Learn a language

To start learning a language...

Dictionaries and grammar books are the basic tools you need to learn any language. The main dictionaries are terminology and bilingual dictionaries, but you will also find picture dictionaries. Grammars are manuals on the structure of a language and they include comparative grammars, that compare the structure of one language with another.

To find dictionaries and grammars in the catalogue, enter the language as the search subject followed by "dictionaries" or "Grammar", for example Arabic dictionaries or Arabic Grammar.

Self-study methods can be used to teach yourself a language. Simply pick a language and the level you wish to start from.

To find self-study methods in the catalogue, enter the language as the search subject followed by "self-study", for example Russian self-study.

To improve your language learning ...

You can use these learning methods to prepare for official exams or to improve pronunciation and phonetics.

To find the specific methods for preparing for official exams in the catalogue, enter the language as the search subject followed by "exams", for example English exams . You can also find specific methods for improving pronunciation and phonetics by searching for the language followed by one of these two terms, for example French pronunciation or French phonetics.

Original language films with subtitles can help to improve oral comprehension. For beginners learning English, there is the Speak up collection.

Another service is the audiobook download service, with a catalogue comprised of classic and contemporary books in Catalan and Spanish, grouped into six different categories: self-help, novels for adults, novels for young people, thought, short stories and classic works.