Aug 27

Written by: Joe Longo
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 

In partnership with the Multicultural Network of Niagara Falls and the Folk Arts Council, the Niagara Falls Public Library has started an English Conversation Circle.

The purpose of this program is to provide an informal opportunity for newcomers or people learning English to practice speaking with others, in a safe and supportive environment, and to discover library services while they are here.

It is a relaxed setting to practice English, meet people, share your culture and have fun. It is not a class and it’s free.

The weekly sessions are facilitated by trained volunteers. It is open to anyone 18 years of age or older, and will be held every Monday evening from 6:30 to 8pm in the Conference Room at the Victoria Avenue Library. No registration is required. For more information call 905-358-3452 or 905-356-2249.

The Library offers a variety of materials to help learn English.

Just published this year are “Barron's English for foreign language speakers the easy way” and “ One hundred and two content strategies for English language learners”.

Also borrow “English grammar for the utterly confused” and “English vocabulary for beginning ESL learners”.

TOEPL is the test of English as a foreign language. The Library has “Practice exercises for the TOEFL” and “Barron's practice exercises for the TOEFL”

A helpful DVD to see is “Learn English as a second language” and there are many CD-ROMs to borrow including “ESL Pro”, “English Pro”, “Instant Immersion” and “Clear speech works: improve your accent in English” .

There is a small collection of books in more than a dozen languages in addition to English at the library including French, Italian, Chinese, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish and Ukranian. A few of these languages are available in the Children’s Dept.

Many of our dvd’s are available with either soundtracks in non-english languages or viewed with subtitles in more than the original language of production.

There is a section for multilingual resources, including links to newspapers around the world in many different languages, found under online research tools on our website www.nflibrary.ca. See the internet links from our Homepage to other resources for immigrants and newcomers.