Beginner English

Queen Memorial Library is running a Beginner English class on Wednesdays, and the next session is tomorrow, October 21. It's part of a series that runs every Monday and Wednesday from 11:30 AM to 1 PM, starting September 21 and going through December 2, so if you miss this one, there are plenty more to catch throughout the fall.

The focus is English for daily life—the kind of practical, conversational language you actually use when you're out and about in the city, rather than textbook grammar. It's built for beginners, so it's a good place to start if you're just getting comfortable with the language.

The library itself is at 1201 S 23rd Street, on the lower level of the Landreth Apartments in the former Landreth School, an 1889 building that later became a multi-purpose achievement center. The James W. Queen Memorial Library opened in 1907 and was named after James W. Queen, a Philadelphia optician, pioneer microscope maker, and philanthropist. It became the Queen Memorial Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia on December 13, 1912, and moved into its current home on January 17, 1995, with Mamie Nichols, then Executive Director of the Point Breeze Federation, as one of the driving forces behind the renovation. These days it serves Point Breeze, Grays Ferry, and Graduate Hospital with programs for all ages: Family Storytime and LEAP Afterschool for kids, Cooking Club and Video Game Hangouts for teens, and free after-school meals and summer lunches.

Coming back to the class, it's free and there's no registration required, so you can just show up. It runs 11:30 AM to 1 PM on Mondays and Wednesdays through December 2 at Queen Memorial Library, 1201 S 23rd Street.