue to be a sanctuary for immigrants and refugees from around the world. Certainly, one factor that has impacted the decline was the Governor of Iowa’s ban on speaking the language in public near the end of World War I. Since the U.S. was at war with Germany, many Iowans became suspicious of their German neighbors. The governor issued a proclamation in May 1918 that prohibited anyone from speaking a foreign language in public, specifically German. German books were also removed from the library, and citizens of German birth were interrogated. After the war, many German descendants tried to hide their heritage and assimilate more closely with their neighbors. With the use of the German language declining, German names were removed from streets signs and towns, turner halls lost their popularity, and German businesses changed their names. Even Schuetzenpark was renamed Forest Park, for a time.

But, it’s not too late to reinvigorate the German language in our area!  In 2010, there were over 600 speakers of German in Scott County alone, with another 13,000+ statewide (MLA Language Map Data Center). Perhaps you have German heritage or have been influence by the culture that these immigrants have brought to our area. Maybe you have always wanted to travel to Germany and spend time in some of the beautiful alpine regions or see the architecture and museums of the Capital, Berlin. Whatever the reason you want to learn, we have lots of resources to help introduce you to the language.

Here’s just a sampling of the FREE resources available to you at The Library as you learn German. See our online catalog or ask a Librarian for more resources.

FOR A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO THE LANGUAGE:

15-minute German : learn in just 12 weeks by Sylvia Goulding

Fast talk German : guaranteed to get you talking (Lonely Planet)

Intermediate German for dummies

 

FOR A MORE LAID-BACK APPROACH:

101 conversations in simple German : short natural dialogues to boost your confidence & improve your spoken German  by Olly RIchards

Short stories in German for intermediate learners : read for pleasure at your level and learn German the fun way by Olly Richards

50 German coffee breaks : short activities to improve your German one cup at a time

German short stories for beginners and intermediate learners : engaging short stories to learn German and build your vocabulary

 

IF YOU ARE A VISUAL LEARNER:

German visual dictionary for dummies

5 language visual dictionary

 

MORE COMPREHENSIVE LANGUAGE COURSES:

 

Complete German by Paul Coggle

Langenscheidt German at your fingertips  by Tien Tammada

German by Paul Coggle

Basic German by Jolene Wochenske

Teach yourself German by Paul Coggle

#Language hacking German : a conversation course for beginners : learn how to speak German–with actual people–right from the start! By Benny Lewis

And, a Davenport Public Library cardholder, you have FREE access to the language learning program, Mango Languages.

 

FOR THOSE WHO PLAN TO TRAVEL:

German phrase book & dictionary (Berlitz)

Rick Steves’ German phrase book & dictionary by Rick Steves

German (Rough Guides)

 

NEXT MONTH…  LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 5 — JAPANESE

LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 3 — FRENCH

- Jill Leave a comment

Last month we covered the Spanish language and the resources offered by The Library. This month, we’ll take a look at French. While not a commonly spoken language here in the Quad Cities, or even in Iowa, French is the 5th most spoken language in the world. With 321 million speakers (111 million who speak it as their mother tongue), French speakers make up 3.6% of the world population. French is also the 4th most used language on the internet (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs) and is one of the only languages with speakers on every continent. With 74 French-speaking countries, French is considered a world language. Only 39 countries and independent states use French as their official or common language (Worlddata.info) and the language is at least partly spoken as a mother tongue in as many as 12 other countries.

It’s no surprise that France boasts the most native speakers – almost 64 million. There is a heavy presence of French speakers in Europe (31% of Europeans), especially in countries bordering France. French is one of the 24 official languages of the European Union (EU) and is also one of the official languages of multiple international organizations headquartered in Europe including the International Olympic Committee, the International Criminal Court, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Due to its popularity and utility around the world, French is popular with those learning a second language – around 51 million current learners (Organization of International Francophonie – OIF).

But, would it surprise you to know that almost 62% of French speakers live in Africa (North Africa, Near East and Sub-Saharan Africa)? In fact, the country with the second highest number of French speakers is the Democratic Republic of the Congo – almost 49 million. In total, there are 20 French-speaking countries in Africa that list French as their official or co-official language. And, in many countries around the world where French is spoken but is not the official language, French is used as the language of instruction or as an administrative language (Worlddata.info). The remaining top ten French-speaking countries (based on millions of speakers) are: Algeria (15M), Morocco (13.5M), Germany (12.3M), Italy (11.8M), Cameroon (11.5M), United Kingdom (11.3M), Canada (11.1M), and Ivory Coast with 9.3M (OIF). All of these countries rank higher in numbers of French speakers than even Belgium – the #2 French-speaking European country. Belgium has only 8.8M speakers.

Closer to home, roughly 11 million (21%) of Canadians speak French as their first language, the majority those residing in Québec (Worlddata.info). French has a foothold in the United States as well, gaining ground during the colonial period and after several waves of immigrants during both world wars and then followed by immigration from large groups of French-speakers from African countries in the 1980s. It is the third most spoken foreign language in the U.S. (after Spanish and Chinese), with over 2 million U.S. households speaking French (census.gov). That is less than 1% of the population. The majority of U.S. French speakers reside in Louisiana (2% of its population), most of them living in or around the New Orleans area. And, many of those actually speak Cajun French or Louisiana Creole, which are French dialects that developed through combining elements of French with other languages. Patois is also a dialect of French that is spoken in the U.S. (ncesc.com). Besides New Orleans, other major U.S. cities with large French-speaking populations are Honolulu, Miami, New York, and Chicago.

In Iowa, roughly 7,500 people speak French at home (statisticalatlas.com) – the majority of whom are foreign-born French speakers hailing from West and Central Africa, especially the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. According to a 2021 report by the Iowa Department of Human Rights and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, of the 12 most common world languages found across Iowa Counties, French is spoken in 22 of them. It is the fourth most commonly spoken foreign language in Iowa and is one of the 10 foreign languages spoken in Scott County with just under 400 speakers (MLA Language Map Data Center). There are roughly the same number or French speakers in Rock Island County, on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities. While French is not a commonly spoken language in America, it is a commonly studied language and is a good choice for second language acquisition.

Here’s just a sampling of the FREE resources available to you at The Library as you learn French. See our online catalog or ask a Librarian for more resources.

FOR A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO THE LANGUAGE:

   

French in a flash : grammar and vocabulary fundamentals by Barbara Boyer

15-minute French : learn in just 12 weeks by Caroline Lemoine

Get talking French in ten days : audio course by Jean-Claude Arragon

 

FOR A MORE LAID-BACK APPROACH:

Short stories in French : read for pleasure at your level and learn French the fun way by Olly Richards

French short stories for beginners : 20 captivating short stories to learn French & grow your vocabulary the fun way : easy French stories

Learn French with short stories : fifteen beginner stories with parallel French & English text

#Language hacking French : a conversation course for beginners by Benny Lewis

Teach your dog French by Anne Cakebreak

50 French coffee breaks : short activities to improve your French one cup at a time

 

IF YOU ARE A VISUAL LEARNER:

French English illustrated dictionary by Thomas Booth

The Firefly French/English visual dictionary by Jean Claude Corbeil

 

COMPLETE LANGUAGE COURSES:

 

Complete French by Gaëlle Graham

Collins easy learning French complete audio course by Rosi McNab

Learn Canadian French : for basic to advanced level French speakers by Pierre Lévesque

And, a Davenport Public Library cardholder, you have FREE access to the language learning program, Mango Languages.

 

FOR THOSE WHO PLAN TO TRAVEL:

 

Rick Steves’ French phrase book & dictionary by Rick Steves

French phrase book & dictionary

Fast Talk French

 

NEXT MONTH…  LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 4 — GERMAN

LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 2 — SPANISH

- Jill Leave a comment

Last month, we introduced you to some of the more general language learning resources that The Library offers. Take a look at those if you’re not sure what language you want to learn. This month, we’ll focus in on the most commonly spoken foreign language in Davenport, the Quad Cities, and the U.S. – SPANISH!  This is also the language that most people around the world indicate they want to learn.

There are over 493 million native Spanish speakers, making it the second most-spoken language in the world. Including everyone who speaks Spanish as a second language (at least decently), Spanish can be used to communicate with 591 million people around the world! This makes Spanish the third most-spoken language in the world, behind Chinese and English, and on par with Hindi. Spanish is also one of the most-used languages on the internet. The Spanish language continues to grow in traditionally non-Spanish speaking countries as well. In the U.S., 60 million people identified as being of Hispanic origin – about 18% of the population (in 2019). The Spanish language has by far the most native speakers, with 12% of the American population using it as their primary language (2021). And, Spanish is the official language in 20 countries and one U.S. Territory (Puerto Rico) and has widespread use in other regions. Besides Mexico and Spain, Spanish is the official language in many Central and South American nations, including: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. It’s even spoken in Equatorial Guinea (in Africa). So, if you are planning on visiting any of these places, learning at least some basic conversational Spanish or common phrases would be helpful.

According to US Census Bureau data in 2022, the Hispanic population of Davenport, Iowa was at just over 9% or 9,200 people. When expanded to include the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL communities, the total number of people identifying as non-white Hispanic rose to 9.31% or 35.6K people. In Iowa, nearly 216K people self-identified as Hispanic or Latino (about 6.8% of Iowa’s total population, according to a 2022 report from the State Data Center of Iowa – a program of The State Library of Iowa.) Currently, 128K Iowa residents age 5 and older speak Spanish at home. Of this number, over 21K are Spanish speaking English Language Learners in Iowa’s public schools (2021- 2022). This represents a 240% increase from the previous year (Iowa Department of Education). Based on growth over the last 20 years, the projected total Latino population of Iowa as of July 1, 2050 will be around 518K (about 14.8% of the total state population). The numbers are even greater for Illinois, where some schools are even offering Dual Language Immersion Programs.

Hispanic businesses are on the rise nationwide, growing 8.2% from 2019-2020 (US Census Bureau). Hispanic-owned businesses yielded about $472.3 billion in annual receipts and employed about 2.9 million workers. According to the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, this is reflected in the Quad Cities as Latino owned business are on the rise, along with Hispanic cultural enterprises such as Mercado on Fifth, an outdoor summer market in Moline, IL which had a record 115 vendors and almost $600K in revenue in 2022. The chamber also indicated that immigrants and refugees are among the biggest drivers of the population and economic gains in the Quad Cities. Newcomers to the region tend to be of working age (between the ages of 25 and 64). Immigrants also are more likely to open and operate their own businesses and employ others than U.S.-born Quad-Citians.

Learning Spanish will undoubtedly give you an edge in the Quad Cities Job Market. Being bilingual in a market where the Spanish language speaking population is growing can be a major asset. Many employers are actively looking to hire people who can communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking customers, colleagues, and community members. Having at least a working knowledge of Spanish in your skill set can open up job opportunities you might not have otherwise. From healthcare, hospitality, and customer service to manufacturing, Spanish proficiency enables workers to engage with the area’s Hispanic community. Increasing the number of Spanish speakers in the workforce will facilitate everything from better patient communication to more targeted marketing and improved workplace collaboration across language barriers. Salaries also tend to be higher for bilingual employees. Studies show the “bilingual bonus” can lead to thousands more in annual pay, providing not just a practical communication benefit, but also a financial one. A growing number of job postings now list Spanish as a requirement or preferred qualification, but even a baseline conversational ability will give you an advantage. As the Hispanic community continues to rapidly expand across the Quad Cities area, mastering the Spanish language will only become more valuable to employers across diverse job sectors. For those entering the workforce, as well as experienced professionals, the ability to communicate and work effectively in both English and Spanish can give you the competitive edge.

Will you consider learning a foreign language?  If you’d like to get started learning Spanish, here are just a sampling of some of the FREE resources offered by The Library. See our online catalog or ask a Librarian for more resources.

FOR A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO THE LANGUAGE:

15-minute Spanish : learn in just 12 weeks by Ana Bremón

Spanish in 3 months : your essential guide to understanding and speaking Spanish by Isabel Cisneros

Spanish in 100 days.

 

FOR A MORE LAID-BACK APPROACH:

    

Spanish for the rest of us by William C. Harvey

Drive time Spanish. Beginner level.

#Language hacking Spanish : a conversation course for beginners by Benny Lewis

Becoming a bilingual family : help your kids learn Spanish (and learn Spanish yourself in the process) by Stephen G. Marks

50 Spanish coffee breaks : short activities to improve your Spanish one cup at a time

Teach your dog Spanish by Anne Cakebread

 

IF YOU ARE A VISUAL LEARNER:

 

Merriam-Webster’s Spanish-English visual dictionary

Spanish English illustrated dictionary by Thomas Booth

Spanish visual dictionary for dummies.

Bilingual visual dictionary. Spanish English.

 

COMPLETE LANGUAGE COURSES:

   

Berlitz Spanish all-in-one

Complete Spanish step-by-step : the fastest way to achieve Spanish mastery by Barbara Bregstein

Spanish complete edition

Basic Spanish by Dorothy Devney Richmond

Instant Immersion Spanish deluxe v3.0

And, a Davenport Public Library cardholder, you have FREE access to the language learning program, Mango Languages.

 

FOR THOSE WHO PLAN TO TRAVEL:

 

Spanish: Rough Guides Phrase Book

Rick Steves’ Spanish phrase book & dictionary  by Rick Steves

Mexican Spanish phrase book & dictionary

Fast talk Latin American Spanish : guaranteed to get you talking.

 

NEXT MONTH…  LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 3 — FRENCH

LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 1

- Jill Leave a comment

Happy New Year!
¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!
Alles Gute Zum Neuen Jahr!
Bonne Année!
新年快乐! (xīnniánkuàilè!)

Did you know that there are over 41 different languages spoken by students in Scott County, Iowa?  The top 6 languages are represented above: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, German, French, and Chinese. Across the state, over 177 languages are spoken (according to the 2022 report by the Iowa Department of Human Rights and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach). This is a nearly 60% increase in the foreign language speaking population since the last report in 2010. All languages (other than English) spoken in Scott County account for over 9,200 speakers – which is more than 6%. Spanish speakers account for greater than 3% of that. And combined, Vietnamese, German, French, and Chinese, add up to another 1.68% of speakers, leaving 1.44% to account for another 35 languages. These are roughly the same numbers when you compare Scott County with the State of Iowa as a whole.

While English is the most commonly spoken language in the United States, according to a 2019 U.S. Census Bureau Report about 22 percent of the US population (308.8 million at the time) speaks a language other than English when at home. Roughly 62% of these individuals speaks English “very well” such that they can be identified as fluently bilingual. According to the Journal of Neurolinguistics, 43% of the world’s population is bilingual, using two languages daily. 40% is monolingual, and the remaining 17% are multilingual.

Among U.S. students studying a foreign language, roughly 72% are studying Spanish, 14% French, 4.5% German, 2.5% Latin, and almost 1% Japanese. And, according to a 2021 report from the language learning app, Duolingo, the top 6 most popular languages to learn around the world (after English, which ranks #1) are: Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Korean. The 5 most commonly spoken languages in the world in order are English, Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish and French.

Would you like to learn a foreign language to communicate better with others in our diverse community?  Perhaps you have always wanted to learn a specific language of your family heritage or to prepare for a long-awaited bucket list trip? 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!

Over the next months, we will highlight resources for each of the top 6 most popular languages to learn: *Spanish, *French, *German, Japanese, Italian, and Korean. And, we will also include the most commonly spoken foreign languages in the Quad Cities Region: *Spanish, Vietnamese, *German, *French, and Chinese. ESL and Sign Language will also be included.
*We’ll only cover Spanish, German, and French once as they appear on both lists.

First, we’d like to point you to resources that will assist you in any language you want to learn. You can browse the online catalog for a specific language:  Davenport Public Library Catalog.  If you don’t see what you’re looking for there, reach out and let us know what language you’d like to learn or what resources you need.

As a Davenport Library card holder, you have FREE access to the language learning program Mango Languages found on our Online Resources page. Mango offers instructional courses for over 70 languages and ESL (English as a Second Language) courses for over 20 languages.

We also have these books that would be helpful no matter which language you choose to learn:

Fluent forever : how to learn any language fast and never forget it by Gabriel Wyner

Fluent in 3 months : how anyone at any age can learn to speak any language from anywhere in the world by Benny Lewis

How to speak any language fluently by Alex Rawlings

Bilingual families : a practical language planning guide by Eowyn Crisfield

 

Finally, you might find these two books useful as you begin planning your language learning adventure:

 

The first 20 hours : how to learn anything … fast by Josh Kaufman

Limitless : upgrade your brain, learn anything faster, and unlock your exceptional life by Jim Kwik

Stay tuned over the next months for language learning resources for specific languages!  First up, next month:  LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 2 — SPANISH.

Start French by Michel Thomas

- Brenda Leave a comment

If you find languages interesting, have I got a treat for you!  There is an excellent language learning series by Michel Thomas that is great listening!

I began with Start French. I always wanted to learn a little French, but it was offered during music class at my high school, so I could only choose one. I chose music and took an afternoon Spanish class for my foreign language. I’ve always found French to be a challenging accent to get, and reading the words on a page just didn’t work for me.

Enter Michel Thomas and his method.

When I popped his CD into my car, suddenly my commutes and errands turned into listening in on fun little conversations. He introduces basic words and phrases in a way that builds successively on one another, feels natural, and is a little easier to remember than trying to memorize nouns and conjugate verbs. He also relates the French word to the root of the English word, helping form connections in your brain to both words and their shared meaning.

After some time, I began talking with the recorded Thomas and enjoying being able to speak un peu de francais. I couldn’t help but share my discovery with family members and friends. My Dad wanted to try Start German. He has been listening to it before bed each night and greets the day with a guten Morgen!

This series is also currently available to check out in Irish, Italian, and Spanish. Also coming soon…Norwegian!

DVDs for September

- Ann Leave a comment

September 7

Solitary Man – Michael Douglas, Mary Louise Parker

Ben Kalmen, a fifty-something New Yorker, discovers that he is not the man he wanted to be. Through many business and romantic indiscretions he has lost his once-successful car dealership. Now he must make the decision to face the challenges of his not-so-youthful life.

September 14

Letters to Juliet – Amanda Seyfried,

In Verona, Italy, the beautiful city where Romeo first met Juliet, there is a place where the heartbroken leave notes asking Juliet for her help. It’s there that aspiring writer Sophie finds a 50-year-old letter that will change her life forever. She sets off on a romantic journey of the heart with the letter’s author, Claire, now a grandmother, and her handsome grandson. All three will discover that sometimes the greatest love story ever told is your own.

Prince of Persia – Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley

It’s a race against time when a rogue prince reluctantly teams up with a rival princess to safeguard a magical dagger that gives its possessor the power to reverse time and rule the world.

September 21

Robin Hood – Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett

In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power. And whether thief or hero, one man from humble beginnings will become an eternal symbol of freedom for his people.

Secret in Their Eyes ( Spanish)

Recently retired criminal court investigator Benjamin decides to write a novel based on an unresolved rape and murder case which still haunts him. Ben shares his plans with Irene, a judge and former colleague he has secretly been in love with for years. But Benjamin’s search for the truth puts him at the center of a judicial nightmare, as the mystery of the heinous crime continues to unfold in the present, and tests the limits of a man who seeks justice and personal fulfillment at last.

September 28

Iron Man 2 -Robert Downey Jr., Gwenyth Paltrow

Now that the world knows billionaire inventor Tony Stark is the armored superhero Iron Man, his life has suddenly become even more intense. Everyone wants in on the Iron Man technology, whether for power or profit, but for Ivan Vanko, it’s revenge. With Pepper Potts and James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes at his side, Stark must once again suit up and face his most dangerous enemy yet.

also being released in September:

MacGruber, Killers, Just Wright, Babies, Get Him to the Greek

Mango Languages

- Valerie Leave a comment

parlez-vous français ?

¿habla español?

You can!, with Mango Languages.  Mango is an online language-learning system that teaches conversation skills for 22 languages as well as 13 ESL courses.  Offerings include, but are not limited to:  Spanish, Vietnamese, German, Italian, Chinese (Mandarin), Spanish to English, Vietnamese to English, etc.

By listening to and repeating material designed from native conversations, you’ll learn individual words and phrases and know how they’re used in practical situations and conversations.  You’ll not only learn grammar, vocabulary and conjugation, you’ll learn how to communicate.  Using a microphone or other audio input allows you to have your own pronunciation charted and compared to that of a native speaker.

Mango is a new product available to you in the Do Research Online portion of our website.  It may also be found in the For Students and For Adults sections of our in-house menu.  We encourage you to Create A Profile by providing an e-mail address and creating a password so that you can keep track of your learning progress.  When you first sign-up Mango will send you a confirmation e-mail to which you will need to respond to establish your account.  And remember to check your Junk Mail folder if that e-mail doesn’t quickly appear in your e-mail Inbox.

Are you currently taking a foreign language course in school?  If so, Mango may be a ticket to a better grade.

Are you planning a vacation to a foreign land?  If so, before you go – Mango!

Latino Books Month

- Ann Leave a comment

latinoCinco de Mayo is only the beginning!  The entire month of May has been designated as Latino Books Month by the Association of American Publishers.  Simply put, it’s an effort to encourage people to read books by and for Latinos.  What’s great is that you can choose to read many titles in either English or Spanish.

If you read Spanish, you’ll be able to check out some books that, in English, never seem to be on the shelf!  For example,  Luna Nueva by Stephanie Meyer.

If you prefer Latino authors, try Carlos Ruiz Zafon and his El Juego del Angel or Para Salvar el Mundo by Julia Alvarez.  Can’t read Spanish?  No problem, we have the English versions of those titles as well.  Hint:  Look for The Angel’s Game and Saving the World.

Also, in the children’s section, we feature many bi-lingual editions as well as clever videos.  Did you know that exposing children to another language at a young age can really help their fluency in later years?   Why not give it a try?

A Very Long Engagement

- Ann Leave a comment

Today marks the anniversary of the official beginning of World War I on July 28, 1914. Now often overshadowed by the popularity of fiction and non-fiction of World War II, the First World War saw the introduction of many aspects of modern warfare including the first use of armored tanks and airplanes as fighters as well as the horrors of trench warfare and mustard gas. And although it was known as the “war to end all wars”, in many ways it contributed to the causes of the Second World War.

Poignant, horrific yet ultimately hopeful, the French language film A Very Long Engagement starring Audrey Tautou is set against the backdrop of the end of the war and it’s aftermath. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Mathilde refuses to believe that her fiance has died in the war. She launches an investigation, a search that introduces a multitude of interlocking stories and incidents. The movie shifts from the couple’s courtship before the war to the horrors of the trenches to Mathilde’s determined search after the war and back again. Throughout, Mathilde’s charm, intelligence and most of all faith remain unshakable and will make you believe too.