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New Groups at the Library

Two new groups recently started regular meetings at the Chelmsford Library:

Chinese Conversation Circle
Similar to our other conversation circles (English, French, Spanish), the new Chinese Conversation Circle is to help people improve their ability to speak Chinese. The group is led by library volunteer Sherry Santangelo, and meets on the last Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Conference Room on the lower level of the main library. For more information, visit the Chinese Conversation Circle webpage.

Technical Skills Share Group
The Technical Skills Share group (a spin-off from the Acton Networkers group) are unemployed people keeping their technical skills sharp (and leaning new ones) by working collaboratively on a technology project. There are both hardware and software specialties needed for the project, so everyone is welcome to come and contribute whatever expertise you can. The group meets every Thursday from 1:30 - 6:00 p.m. in the McCarty Meeting room (side B). For more information, visit the Technical Skills Share Group webpage (for more employment resources, visit our Career and Employment Resources subject guide).

Both of these groups are open to everyone, as are the other groups, programs or exhibits that take place at the library. For more information, please contact Kathy Cryan-Hicks at kcryanhic@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x109, or view upcoming scheduled meetings on our Events Calendar.

Language Learning Resources

As many patrons have been finding out, our subscription to the Rosetta Stone Language Learning database runs out at the end of August. Rosetta Stone will no longer be available through libraries, but there are other language resources that are available to you:

Books & Videos
The Chelmsford Library has a large collection of both books and videos to help patrons learn English or other languages. Most books are downstairs, the videos will be upstairs, and they will all be shelved according to the Dewey Decimal System. Here's the Dewey numbers for some of the popular languages:

420-429 - English
430-438 - German
443-448 - French
453-458 - Italian
463-468 - Spanish
469 - Portuguese
491.73 - Russian
492 - Arabic
495.1 - Chinese

Also, "Early Reader" books are located in the Childrens Room, for those looking to practice or build their English reading skills.

Conversation Circles
Three different conversation circles meet at the library, to give patrons a supportive forum for practicing their English, French or Spanish. These circles are run by library volunteers are are not classes, but instead are groups of learners that meet to help each other improve their language skills.

• English Conversation Circle (beginners) meets every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
• English Conversation Circle (advanced) meets every Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.
• French Conversation Circle meets the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m.
• Spanish Conversation Circle meets the first Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.

Please check the Library event calendar for changes or cancellations.

Resources from the Boston Public Library
All residents of Massachusetts are entitled to the resources offered through the Boston Public Library. You can sign up for a library card in person at any of the BPL branches, or get an eCard online to use their online resources.

To learn a language online, the BPL offers the Auralog - Tell Me More database (similar to Rosetta Stone). After creating an account, patrons have access to multimedia activities to learn grammar and vocabulary for both oral and written communication for the German, American English, Dutch, Spanish, Spanish (Latin American), French, and Italian.
languages.

In addition, the BPL offers other online language resources, such as dictionaries and general reference, and also a large collection of books and videos.

Internet Resources
There are many websites designed to aid in learning languages. Some are free and some charge a fee, and offer both individual practice as well as foster social connections to collaborate with other people learning the same language.

Two of the options are Live Mocha and Mango Languages. Live Mocha is a free service for learning a variety of languages, and uses visual tools to teach vocabulary and grammar. There is also an opportunity (which is optional) to connect with other people also learning a language. Mango Languages offers a free introduction, but does charge for extended or advanced lessons. It offers a learning interface based on side-by-side translations, phonetic pronunciation guides, and narrated lessons.

Read a review of popular language learning websites.

For help with any of the resources listed above, please contact the Reference Desk.

Attention Word Lovers!

Merriam-Webster recently announced the latest additions to the English language.

Nearly 100 words were added to the 11th edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, either due to popular use ("ginormous," "Bollywood"), technical/medical evolution ("DVR," "nocebo"), or other reasons.

You can read a news story about the new words, or visit the Merriam-Webster website for a sampling of some entries and their definitions.

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New Resources Available at the Library

Rosetta Stone Language Learning Database
Are you taking a trip to Europe, and would like to learn a bit of the language before you go? Would you like to brush up on your high school French? Are you new to this country and are still practicing English?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then the Rosetta Stone Language Learning database is for you. Using an award-winning approach to learning languages, Rosetta Stone teaches through listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing, using interactive programs that are both educational and fun. Nine languages are covered, including English (US & UK), French, German, Greek, Italian, Russian, Spanish (Latin American & Spain).

Business & Personal Forms On File
This database contains common personal, business and government forms, ranging from financial aid, real estate, sales, employment, and much more. Access to them is available in the library or at home, 24 hours a day, and the forms are the most up-to-date versions required for legal real estate health and social services, immigration, and other transactions.

Forms can be found by both browsing categories or searching for keywords, and they are available as convenient Adobe PDF files. This single repository is easier and more reliable to search than the internet, and with at-home access no photocopying is needed.

How to Get Started:
Forms on File is provided by the library, Rosetta Stone is being funded by the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium, and both are available to all Chelmsford residents. To log in and start learning from home or in the library, visit our Reference web page. For help, please contact the Reference Desk.

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