Language lessons in Chicago

Chicago is a wonderful city that’s known for its delicious food, its famous Skyscrapers, and its unique music scene. Since it was officially founded in 1837, Chicago has attracted diverse immigrant communities from all over the world and, as a result, nowadays the city has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the country. It should come as no surprise then, that because there are so many immigrant communities living in the city, more than 30% of residents speak a language different from English at home. 

According to the 2020 census, the most commonly used are Spanish, Polish, Arabic, Tagalog, and Chinese, but if you walk around neighborhoods like Albany Park, one of the most popular among immigrants, you’ll hear even more. This makes Chicago a perfect city for those interested in learning other languages and exploring other cultures. You’ll find that many interesting cultural institutions keep the traditions of many cultures alive in the city, as well as many language groups you can join to practice your skills. If this wasn’t good enough, if you choose to become multilingual in the city, you’ll get to take advantage of amazing opportunities to earn more money, meet new people and expand your horizons like never before.

Where to study foreign languages in Chicago

A great way to study in the city for free is to pay a visit to the Chicago Public Library at 3401 W Foster Ave, which has an amazing collection of language resources you can use to expand your vocabulary, understand grammar and improve your reading abilities. Some of the course books you can find in the library include Get Talking Chinese, by Elinor Greenwood, which is a great Mandarin book for beginners, 15 Minute German, by Sylvia Goulding, that’s perfect for German learners who can’t devote a lot of time a day to studying and Barron’s AP French Language and Culture, by Eliane Kurbegov, which is ideal for advanced French learners who are preparing for taking international exams. In addition to these useful books, the library offers a great selection of films and music in many languages and lots of events you can attend which include free language lessons, conversation groups and storytelling, and book clubs in other languages. 

Language exchange groups in Chicago

If you’re currently studying French, Spanish, Chinese, Dutch, or any other language and you want to boost your conversational skills, the Babel Language Exchange Club holds weekly meetups where other language enthusiasts just like you gather to put their skills to the test. They usually meet at House Tavern, located on 5025 N Clark Street, to have a drink and enjoy multilingual conversations. If you want to attend, all you need to do is show up at the pub on Thursdays at 5:30 pm, and introduce yourself to one of the organizers of the event. After that, you’ll be placed in one of the smaller conversation groups with other speakers who share your target language, and you’ll be ready to start talking. The great thing about attending these events is that you’ll get the chance to make like-minded friends from different parts of the city who can give you useful tips to learn languages, and if you attend regularly, after a few weeks you’ll start to see an immense improvement in your speaking skills. 

Cultural institutions and events in Chicago

Are you interested in international cinema? If so, you can’t miss out on the annual Chicago Film Festival, North America’s longest-running competitive film festival. Every October, you’ll get to attend the screenings of 80 films and 60 shorts from all around the globe, ranging from light comedies to heart-wrenching dramas. The festival takes place at four local cinemas, the AMC River East 21, the longtime home of the festival, located at 322 E Illinois Street, the Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago’s premier art-house cinema, at 164 N State Street, the Music Box Theatre, a historic movie theater located at 3733 N Southport Ave and Parkway Ballroom, at 4455 S. King Drive. On top of enjoying some of the best films released this year, you’ll get to listen to different languages like Ukrainian, Arabic, Hebrew, Romanian, Bulgarian, and many more, so even if you’re not a big movie fan, you shouldn’t miss this chance to get immersed in various cultures and discover wonderful cultural aspects of the language you’re currently studying. 

Language jobs in Chicago

Landing a well-paid position in Chicago is not an easy feat. The local job market is filled with competitive applicants who are trying to get the same jobs as you are, but fortunately, there’s something you can do about it and that’s to start learning a language. This will ensure you impress local employers in some of the city’s top sectors, which include financial services, manufacturing, and insurance. What’s more, if you learn how to communicate in more than one language, you could get a job at one of the 36 local companies that are part of the Fortune 500, an annual list made by Fortune Magazine that highlights the largest and most successful corporations in the US. Some of these are Exelon, Boeing, Archer Daniels Midland Company, and Motorola Solutions, and the reason why they are always looking for bilingual or multilingual candidates is that they see them as assets that can help them improve their business relationships abroad, so if you wish to become more employable, don’t give it a second thought and start a language course today. 

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Regardless of your language level and goals, here at Listen & Learn we’ll find the perfect course that fits all of your needs. Simply send us a quick inquiry today and we’ll pair you up with an amazing tutor who will design flexible lessons based on your interests that will make learning a language a fun, entertaining experience. Don’t waste any more time trying to learn on your own, and let us help you become the fluent speaker we know you can be!