Why not learn a new language, or improve the language skills you already have? Or perhaps you’d like to introduce your child to a new language? Northamptonshire’s library service has signed up for a one-year subscription to an online language-learning service called Transparent Language Online, which library customers can use free of charge. All you need is a library card.

What makes Transparent Language different from most online language courses is that there’s no rigid course structure. You decide what you want to learn and when you want to learn, and you can customise your lesson plans as you go. And it’s easy to use Transparent Language anywhere, even when you’re on the move, because the service is available on almost any device and there are mobile apps for tablets, iOS and Android phones.

You choose

You can, of course, work your way through your lessons, from beginners to advanced. But if you want to jump straight in to learn words and phrases that will be useful when you’re on holiday, for example, that’s fine too. There are even particular topic lessons such as eating out, health and travel to help you. Or, if you already have some knowledge of the language, you can choose to start at a point where you can practise what you already know at the same time as expanding your vocabulary and skills. The whole system is really very flexible.

You can also practise what you’ve learned using the Vocab review feature. You choose whether to listen, speak, read or type and the screen will show the words and phrases you’ve learned and test you on them, or you can pick a flashcard test which just requires a yes/no answer. It’s a great way of keeping track of your progress over time.

100+

Transparent Language offers over 100 languages and dialects, from Arabic to Maori, Welsh and Zulu. And you can pair many of the languages available with your native language. So, for example, if you’re a native Spanish speaker and want to learn Italian, or a Ukrainian speaker who wants to learn English, there’s the option to have the lessons displayed in your first language, and grammar points and context will be explained in your first language as well.

It’s free!

Dont’ forget … if you’re a customer of Northamptonshire Libraries it’s absolutely free to use Transparent Language. All you need is a library card.

• Visit the library service’s online reference page and select either North Northamptonshire Council or West Northamptonshire Council, depending on which is your unitary authority.
• Select Languages from the drop-down menu to find Transparent Languages and click the link to visit the Transparent Languages website.
• You can log in as a Guest or Sign up to create an account, but either way you’ll need your library card number. (Don’t forget to include the ‘D’ prefix when you type in the number.)