Services for New Americans & English Learners

Welcome! We hope the Worcester Public Library can be a safe, helpful place for you and your family no matter how long you have been in the United States or how much English you speak.

We offer a variety of services and programs to help you improve your English or prepare for U.S. citizenship. Check our online calendar for special events and the latest updates!

Did you know? The Main Library also has books and magazines for adults in 13 languages. Learn more about our World Language Collections.

The English as a Second Language & Literacy (ESLL) collection is on the 1st floor of the Main Library. It includes textbooks, books for self-study, leveled readers, test prep material, CDs, DVDs, and more.

Learn English at WPL

Join us for our English Conversation Circle every Tuesday from 5:30-7 PM in the Banx Room at the Main Library. You'll be able to practice speaking English in a relaxed, comfortable environment, and meet new friends as we learn by talking together! No registration needed.

New in spring 2023, we are hosting Holly from RICEMA for an Everyday English Class Mondays and Wednesdays from 10-12 in the 1st Floor Meeting Room at the Main Library. This student-centered class focuses on English used in everyday conversations. No registration needed.

Find an English Class

Search our listings of English courses in Worcester to find a class that's right for you, or visit the ESOL Navigator program at the Main Library in the New Americans Corner Tuesdays, 1-4 pm or Fridays, 11-1. The ESOL Navigator program is brought to you with federal funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Free Access with Your Library Card

Mango Languages offers English courses for speakers of 18 different languages, including: الإنجليزية للمتحدثين بالعربية, Anglais pour Francophones, Inglês para Brasileiros, Inglés Para Hablantes De Español & Tiếng Anh Cho Người Việt Nam.

Transparent Languages offers an English immersion course and English courses for speakers of more than 30 languages, including Dari, Pashto, and Ukrainian. 

Oxford Dictionaries for English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian provide word-to-word translations, grammar and usage notes, and audio files so you can improve your pronunciation.

Learning Express Library can help you prepare for exams including the HiSET/GED, TOEFL, and the citizenship exam. Ofrece herramientas de aprendizaje, carrera y ciudadanía en español.

Tumble Book Library includes hundreds of animated, narrated picture books to practice listening and reading.

If you are interested in applying for United States citizenship, visit the Citizenship Information Center located next to the ESLL and World Languages collections on the 1st floor of the Main Library. The Center includes books, CDs, DVDs, flashcards, flyers and informational brochures about requirements for naturalization, preparing for the test and interview, and U.S. civics.

In partnership with area legal aid organizations and private attorneys, we are hosting a Free Immigration Legal Help Clinic the second Wednesday of the month from 4 to 7 pm at the Main Library. Appointments are required and spaces fill up fast. Contact the New Americans Librarian with any questions or to register, or call the library's main line at 508-799-1655 x3. Check the online calendar for upcoming dates.

Library staff are not accredited to answer immigration-related legal questions or prepare naturalization applications or other immigration forms. Please see our listing of Immigration and Legal Help Resources for detailed assistance and the USCIS website for information.