Tag: foreign language

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.