Beginner English

Beginner English is running at the Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library, with sessions on Wednesdays and Fridays from 2:00 to 3:30 PM. It's a course for adults who are just starting to learn English, and it runs from September 23 through December 11, 2026.

The class focuses on the four basics: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The material is geared toward daily life—the kind of English you actually use when you're out in the city, not just textbook exercises. Because it meets twice a week, it's a steady way to build up your skills over a few months rather than trying to cram it all in at once.

If you haven't spent much time there, the library itself is a bit of a West Philly landmark. It opened on October 21, 1976, as the city's second regional library, designed by architect William Mann on the site of the old Rivoli Theatre. It was renamed in 2004 for Lucien Blackwell, a former congressman, city council member, state legislator, and local activist who died in 2003. The building was renovated in 1998 as part of the 'Changing Lives' campaign. The neighborhood around it, Blockley, got its name from settler William Warner, who called it after his home parish in England. The world-renowned singer and actor Paul Robeson spent his retirement nearby on Walnut Street. Inside the adult room, you'll find three large murals by George Beach, Marta Sanchez, and Walter Edmonds.

The class is free and no registration is required, so you can just show up. It runs Wednesdays and Fridays, 2:00 to 3:30 PM, from September 23 to December 11, at the Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library, 125 South 52nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139.