Reviews
Hundreds of resources to help you teach yourself
Polam Bookstore
Polish, Bookstores/Libraries
This Greenpoint store definitely has books in Polish, but if you are looking for books about Polish, it’s probably not the best destination. At least when I was there (this was in mid-2011), they had…
New Netherland Institute
Dutch, Bookstores/Libraries, Organizations
Located in the New York State Library in Albany, the New Netherland Institute is the home of the New Netherland Project, run for decades by scholar Dr. Charles Gehring. The purpose of the New Netherland Project is…
Language Resource Centers
General, Websites, Organizations, Conferences/Lectures
As of this writing, there are 15 Language Resource Centers (LRCs) across the U.S. at various universities. The first was established by the Department of Education in 1990, according to the website for the centers, “in response to the growing national…
Landbrot
German, Food and Drink
According to its website, Landbrot is a “bakery bar,” one that celebrates “Germany’s rich culinary traditions and hearty spirit.” This bakery bar offer traditional fresh-baked breads, pastries, pretzels, sausages, German micro-brews, and more. I can’t rate it because…
The Hispanic Society of America
Portuguese, Spanish, Museums/Cultural
Located on the southern border of Washington Heights in Manhattan, this organization has a free museum and reference library, dedicated to “the study of the arts and cultures of Spain, Portugal, and Latin America.”
Chinatown in Flushing, Queens
Mandarin, Neighborhoods
From what I have heard, the Chinatown of Flushing is considered by many to be a more authentic Chinatown than the one in Manhattan. I have much more to explore still, but I can tell you there are tons…
The Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
English, Organizations
I happen to love this organization, which consists of highly passionate teachers of grammar, but my feeling is that it tends to be most effective, in its commitment to grammar pedagogy, at preaching to the choir. I have been to…
Museum of Chinese in America
Mandarin, Museums/Cultural, Kids
In Manhattan’s Chinatown, this small, friendly, attractive museum has a standing exhibit on the history of Chinese immigrants in the United States. It is a history full of discrimination—and achievement in spite of it. The exhibit includes…
De Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch Language Union)
Dutch, Organizations
The Nederlandse Taalunie, or Dutch Language Union, is a kind of language regulator. It dates back to 1980, when the Netherlands and Flanders signed a treaty agreeing that the two governments would “set joint policy with respect to the Dutch language.”…