December 2025: Learn a new language!
Our final Year in Reading challenge is celebrating learn a new language month! We've got lots of resources to expand your horizons! Check them out!
Spanish essentials for dummies
Author(s):
Stein, Gail
Kraynak, Cecie,
Description:
The perfect guide for new Spanish learners and anyone looking for an expert refresher Interested in a fast and effective guide to learning Spanish that avoids fluff and focuses on key concepts that you need to know to improve your ability to speak, write, and understand the language? Spanish Essentials For Dummies, 2nd Edition walks you through Spanish fundamentals you can use for at-home, solo learning, to supplement your progress in a Spanish class, or as a companion to language instruction. Inside: Get practical tips on Spanish grammar, pronunciation, and sentence structure See conversational Spanish examples to amplify your learning Understand all the core concepts taught and tested in a typical introductory Spanish course Perfect for Spanish students looking for a quick reference to supplement classroom or app-assisted Spanish learning, Spanish Essentials For Dummies, 2nd Edition is a great resource for everyone looking to brush up on their conversational Spanish.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
468.2421 Ste 2025
Where words come from : guide to morphology with prefixes, suffixes, and root words
Author(s):
Budgell, Gill
Mote, Priyal,
Description:
Unlock the secret world of words and discover the building blocks of language, from prefixes and suffixes to root words and bases, in a visual reference book for learning about morphology that will boost vocabulary and improve spelling skills.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J 425 Bud
Ánh's new word : a story about learning a new language
Author(s):
Description:
A child living in a Vietnamese refugee camp learns their first word in English with a little help from their teacher and grandmother in this heart-warming picture book based on the author's childhood. --
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Bui
Raising a socially successful child : teaching kids the nonverbal language they need to communicate, connect, and thrive
Author(s):
Description:
"We all want our kids learn the social skills they need to thrive. Yet many of today's kids are struggling to connect, often with no apparent reason why. In most cases, the explanation is simple: a child hasn't fully mastered the nonverbal language of everyday social interaction, like how to take turns in a conversation, how to respect boundaries of personal space, or how to tell whether a friend is feeling happy or sad. And yet, children aren't taught nonverbal skills in the same formalized way they are taught reading and writing. Instead, they are expected to absorb these skills at school, home, and on the playground. But between the steep rise in screen time and the social learning lost to Covid quarantines and school closures, today's kids have had fewer opportunities to learn the rules of nonverbal behavior. Fortunately, parents and teachers can help kids shore up these essential skills. In Raising a Socially Successful Child, Dr. Stephen Nowicki reveals how to identify the nonverbal areas where a child might be struggling, and equips readers with a set of simple exercises to help any child learn how to: Follow the rhythm of conversations, Express and read emotions in facial expressions and body language, Understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touch, Sense a person's mood based on their tone of voice, and more"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
155.4136 Now
Fluent forever : how to learn any language fast and never forget it
Author(s):
Description:
"Gabriel Wyner speaks seven languages fluently. He didn't learn them in school-- who does? Rather, he mastered each one on his own, drawing on free online resources, quick daily practice sessions, and his knowledge of neuroscience and linguistics. In Fluent Forever, Gabe shares his foolproof method for learning any language. It starts by hacking the way your brain naturally encodes information. You'll begin by learning how to hear new sounds and training your tongue to produce them accurately. You'll connect spellings and sounds to images rather than rely on translation exercises so that you start thinking in a new language. With the help of spaced-repetition systems, you'll build a foundation for your language in one week and learn hundreds of words a month-- with just a few minutes of practice each day. This revised edition also shares fresh strategies that Gabe has refined over years of study. You'll learn how to: Use your interests to curate vocabulary that you'll actually be excited to study; Pick up the subtleties of your target language by conversing with native speakers; Fast-track fluency with a new appendix devoted to conversation strategies with native speakers; Compile the best language-learning tool kit for your budget; Harness the science of motivation and habit building to turbocharge your progress; Find the perfect level of difficultly with reading and listening comprehension to stay engaged and avoid frustration"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
418.0071 Wyn 2024
English for everyone : course book. Level 1 beginner
Author(s):
Harding, Rachel (English teacher)
Harding, Rachel
Description:
"[Level 1 of] complete self-study English-language course that combines easy-to-use visual learning with crystal-clear grammar explanations, practice exercises, and free audio. his new edition includes a grammar reference section and full transcripts of the listening comprehension exercises"--from page 4 of cover.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
428.24 Eng Level 1
My first baby signs : over 40 fundamental signs for you and baby
Author(s):
Steyns, Lee Ann
Seal, Julia,
Description:
"My first baby signs teaches basic signs that provide families with a way to communicate before babies can talk at all. The picture book format keeps the learning fun while introducing over 40 key American Sign Language (ASL) signs in context- each with their own visual and written guide. Your little one will learn to express their needs, wants, and frustrations with simple gestures-and you will understand them better"-- backcover
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J 649.15 Ste
My first Learn-to-Talk : things that go
Author(s):
Cohen, Stephanie (Speech therapist)
Dale-Scott, Lindsay,
Description:
"Help little ones learn to talk with fun-to-read rhymes, written by an early speech expert! Created by a speech-language pathologist, My First Learn-to-Talk: Things that Go uses a proven approach designed to help little ones master the skills they need as they learn to talk and communicate. Each page features: A simple, exclamatory sound that is easy for little ones to replicate and can be used to build bigger words; Rhythm and rhyme to encourage repetition and help keep babies engaged, even before they can understand the text; Real photographs that model correct mouth positions and support socio-emotional learning"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
BB Coh
Fifty sounds : a memoir of language, learning, and longing
Author(s):
Barton, Polly (Translator)
Description:
When Polly Barton moved to a remote island in Japan at twenty-one, she did not anticipate the total sensory bombardment: Divided into fifty onomatopoeic Japanese phrases, this introspective memoir recounts her path to grasping the basics and becoming not only a literary translator but fluent in one of the most difficult vernaculars in the world. From min-min, the sound of air screaming, to hi'sori, the sound of harboring masochist tendencies, Barton renders these foreign sounds to reflect on the meaning of being an outsider, cultural conformity, and even the transformative philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Her book unearths the distinctly human act of learning to communicate and think in a new way.--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
495.68 Bar
American Sign Language dictionary for beginners : a visual guide with 800+ ASL signs
Author(s):
Adams, Tara
Bueti, James,
Description:
Whatever your reason for learning the richly expressive language of American Sign Language (ASL), this book will guide you through the initial stages of your signing journey. It's filled with everything you need to master more than 800 essential vocabulary words, including detailed directions that make it simple to develop your ASL skills.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
419.703 Ada
Jessi's secret language
Author(s):
Description:
Feeling isolated as the only African American in her sixth grade class, Jessi gains a sense of belonging by participating in the Baby-sitters Club, learning sign language in order to communicate with a deaf child, and dancing in a ballet.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J FIC Mar
The language warrior's manifesto : how to keep our languages alive no matter the odds
Author(s):
Description:
Anton Treuer has been at the forefront of the battle to revitalize Ojibwe for many years. Here he discusses the interrelationship between language and culture, the problems of language loss, strategies and tactics for resisting, and the inspiring stories of successful language warriors. He recounts his own single-minded and sometimes hilarious struggle to learn Ojibwe as an adult, and he depicts the success of the language program at Lac Courte Oreilles in northern Wisconsin, where dedicated families and teachers have raised a hundred children who speak Ojibwe as their first language. This is a manifesto, a rumination, and a rallying cry for the preservation of priceless languages and cultures.--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
306.44 Tre
Short stories in Russian for intermediate learners : read for pleasure at your level and learn Russian the fun way!
Author(s):
Richards, Olly
Linaker, Tanya,
Description:
This is a collection of eight entertaining short stories for adult and young adult learners. Carefully written to provide a rich and supported reading experience and help you expand your vocabulary and improve your comprehension in a natural way. From science fiction and fantasy to crime and thrillers, this book is designed to make reading at a higher level in Russian achievable and enjoyable.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
491.7864 Ric
It's a mitig!
Author(s):
Description:
"From sunup to sundown, encounter an amik playing with sticks and swimming in the river, a prickly gaag hiding in the bushes and a big, bark-covered mitig. Featuring vibrant and playful artwork, an illustrated Ojibwe-to-English glossary and a simple introduction to the double-vowel pronunciation system, plus accompanying online recordings, It's a Mitig! is one of the first books of its kind. It was created for young children and their families with the heartfelt desire to spark a lifelong interest in learning language."--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Geo
The B on your thumb.
Author(s):
Description:
"The B on Your Thumb is a book of 60 hilariously illustrated rhymes and delightful ditties to boost early reading--each poem teaches a specific sound, spelling, or rule. Using rhythm and wordplay, they promote phonics awareness, thinking skills, and literacy. But most of all, this book delights young readers with the fun and silliness of the English language. An introduction instructs grown-ups how to use the book and extensive activities at the end allow children to build on their learning."--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J 811.54 Hil
Complete English all-in-one for ESL learners
Author(s):
Description:
Get seven times the language-learning expertise all in one book. The seven titles in this workbook provide a solid foundation of verbs, vocabulary and grammar, and conversational structures. This one-stop resource includes thorough explanations that are reinforced by hands-on practice exercises to help you build the skills you communicate in English with confidence. A comprehensive index makes it easy to reference all grammar explanations throughout the book.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
ER 428.24 Com
