Planning a trip to Italy to celebrate your anniversary? Collaborating with your French counterparts in your company’s Paris branch? Just want to brush up that language you studied for four years in school, but somehow can’t seem to remember at all? We’ve got you covered.
York County Public Library (YCPL) is excited to announce that we now offer Transparent Language Online free to all YCPL card holders. Whether you’re starting at the very beginning with a new alphabet or you’re an intermediate learner looking to enhance your vocabulary and grammar knowledge, Transparent Language Online can help. Available for learning 110+ languages, plus English (ESL) materials for native speakers of 30+ languages, the program has something for everyone:
- Alphabet Courses: Full-length alphabet courses are available for 18+ languages to familiarize you with new writing systems, empowering you to learn one (or more!) of those “intimidating” languages like Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, or Arabic.
- Essentials Courses: These courses guide you through 30+ lessons of pure language fundamentals, including meeting and greeting, expressing wants and needs, planning for a trip, dealing with money, asking for help, and beyond.
- General Vocabulary: Hundreds of topically-organized vocabulary lists will teach you thousands of new words and phrases through a completely redesigned suite of fun, interactive activities that build all four core language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
- Grammar Reference: An extensive index of grammar materials rounds out the learning experience, providing both written and multimedia explanations of grammar rules and patterns.
Worried that you won’t be able to learn on your own? A customizable Learning Path allows you to choose what you want to learn, while an integrated analytics system tracks your progress, periodically prompting you to review material that you haven’t seen in a while. It’s like having a built-in teacher there to keep you on track toward your language-learning goals. Best of all, Transparent Language Online works on any Internet-connected device, so you can learn from your laptop, phone, or tablet. A mobile app is also available.
The most recent language added to Transparent Language Online is American Sign Language. ASL is the third most used language, after English and Spanish, and the fourth most studied language in the United States. Created in partnership with Signing Savvy, the ASL course contains 77 lessons covering fingerspelling, over 800 sign videos, and a series of Deaf culture facts. By the end of this 30-hour course, learners will build a good foundation in American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf culture.
Transparent Language Online also offers KidSpeak, a fun, age-appropriate online language course designed for children ages 6 and up. KidSpeak introduces your children to English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Mandarin Chinese. The program teaches words and phrases suitable for the learners' age, needs, and interests. More than 40 activities, puzzles, and songs guide young learners through the basics, along with a cartoon "friend" who speaks the language. To access KidSpeak, sign in to Transparent Language Online through your browser. If KidSpeak is available for a language, the link will be on the right side of the top navigation.
To learn more about Transparent Language Online, contact us at 757-890-5120 or stop by the Tabb Library or Grafton Annex. You can also access the program directly through the library's website.