37. Thirty-seven. A three and a seven.

English learners can now take beginner English courses taught in *37* languages in Transparent Language Online.

Introducing the two latest additions to the 350+ hour ESL collection: English for Behdini Kurdish & Marshallese speakers.

You may be wondering: that’s a lot of languages. Why so many?

Why yes, it is a lot. Thanks for noticing. It’s because libraries keep asking for more ESL pairs! And for good reason.

Supporting English Language Learners at Libraries

Libraries are on the front lines of supporting English language learners. They provide classes, tutoring, English Conversation Clubs, ESL book clubs, citizenship resources, digital literacy classes, and so much more.

Margo Holmes, Program and Development Coordinator at Enid Public Library in Oklahoma made the initial request for an English course for Marshallese speakers. For her city, investing in English language programs strengthens the entire community and ensures that all residents have the tools they need to thrive:

“Enid’s Marshallese community has deep historical roots tracing back to the Cold War era. It now makes up about 5% of our city’s population and has become an integral part of Enid’s cultural and economic fabric. Offering English classes tailored for Marshallese speakers empowers members of that community to access better jobs, engage with their children’s schools, seek better medical care, and fully participate in civic life and the community at large.”

We hear the same sentiments from libraries around the US, Canada, UK, and beyond who are a lifeline for English learners in their communities. (Including libraries in Tennessee who requested a course taught in Kurdish to support the country’s largest Kurdish community.)

The short-term goal: teach English.

The long-term goal: empower newcomers to use English to improve their lives and communities.

Breaking down language barriers opens up opportunities for career advancement, financial stability, children’s academic success, better communication about medical and other personal needs, increased participation in local events, and increased representation in community decision-making spaces.

Beginner English Courses for Kurdish & Marshallese Speakers

Both Beginner English courses are organized into 10 topical units with 114 lessons that introduce 1,750 key English words and phrases.

Each of the 10 units focuses on everyday scenarios, covering topics like:

• Meeting new people
• Using technology
• Going shopping
• Going to the doctor
• Attending school

Native speaker audio, visual cues, and interactive activities help learners master the vocabulary as quickly as possible:

• All unit and lesson names are provided in the learners’ native language so they can easily jump around to the topics they need most.
• English vocabulary is paired with their native language for immediate recognition and includes native speaker audio recorded by three different native English speakers for extra practice with different voices.
• Lessons incorporate an engaging sequence of activities that let learners build all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and typing.

The lead Project Manager who brought these courses to life, Lei Zeng, also stressed the importance of the flexible course structure:

“The goal is to make this as useful as possible for English learners with immediate needs. So the lessons can be done in any order. Learners can jump around to the topics they need most in this moment. If you’re going the doctor tomorrow, you can dive into the unit about feeling unwell. If parent-teacher conferences are next week, they can jump over to the unit about schools.”

English courses for speakers of all 37 languages* can be accessed through your local library.

Looking to expand your library’s ESL offerings? Explore the 350+ hour ESL collection in Transparent Language Online for Libraries.

*Of course we’re gonna list all 37 languages: Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dari, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Kurdish, Malay, Marshallese, Norwegian, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese.