Want to learn a language in Fresno? Find out where you can enroll in classes for free

It’s not unusual to hear people speaking different languages in Fresno.

In fact, an estimated 44% of Fresno residents speak a language other than English at home, according to census data.

Do you want to learn a language yourself or brush up on the language you learned in high school?

Schools across Fresno offer a variety of in-person and online language classes at different levels and prices.

Local colleges and universities

Fresno State

Community members that meet any required prerequisites can enroll in language classes through Fresno State’s Open University program, space permitting. Open University offers more than 10 languages classes at the undergraduate level.

Open University is for people who want to learn something new but are not “matriculated students,” according to university spokesperson Lisa Bell. If someone would like to pursue a degree after completing an Open University course, the university will accept up to 24 units for a bachelor’s degree.

Registration costs $310 per credit or unit and there could be additional fees depending on the class. Students are also given the option to pay $5 for a student ID card.

Fresno City College

Fresno City College offers language classes during the school year and summer.

They offer college-level classes for nine spoken languages, including English for Multi-Language Students and American Sign Language. Students in these classes earn college credits, but before enrolling they need to apply for admission to the college online.

Most classes are 4 or 5 units, and each unit costs $46. College spokesperson Kathy Bonilla also said there are additional costs, including a $21 health fee per semester for on-campus spring/fall classes and an $18 fee for summer courses.

All off-campus and online classes are $13.

Regardless if a class is in-person or online, “students need to apply online as they would for all other classes at the college,” Bonilla said.

A GED or high school diploma is not required to attend classes. However, students without a GED or high school diploma are ineligible for federal financial aid but can get state financial aid.

Fresno Adult School

Anyone older than 18, or high school students deficient in credits with their counselor’s recommendation, can enroll in a series of multi-level Spanish and English classes either in-person or online at Fresno Unified School District’s Fresno Adult School.

Class dates follow Fresno Unified’s academic calendar. Most classes have a $95 fee and “are inclusive of academic materials unless otherwise specifically noted,” Zamora said.

Fresno Adult School also offers English as a Second Language classes for free. People enrolled in these classes can improve their English skills and prepare for citizenship interviews and tests. Classes are offered at the César E. Chávez Adult Education Center and some K-12 schools in the district.

Online language courses also include English and Spanish classes like ESL grammar and writing, and self-paced Spanish conversation lessons. These online offerings also include different levels of American Sign Language, conversational Japanese and French, and Italian, according to the course catalog. Online classes cost between $100 and $115 with the exception of two “bundled” class packages for the Spanish series ($299) and Sign Language series ($199.)

Free online classes through Fresno County Public Library

At your own pace and time, Fresno County Public Library offers free classes through three online platforms: Mango Languages, Rosetta Stone and Pronunciator.

You can access all three through the library’s online databases website, at the library or elsewhere, and will need a library card number for Rosetta Stone and Mango Languages.

You can get a library card at your local branch for free. The form asks for your full name, address, email, phone number and a photo ID like a driver’s license or ID card.

Mango Languages offers more than 70 conversational language classes. During these lessons, students listen to conversations (be sure to have speakers or headphones), repeat phrases and see how the language they know relates to the one they are learning. Classes are taught in Spanish, Hmong, Arabic, Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese among several others, so people can learn in the language they are most comfortable speaking.

Pronunciator offers daily lessons, main courses and 8-week structured learning guides for all levels and hundreds of languages, including American Sign Language and Mexican Sign Language. Classes are offered in hundreds of languages, including language variations by country for Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Chinese and English. Lessons include videos, songs and maps.

Rosetta Stone’s courses offer a more traditional learning pathway for 30 languages. Classes are offered in 8 different languages, including Spanish. Users take a ‘core session’ followed by reading, listening, and writing activities