Languages and Learning is the Free Library of Philadelphia's department for adult education support, connecting patrons seeking Adult Basic Education, English Language Learner, and World Language support to the appropriate resources.
Philadelphia is a certified Welcoming City, which means that the City of Philadelphia has created policies and programs that display a commitment to immigrant inclusion. According to Pew Trusts, 15% of Philadelphia residents moved here from another country. People move here from China, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Haiti, Brazil, and many other countries!
In addition to providing access to services and information in residents’ languages, the Free Library of Philadelphia has many books and programs for English Language Learners! For programs, you can visit our Events Calendar, or the Languages and Learning Programs page.
Recently, the Free Library acquired hundreds of new books centered around adult learning, including the ones below. What will you learn?
Complete English All-In-One For ESL Learners
This one-stop resource includes thorough explanations that are reinforced by hundreds of hands-on practice exercises to help you build the skills you communicate in English with confidence.
English For Everyone: Illustrated English Dictionary
Building on the success of the English for Everyone program and DK's Bilingual Visual Dictionary series, English for Everyone: Illustrated English Dictionary uses crystal-clear illustrations to show the meaning of over 10,000 words of English vocabulary. The words are shown in a visual context in themed sections covering practical or everyday topics (such as shopping, food, or study), providing learners with all the vocabulary they need for work, travel, and leisure.
Perfect Phrases For ESL: Conversation Skills
How do you share an experience from your home country? What should you say to start a conversation? How do you offer someone your advice? This handy reference will help you navigate social and business situations, with hundreds of ready-to-use English phrases that will help you converse with friends, collaborate with co-workers, and engage those around you. Inside, find examples of perfect phrases for introductions, invitations, decisions, disbelief, giving and receiving gifts, and more!
Easy English Step-By-Step For ESL Learners
Important concepts are linked together by clear explanations, appropriate exercises, and helpful answers to build your confidence in reading and speaking. The first steps introduce you to frequently used expressions, allowing you to communicate in a variety of everyday situations almost immediately. A series of interconnected steps then introduces more challenging concepts with a variety of increasingly difficult exercises to practice what you've learned.
English The American Way: A Fun ESL Guide to Language and Culture in the U.S.
English The American Way is written as a guide for people who already have a basic understanding of English and want to improve their ability to speak it the way it is spoken in the United States.
English For Everyone: English Grammar Guide Practice Book
This practice book covers the key grammar specified in levels A1-C1 of the CEFR, the international standard for language learning.
English For Workplace, Civics, and Academic Readiness: Dictionary and Vocabulary Workbook
This easy-to-use text for beginning through low-intermediate learners can supplement any English series, as a stand-alone course, or as a work-text for independent study at home, in a lab setting, or distance learning.
2001 Spanish and English Idioms = 2001 Modismos Españoles e Ingleses
This is a bilingual dictionary of high-frequency Spanish and English idioms alphabetized according to their keywords.
Practique con docenas de diálogos y ejercicios prácticos; Desarrolle fluidez en el inglés hablado. Mejore su habilidad de expresarse.
Please email adultlearning@freelibrary.org to learn more about Languages and Learning with the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Have a question for Free Library staff? Please submit it to our Ask a Librarian page and receive a response within two business days.