LibGuides: ESL & Language Learning: World Language

Translation Web Sites

Babelfish
Translate sentences or a web page here. Site is now part of Yahoo.
Dictionary.com
Good language translation tool that allows you to type in whole blocks of text.
Google Language Tools
Allows you to search by language or country and to translate.
Reverso
Free online translation service in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, Japanese

Languages of the World Websites

Forvo
Have you ever struggled with the pronunciation of a foreign word? Forvo, described as "the largest word pronunciation dictionary in the world," is here to help with audio playback clips of word pronunciations by native speakers in over 280 languages. Idioms, short phrases and titles are also included. Choose a language or search for a word to find pronunciations. Pronunciations are provided by volunteers and reviewed by a team of volunteer editors for accuracy. The website can be viewed in several languages including French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese among others.
Islamic Dictionary
This website allows provides the meaning of words written using Latin characters but Islamic in origin. Searching for a word like 'Salam' will give the meaning of the word, how it is written in its original language (usually Arabic), grammar information, and the pronunciation (click the listen icon). The database is updated regularly.
Latin American Network Information Center (LANIC)
Provides extensive and updated web links
(in English/Spanish/ Portuguese), including those to many countries’ newspapers and magazines. This web site is affiliated with the L. Long Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of Texas, Austin.
Lexicool
This web site, maintained by an international team of linguists, provides a search able directory to over 7000 free online bilingual and multilingual dictionaries and glossaries. Searches may be entered by language, subject, or title/keyword.
LingNet
This site from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center hosts "Countries in Perspective' series [country profiles and history] and the Global Language Online Support System [language lessons for 10 languages]."
LiveMocha
Offers lessons for beginner to intermediate learners; basic courses are free. Lessons feature reading, writing, speaking; users improve by connecting with real native speakers.
LOGOS Dictionary
Multilingual on-line dictionary that allows searching on words or phrases, and contains more than 5 million words in the database.
OneLook Dictionary search
"Think of this web site as a search engine for words and phrases: If you have a word for which you'd like a definition or translation, we'll quickly shuttle you to the web-based dictionaries that define or translate that word."
Spanish That Works
This site from The Learning Light offers the Spanish that Works course for a fee. However, they also offer a "free" section, which provides some materials and links for learning Spanish at no cost.
Word2Word
This is a Web directory of Online Dictionaries and Translators, organized alphabetically by language.

World Language Collection

The Atlantic City Free public Library's World Languages Collection includes materials in the Bengali, Chinese, French, Gujarati, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Tamil, Urdu, and Vietnamese languages. Find books, magazines, newspapers, music and movies in your native language.

Learning Languages

German Language
There is much more here than the title indicates. In addition to beginning German lessons and material to supplement them, the site has information and links about German literature, authors, music, movies, history, genealogy, and a worldwide directory of all things German.
Tennessee Bob's Famous French Links
10, 000 links on language, art, music, literature, history, and culture, by a Tennessee Univ. French professor.
Japanese Online
Allows Japanese learners to find and talk to one another, as well as seek language exchange relationships with Japanese speakers, and Japanese speakers to find language exchange partners to study with.
Learning Chinese Online
A directory of online resources to help with learning Chinese. Covers pronunciation, conversation, characters, grammar, reading, listening, dictionaries, translation, and testing. Also provides information on Chinese programs, online schools, and more.
MyLanguageExchange.com - Learn to Speak Arabic
Featured in The Wall Street Journal, PC World, and Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine, this innovative approach to learning Arabic allows you to practice --via e-mail, text chat, and voice chat-- with native speakers of Arabic who are learning your native language.
Online resources for Spanish language learning
Learn Spanish by practicing grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary with online lessons, quizzes and games. Listen to free radio broadcasts online from Spanish-language radio stations from all across the globe.

Premium eResources

Use these resources in the library as a guest or from any internet connection with your library card.

Learning Express: Take practice tests online, you'll get immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and an individualized analysis of your results. You can prepare for tests like the GED in Spanish.

Recursos Electronicos en Espanol

Referencia Latina: Spanish-language database, which offers content encyclopedias, Spanish-English dictionary, images; and health reports.

World Magazines & Newspapers

Qiao bao = China press

All titles can be borrowed, except for the current issue. Also remember you can read your favorite local newspapers in the original language via Press Display.

Poder Hispanic
Grihshobha
in Hindi.
Gujarata taimes = Gujarat times.
in Gujarat.
Latina
In English and Spanish.
Siempre mujer
In Spanish.