Adult Learning Center–Boone County
(573) 214-3803
The Adult Learning Center provides adult education services, including free English language learner classes offered at three skill levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Classes are held at the Blind Boone Center and the Columbia Career Center. These are available for everyone except those with F-1 student visas.
Center for English Language Learning
The University of Missouri offers high quality English language instruction to non-native speakers of English through the Center for English Language Learning (CELL).
Centro Latino
(573) 449-9442
Centro Latino opens their doors to immigrants of any country. Some of the services they offer are English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, immigration services or referrals, health literacy, prevention of violence against women and youth after school programs.
City of Refuge
(573) 454-1552
City of Refuge is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to help refugees recover and regain control of their lives. They offer Basic Needs Services, PTSD/Trauma Counseling, Professional Development, and much more. City of Refuge helps every refugee become productive, successful, and contributing members of our community.
Columbia Public Schools Adult English Language Classes
Adult English learning classes aimed toward ESL speakers and community members from other countries provided in partnership with the Columbia Public School district. Registration is required for participation, but the classes are free of charge.
Conversation Partner Program
The Conversation Partner Program is part of the Asian Affairs Center at MU. It pairs Americans with visiting government officials, scholars and undergraduate students from Asia.
Language Partners Program
(573) 882-6621
This is a free program through the MU Women’s Center and is open to all interested individuals. LPP pairs one native English speaker with one non-native English speaker. The pairs get together once a week for a minimum of one hour to practice conversational English.
Refugee and Immigration Services (573) 635-7719
Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri is the contracting agency of the Missouri Department of Social Services Refugee Resettlement Program for our region. They provide refugees with initial housing, provision of clothing and furniture, household goods and food, education placement and introduction to government and community service providers. They also offer low-fee legal assistance in immigration matters before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.
Resources Available through DBRL
Bluebird Languages
Offers lessons in over 160 languages with a large selection of native language settings so you can learn in your native tongue. Also available via app on Apple and Android devices after creating a personal account in a web browser.
English as a Second Language Collection
DBRL’s English as a Second Language collection offers print and audio resources to help non-native speakers learn English. It includes preparation materials for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
LearningExpress Library
Learning Express Library provides test preparation materials for elementary through adult levels including United States Citizenship tests and a collection of skill building and test preparation materials in Spanish.
Mango Languages
Mango Languages is an intuitive, easy to start language learning platform, with 500+ language learning resources for 70+ languages and 20+ ESL courses. (Must create a username and password to access learning tools.)
Additional Resources
Family Health Center and South Providence Medical Park– MU Hospital Medical Access Videos
University of Missouri Health Care has created videos available in 8 different languages for refugees and immigrants to provide information about the services these facilities provide.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
ORR is a part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Their office provides social services to help refugees become self-sufficient as quickly as possible after their arrival in the United States. Much of their role is to oversee and provide guidance to State-administered programs.
