28 Languages
General Language Resources
Catalogue of language OER created at the University of Kansas, including resources for Chinese, Croatian, English, French, German, Haitian, Italian, Persian, Portuguese, Quechua, Russian, Slovene, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Uyghur.
Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning
COERLL is a US-based language resource centre, providing materials on Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
Wiktionary
This website is highly useful when looking up foreign words. The meaning is included as well as any grammatical forms the word may have. This is good for languages, such as Icelandic, which have complex declension and conjugation.
Arabic
OERabic
OERabic is a UK initiative that aims to enhance the mastering of Arabic by creating bespoke creative learning (and teaching) resources.
Aswaat Arabiyya
This website provides listening comprehension materials and accompanying activities for a range of proficiency.
Elementary Arabic I
This is an open textbook on Beginner Arabic for undergraduate students who are taking Arabic in their first semester. It addresses letters and sounds of Arabic along with basic skills in reading, speaking and writing.
Elementary Arabic II
This is an open textbook on Elementary Arabic for undergraduate students who are taking Arabic in their second semester. It addresses language structures in theme-based modules that cover the four language skills.
From MSA to CA: A Beginner’s Guide to Transitioning to Colloquial Arabic
This book is for students who have studied Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) for one year or more and would like to learn colloquial Arabic basics using their knowledge of MSA. It aims at transitioning learners from Novice Mid level to Intermediate Low through presenting situations useful for living in an Arab country.
Includes: Practice dialogues
Chinese
Elementary Mandarin
This course is designed for learners with no background in Chinese. It introduces basic structures of the Mandarin Chinese language with emphasis on listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
Includes: Homework exercises, writing handouts, word lists
Elementary Chinese I and II
These open textbooks are designed for beginners learning Chinese as a second/foreign language. Book I aims to introduce learners to standard Chinese pronunciation, character knowledge, basic conversational phrases, grammar and vocabulary use, and cultural knowledge. Book II follows with lessons containing dialogue on topics relevant to everyday activities.
Includes: Videos, interactive activities
Chinese (Mandarin)
This book is continually being updated and refined. It assumes no prior knowledge of Chinese.
Gateway to Chinese
This site offers a collection of free interactive language learning resources for beginning Mandarin Chinese. Students now have the option to practice pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, listening, and reading skills at their own convenience.
French
Liberté
This is an introductory level French textbook that is focused on the communicative approach. Each chapter includes around communicative strategies, culture and grammar. Reviews available.
Includes: Exercises, instructor volumes
Français Interactif
This open textbook accompanies course content that explores the French language and culture by following the lives of students participating in an intensive French language programming. Reviews available.
Includes: Videos, audio vocabulary recordings, phonetics lessons, and online activities
Introduction to French
Introduction to French is a basic French language textbook designed to develop reading, writing, and speaking skills of college students in classrooms across Canada.
Includes: Audio files
Grammaire Ouverte
This book is a pedagogical French grammar intended for advanced learners. It outlines essential concepts to French grammar, accompanied by literary excerpts and notes on dialectical variation.
Includes: Exercises
Sons & Lettres: A pronunciation method for intermediate-level French
This textbook provides a set of classroom materials to train students to hear and produce the sounds of French and to recognize the regular spellings used to represent those sounds in print. Reviews available.
Includes: Exercises, audio on supplementary website
Tout un Monde: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Intermediate French
Written by a faculty at University of Texas Arlington, this book is intended for use with intermediate level college French classes. Its multidisciplinary approach introduces students to topics and vocabulary associated with fields such as medicine, advertising, travel, business, agriculture, and relationships. Reviews available.
Includes: Exercises
CITOYEN.NE.S: Conversation en Français
Intended for teaching French conversation at the intermediate level, this text focuses on the themes of inclusivity and citizenship. Reviews available.
Includes: Grammar reviews, creative activities
German
A Foundation Course in Reading German
This textbook guides a learner who has no previous German experience to accurately understand formal written German prose. Reviews are available through the Open Textbook Library.
Includes: Unit review practice
German Frame-semantic Online Lexicon
This open German-English vocabulary resource applies the linguistic theory of Frame Semantics to the language classroom in an effort to teach the meanings of vocabulary items and how to use them appropriately.
Includes: Videos, activities
Grenzenlos Deutsch: An Open-Access Curriculum for Beginning German
This full-year curriculum is intended as a no-cost alternative to more traditional textbooks in the field. It mixes materials rooted in real-world, contemporary communication scenarios, multimedia content, and online learning activities.The Grenzenlos Deutsch curriculum ensures that the topics of discussion in the language classroom are relevant to and reflect today’s world.
Deutsch im Blick, 2nd Ed.
This textbook includes all 10 chapters of Deutsch im Blick. It accompanies the web-based first-year German program developed and in use at the University of Texas since 2008, and its companion site, Grimm Grammar. Deutsch im Blick is an open-access site with free and open multimedia resources. For beginner and early intermediate students of German. Reviews available.
Includes: Pronunciation, group activities, cultural information, reading tasks, writing activities, games
Willkommen: Deutsch für alle
Willkommen: Deutsch für alle is an innovative first-year German language e-textbook, designed as Open Educational Resource (OER), for learning German at the college/university level. It features a task-based, communicative approach which provides students with opportunities to communicate in German in a variety of contexts and situations. Through a wide range of activities, students develop and practice their language skills which they showcase at the end of each chapter by accomplishing a specific task.
Hebrew
Introductory Biblical Hebrew
This set of handouts and resources were developed at the University of Chicago.
Hindi and Urdu
Basic Hindi I
Basic Hindi I is an online, interactive, theme-based textbook for the true beginner of Hindi language. Reviews available through the Open Textbook Library.
Includes: Reading/listening exercises, chapter reviews, cultural notes, links to extra optional content
Hindi in America Video Collection
This collection is a set of interviews with Hindi speakers, along with accompanying transcriptions.
Basic Urdu
Basic Urdu is a theme-based, interactive open-source online textbook for the true novice learners of the Urdu language. The book uses mixed pedagogical approaches to language teaching to match diverse teaching and learning styles.
Icelandic
Íslenska fyrir alla: 1, 2, 3, 4
A set of activity books that include listening activities. These books are currently used by the Icelandic department with the University of Manitoba. There are 4 levels and each include a set of chapters with accompanying listening activities.
Hitt og þetta
An activity book used by students in Iceland learning Icelandic as a second language. There are is a variety of activities and audio recordings.
Quizlet
Offers free flashcard games to practice Icelandic and build vocabulary.
Íslenkards
A project designed to help Icelandic students improve their practice. It is a basic set of 80 verbs that can be used to practice at home, either by yourself or with the aid of someone who can read the cards as you recite out loud.
Indigenous Languages
Please note that while these resources are free to use, they are not licensed for editing or remixing.
Cree: Language of the Plains / nēhiyawēwin: paskwāwi-pīkiskwēwin
Cree: Language of the Plains is a comprehensive educational resource, offering a broad range of learning materials that is easily accessible to Cree language learners. This collection includes an updated and redesigned Cree language textbook, Cree language audio labs, and a Cree language workbook.
Cree Dictionary of Mathematical Terms with Visual Examples and Sound, 3rd Ed.
The third edition of the dictionary provides 176 mathematical terms, and includes both visual examples and audio pronunciations. Published by the First Nations University of Canada and University of Regina, it was reviewed by Elders, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and Cree-speaking educators.
Little Cree Books
The Little Cree Books Project publishes short books for beginning readers in Swampy and Plains Cree.
Ojibwe People’s Dictionary
This online dictionary can be browsed or searched, and currently contains 17,000 word entries.
First Voices Languages
This is an online space for Indigenous communities to share and promote language, oral culture and linguistic history. Language teams work with elders to curate and upload audio recordings, dictionaries, songs and stories. Some of this content is shared with community members only, and some is shared with the broader public.
Italian
Spunti: Italiano elementare 1; Italiano elementare 2; Italiano intermedio
Spunti is a fully designed course that a college instructor of Italian can use and adapt. Reviews available for books 1, 2, and 3.
Includes: Interactive exercises
Italian Grammar Open Textbook
This resource provides lessons and activities for beginning Italian grammar.
Tutt* a tavola! Vol 1, Vol 2
These textbook are for a beginning Italian course. Volume 1 has six chapters, each related to a particular cultural theme. Volume 2 includes short literary texts in Italian.
Includes: Songs and videos
Radio Arlecchino
This podcast series is built around dialogues that explain the Italian grammar behind communicative language functions – functions like describing and comparing, recommending and expressing opinions, recounting the past, expressing likes and dislikes, hypothesizing, and talking about the future.
Japanese
Preadvanced Japanese
This textbook is designed for students who have intermediate competency in Japanese, roughly at Level 2 on the ILR (The Interagency Language Roundtable) proficiency scale, and are working on reaching Level 3. This textbook can be used for self-study, as part of online course, and in a traditional classroom setting. Reviews available through the Open Textbook Library.
Japanese – Wikibook
This is an ongoing project that attempts to encompass all aspects of the Japanese language, including pronunciation, reading, writing, and grammar.
Japanese Irodori
The Japanese-language coursebook Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan is a textbook for foreign people to learn basic Japanese communication skills that are needed for daily life and working in Japan.
Beginning Japanese for Professionals: Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3
This textbook is designed for beginning learners who want to learn basic Japanese for the purpose of living and working in Japan. Reviews for Book 1 are available through the Open Textbook Library.
Includes: Lesson reviews, drills and exercises
The Collection of Creative Writing By Learners of Japanese リレー小説集
This project aims to promote creative writing skills among Japanese language learners and provide them with opportunities to publish their work to benefit future learners.
Korean
Beginning Korean 1
The Beginning Korean 1 is designed for elementary Korean learners to practice and learn how to communicate in Korean. It provides basic grammar, vocabulary, and discourse information that are essential to beginning level students.
Korean Through Folktales
This book teaches Korean through a set of Korean folktales, adapted for novice, intermediate, and advanced language learners.
Includes: Videos, exercises
Latin and Ancient Greek
Beginners Intensive Latin
This is a textbook for beginning learners of Latin.
Latin Via Proverbs
These Latin proverbs are organized by grammatical categories, so that they can be used with students at various levels.
Vulgate Verses: 4000 Verses from the Bible for Teachers and Students of Latin
These Latin verses are organized by grammatical categories, so that they can be used with students at various levels.
Brevissima: 1001 Tiny Latin Poems
This book is divided into 3 parts, with Part 1 containing only the most commonly used Latin vocabulary, Part 2 containing a word that is less commonly used, and part 3 containing two words which are less commonly used.
Greek and Latin Roots: Latin
This series examines the systematic principles by which a large portion of English vocabulary has evolved from Latin and (to a lesser degree) from Greek. This book focuses on Latin roots.
Greek and Latin Roots: Greek
This series examines the systematic principles by which a large portion of English vocabulary has evolved from Latin and (to a lesser degree) from Greek. This book focuses on Greek roots.
Russian
Decoding the 1920s: A Reader for Advanced Learners of Russian
Prereading assignment, preparatory written assignments, discussion and textual analysis, supplementary assignments. Reviews are available at the Open Textbook Library.
Includes: Pre-reading assignment, preparatory written assignments, discussion and textual analysis, supplementary assignments
Между нами
Между нами is a free, web-based textbook that provides a comprehensive introduction to Russian language and culture. It is organized around the experiences of four American students, each spending the academic year in a different Russian city. Their interactions with host families, roommates, fellow students and teachers create a universe of contextualized information that motivates the use of the target language in the classroom.
Rockin’ Russian
This website is designed to give students exposure to Russian through the medium of Russian-language music videos, supplemented with exercise materials.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit for Beginners
This text is a complete beginner’s guide to Sanskrit language and grammar.
Ambuda
This site aims to be a complete library of traditional Sanskrit literature with integrated dictionary support.
Spanish
Hola a Todos: Elementary Spanish I
A textbook for introductory Spanish.
Includes: Grammar and vocabulary pre-class activities, lectures, and post-class homework
A textbook for introductory Spanish. Reviews are available.
Includes: Activities, videos
Spanish I: Beginning Spanish Language and Culture
This peer-reviewed textbook contains themed chapters, which are divided into 8 sections. Each section has its own set of learning objectives, and is further separated into three types of assignments, Para estudiar en casa (with detailed explanations), Para practicar en casa (homework exercises), and Para practicar en clase (paired and group classwork activities). The individual exercises are geared towards acquisition of form and function, and the communicative classwork exercises promote interpersonal exchanges between students. Reviews are available.
Includes: Audio files, exercises, activities
Yo puedo: para empezar
This text is designed for beginning Spanish students and incorporates a flipped-classroom approach. Reviews are available.
Includes: Bilingual glossary, videos
Yo puedo: segundos pasos
Following on from the previous entry, this Spanish textbook is designed for those who have some basic knowledge of Spanish. Reviews are available.
Includes: bilingual glossary
¡Que viva la música!: Repaso de conversación en español
Designed for intermediate learners, this text focuses on conversational Spanish. Reviews available.
Includes: Spotify playlist
Manual de Redacción
This textbook is for advanced Spanish composition students. The textbook includes topics on grammar and syntax, as well as exercises and readings.
Beginning Spanish ¡Empecemos por aquí!
This book focuses on the development of communication skills in interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes while centering student voices.
Includes: Activities
JUNTXS: Introductory Spanish
This media-rich learning resource is designed to guide learners in their Spanish language learning journey through a critical and intercultural lens and to provide regular opportunities to explore, practise and improve their ability to read, speak, and understand this language as it is used across the Spanish-speaking world.
Introducción al Español
This is a basic Spanish language textbook designed to develop reading, writing, and speaking skills of students in classrooms across Canada.
Spanish Grammar in Context
This website provides detailed grammar explanations and examples of the Spanish language with accompanying practice questions.
Ukrainian
ПодорожіUA
This is an introductory-level Ukrainian language textbook for English speakers.
Includes: Instructor manual, glossary
