Welcome to the Language Subject Guide at Daley College!

NOTE: Remote access to the following databases is exclusive to City Colleges of Chicago students, faculty and staff.  To access off campus, log-in with your MyCCC username and password.

Not sure what interests you? eEncylopedias might help you gather general information to choose a topic.

Search the Gale Virtual Reference Collection:

Sage eReference

Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia

When writing a research paper, start by choosing a topic. What is the question you want to answer?

              For example, you might ask, “How does the language vary throughout Spain?”

Once you have a question in mind, find keywords related to the question. You might choose:

     “language”

     “vary”

     “Spain”

Expand your search terms by considering synonyms. You can search for similar words by searching for your terms in a thesaurus. You might choose to add “dialect”, “differ”, and "Basque Country" to your list of synonyms.

Use these keywords when searching databases for relevant articles. 

Choose articles that are appropriate for your project, academic, and trustworthy (hint: they'll have citations). Watch this short video for help evaluating sources.

If you get stuck, ask a librarian! We are trained to help with research and citations.

Stop by the reference desk at Daley College or call the reference desk at 773-838-7669.

The Chicago Public Library has free databases for all members that can be used for learning a language.

Getting a library card is free and easy!

Once you have a card, you can log on to the website and select the databases under "Online Research". Select "See All" under "Areas of Interest", and the select "Language Learning." Here, you'll find "MANGO LANGUAGES", which offers online courses in 57 foreign languages for English speakers and 18 English online courses for non-English speakers.

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Tips for efficient searches:

• use "advanced search” option so you can enter several search terms at the same time
• limit results to full text so you will be able to read and cite the articles you find
•  choose article length, and publication date to meet the needs of your assignment. For example, if your instructor prefers articles over 5 pages, don't waste your time sorting through articles that are only 1 page. Limit your results!

• EBSCO Search Complete 

  - This option will give you a large number of good results.
  

   

• JSTOR

               - Good for browsing by topic. Easy to use keywords, then narrow by subject.

• MasterFILE Premier  

• Project Muse
  

  - Offers both EBooks and EJournals.

These databases include dictionaries:

Oxford English Dictionary

For all the databases available to CCC students, go to:

Daley College Databases

For Database Search Tips check out the Library Basics Search Guide: Search Tips! 

Daley College subscribes to Ebsco Ebooks and Springer Ebooks, which can accessed from home 24 hours a day. 

Search the EBSCO eBook Collection

An example of some of our E-books, click on the cover to access the books:

Search the Springer Collection

Not sure how to use an eBook? No problem! View view tutorials on our Pinterest page!

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The library at Daley College has hundreds of Language-related books that can help in your research.

Language-related Books available at the Daley College Library:

Call No. PC4129.E5 P58 2011                 Call No. PC4112.5 .S49 2009                 Call No. PC2112 .C68 1986

Search the Chicago City Colleges Catalog! Just enter your keywords into the search fields. You can also search by a specific book title or author. Choose "more search options" below for the advanced search.

Search Tips:

• Use Boolean Operators to your advantage! Use "AND," "OR," or "NOT" between your search terms to limit or expand your search. 
• Books can be picked up at any library! Simply log on to Primo, click "Request" and select a library for pick-up. It will take a few days for books to arrive, and you'll be notified via your CCC email. And, its OK if you change your mind and decide not to pick up the book!
• Feel lost? Contact a librarian! We are available via phone, chat, or in person.  

For general books about Languages, browse the shelves at the following Library of Congress call numbers:

PB - Modern European Languages; Celtic Languages

          PB1-431 - Modern languages

          PB1001-3029 - Celtic languages and literature

PC - Romance Languages

          PC1-400 - General

          PC601-872 - Romanian

          PC901-986 - Raeto-Romance

          PC1001-1977 - Italian

          PC1981-1984 - Sardinian

          PC2001-3761 - French

          PC3801-3976 - Catalan

          PC4001-4977 - Spanish

          PC5001-5498 - Portuguese

Still need help locating or finding a book, check out the Library Basics Guide: Finding Books

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Note: The following web resources DO NOT require students to use their CCC username and password.

• busuu
• busuu is the world's largest social network for language learning. Connect for free with native speakers worldwide on your computer, tablet or mobile.
• Duolingo
• A free, online language learning website 
• LiveMocha
• Free online language learning with lessons, courses and other language-learning activities. Our fun and effective language lessons are available in 35 languages. Registration, lessons, and access to native speakers are FREE!
• Lexibar, for Special Keyboard Characters
• Although this is not a dictionary, the toolbar Lexibar gives assistance in writing by providing "access to special characters not always available on your keyboard." The software is free, but requires installation.
• yourDictionary.com: Romance Languages
• This website includes a long list of general and specialized French language dictionaries and glossaries on the web. 
• Thesaurus.com  
• Dictionary.com 
• Google Translate
• The Linguist Link 

Spanish

• Study Spanish.com
  Provides free Spanish tutorials including help with pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and verb drills.
• Spanish Language help from about.com
  Provides common Spanish grammar mistake help as well as step-by-step units.
• Business Spanish.com
  Contains many links to Spanish worksheets, basic Spanish help, Spanish dictionary, Spanish grammar, and more.
• Spanish Verb Conjugator
  Translator tool to help you change verb tenses.
• Spanish Learning Blog
  Online blog about learning Spanish, links, news, recipies, and more.
• Latin American Network Information Center
• Directory of Open Access Journals
  Free full text scholarly and scientific journals covering all subjects and languages.
• Spanish Grammar Help
  Created by the University of Texas, a quick help guide to common grammar errors in Spanish.
• Conjugations.org
  A quick plug-in of a verb and the database will give you conjugations in all tenses.
• Real Academia Española
  Spanish language dictionary from Spain.

• BBC French
• Learn French
• Parlez-Vous? 
• The ARTFL Encyclopédie
  Originally published under the direction of Diderot and d'Alembert between 1751 and 1772, the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, par une Société de Gens de lettres, contains 17 volumes of text and 11 volumes of plates. This online version of the Encyclopédie is from the ARTFL Project website (a joint project of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the University of Chicago).
• ARTFL : French verb conjugations
  This reference tool from ARTFL conjugates verbs in six tenses.
• ARTFL Reference Collection
  Some sources are only available with subscription. 
• ClicNet
  An extensive, partially annotated list of general and specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias. (Some links are no longer active.).

* Remember to cite websites in your works cited page!

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Every research paper must have in-text citations and a works cited page to show the sources you used in your research!

• Identify the type of citation you need. Some professors will tell you what style they prefer.
• As you conduct research, create citations in your works cited section or bibliography.
• When you quote, paraphrase, or reference an idea you read in someone else's work, place an in-text citation at the end of your sentence.

These websites can help you create the citations needed:

APA Format

MLA Format

Chicago Style Format

You can also use EasyBib to create a works cited page in MLA format.

If you need help creating your citations, feel free to stop by the reference desk and ask a librarian or call the reference desk at 773-838-7669.  

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