Subject Guides : English as a Second Language

Getting Started: Reference Books

As you begin your research, use reference books like these for basic information and definitions of terms. These are just a few of the books you'll find on your topic in the DCTC Library.

• The American Heritage student thesaurus
  Reference PE1591 .H4434 2009
• The American Heritage dictionary for learners of English
  Reference PE1628 .A6229 2002
• Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary, 11th ed.
  Reference PE1628 .M36 2006
  Also available as a Credo Reference eBook
• Oxford picture dictionary
  Reference PE1629 .S52 2008
• Visual dictionary
  Reference PE1629 .U48 2006
• Right, wrong, and risky : a dictionary of today's American English usage
  Reference PE2835 .D38 2006
• The American Heritage dictionary of idioms for students of English
  Reference PE2839 .A46 2001

We also have an extensive collection of juvenile books, which can provide good practice for those learning to read English.

Find Books & Videos

Find books and videos with our catalog, MnPALS Plus. Use the original MnPALS catalog for advanced searching, or enter your terms below to search MnPALS Plus.

The best way to begin a search in MnPALS Plus is to enter one or two keywords on your topic. To focus your search, use the Refine your search links that appear to the left of your search results. You can also click on a relevant title and look for Similar Items on the right side of the screen.

You can expand your search to include all libraries in the MnPALS system. Items not available from the DCTC Library can be requested through interlibrary loan (ILL).

Our books and videos are organized by Library of Congress call numbers. Most books and videos about the English language are shelved in the PE call number range.

Find Articles

The following databases include articles written at an appropriate reading level for those who are learning English. You can print, save, or e-mail any of the full-text articles in these databases. The DCTC Library also subscribes to about 120 magazines and journals in print; some of these are not available online. If the specific article you need is not available at the DCTC Library either online or in print, you can request the article from another library through interlibrary loan (ILL).

Indexes & Databases

Magazines

Magazines are an informative and entertaining resource for English-language learners. Listed below are some titles that ESL students may particularly enjoy. The Library holds the latest three years of most titles.

Web Sites

Some annotations are adapted from the web sites' own descriptions and from ipl2: Information You Can Trust.

Reference Librarian