Language

KPL staff-selected resources. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Staff Recommends

The Professor and the Madman : A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary  by Simon Winchester100 Words to Make You Sound Smart  by  Salud : Medical Spanish Dictionary and Phrase Book  by Bonifacio ContrerasHarrap's Japanese Phrasebook  by Tessa CarrollDictionary of Computer and Internet Terms  by Douglas Downing

Databases (most require KPL library card)

NetLibrary

Michigan eLibrary collection of ebooks.

Oxford Reference Online

Quick facts on a variety of subjects, including quotations, English and bilingual dictionaries, art and architecture, encyclopedias, timelines and subjects such as food and drink, computers, sciences, economics, history, law, mythology, performing arts, politics and social science, math and religion.

Community Resources

Alliance Francaise of Kalamazoo

Phone 269-387-3001

Monthly meetings; French and English spoken; lectures; performances.

Hispanic American Council of Kalamazoo

Phone 269-385-6279

Employment counseling and placement; interpretation and translation of Spanish and English; English language classes with emphasis on life-skills; family reading program; immigration information; referrals to community resources, youth services programs and scholarships; coordinates English language classes with Kalamazoo Public Schools and Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Italian Club

Phone 269-345-0885

To promote fluency in the Italian language; to discuss current events and culture.

Kalamazoo Public Schools - Adult Education

Phone 269-337-0422

Academic instruction in a learning center setting; evaluates learning styles for 3rd grade thru 7th grade level and English-as-a-Second-Language students; open enrollment; assists in setting educational goals; information and referral to aid with problems; barrier-free facility; outreach centers with GED and/or ABE at Employment Training Connections, Kalamazoo-Probation Enhancement Program, by appointment.

SLD Learning Center

Phone 269-345-2661

Tutor and teacher training program; testing and evaluation; tutoring in reading, spelling, and writing.

Websites

Ethnologue

"An encyclopedic reference work cataloging all of the world’s 6,912 known living languages."

Foreign Languages for Travellers

Information resources regarding travel and foreign language materials.

Google Language Tools

Use Google to search in different languages and translate a web page.

Openculture

Free foreign language lessons

Word2Word

Language Dictionaries and Translators                             


View all Topic Guides

language practice