December is Learn a Foreign Language Month! Learning a second (or third) language has proven to be extremely beneficial to individuals as it provides a boost to our brains by improving memory, creativity, attention span, and reducing cognitive decline. It’s never too late to learn a new language. However, it is easier the earlier you start. That also means children tend to master a second language faster than adults.

 

Learning a new language also improves your understanding of your native language, immerses you in other cultures, and boosts your confidence. From language learning books to mobile applications, there are tons of ways you can stretch your brain. The library gives you access to plenty of these resources for free with a library card!

 

The library currently provides two digital language learning platforms, Mango Languages and Signing Savvy. Mango Languages provides training courses for 63 languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, Japanese, and even Pirate! Signing Savvy is a sign language dictionary containing several thousand high-resolution videos of American Sign Language (ASL) signs, fingerspelled words, and other common signs used within the United States and Canada. Both of these resources are available by visiting our website bplwv.org/language.

 

We also have a plethora of language books to choose from including Short Stories in Russian by Olly Richards, Gaelic: A Complete Course for Beginners by Boyd Robertson, Other-Wordly: Words Both Strange and Lovely from Around the World by Yee-Lum Mak, Fluent in 3 Months by Benny Lewis, Baby Sign Language Basics, and The Dictionary of Difficult and Unfamiliar Words. If you are looking for a specific language-learning book, feel free to let us know!

 

Don’t forget that we also offer Signing Made Easy, a free American Sign Language class every third Tuesday of the month. The next class will be on Tuesday, December 20th from 5:00-7:00 PM. We hope this inspires you to pick up a new language!