By Amanda Bosch
Catawba College

COVID-19 has forced so many changes in our daily lives from wearing masks, increasing hand washing and maintaining distance from others when out and about, to also forcing some of us to stay home whether for our own safety or for the safety of others if there has been a coronavirus exposure in our households.

If you have become bored with board games, puzzles and zoom meetings or even if you are “netflixed” out and need something new to occupy your mind, Rowan Public Library has many free resources to offer. You may have heard of NC LIVE online resources, but there are so many to explore!

One challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to learn a new language with the extra time you may be spending at home. Rowan Public Library is your window to Transparent Language Online, a free resource available from NC LIVE that will allow you to learn new language skills in no time. From Afrikaans to Zulu and everything in between, there are a multitude of languages to choose from. With an internet connection and your library card number and PIN, you have access to a host of language choices from around the world.

Transparent Language Online is easy to access and free via the library website. From the library home page, simply click on:

• Library Services
• Digital Services
• NC LIVE – you will be prompted to enter your Library Card Number and PIN
• Language Learning
• Transparent Language Online – here, you will need to set up a free account (Make sure you keep a record of your username and password for future access)
• Select the language you want to learn and begin!

If you are dreaming of future travels in a world where international travel is safe again, why not learn the language before your trip?  Knowing some basic phrases and conversational skills can only enhance your trip and make communicating with new people fun. In many cases, people who find travelers engaging with them in their own language will also try out their English skills on you and sometimes global friendships can begin!

Amanda Bosch is digital pedagogy and scholarship librarian at Catawba College.