You've probably heard of a polyglot (a speaker of many languages), but what's an omniglot? A speaker of all languages! Our mission is to bring as many languages as possible to as many learners as possible, matching eager students with local teachers. We're here to celebrate the linguistic diversity of the Ocean State and create a community of language lovers.
Registration is now open for our first-ever Spanish Summer Camp! Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of
our
location in the Hampden Meadows Conservation Area, adjacent to the Kent Street pond and pickleball courts, the
Barrington Greenbelt, and the HMS outdoor classroom. Whether you're just starting out or already know some
Spanish, you'll have a blast learning and practicing in our fun and supportive environment!
For kids entering grades 2–6.
Click here to
learn more and register.
Our school-year classes are offered at a variety of levels for everyone from complete beginners to heritage speakers. Classes meet in small, stable groups and follow a fun, project-based curriculum. Age-appropriate activities may include games, art projects, nature exploration, pretend play, theatre, music, and literature. For students who already speak and/or understand the language, classes are an opportunity to build community through shared language and culture, where they can enrich their vocabulary, build their confidence, and work toward biliteracy.
We're just winding down our first full school year! If you're interested in joining us next year, please fill out an application here. Classes are currently offered in Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Greek, but let us know if you're interested in another language and we'll see what we can do.
Our Stargazer Workshops are designed for children with little or no experience with the language. Each thematic, project-based workshop introduces and reinforces basic skills (counting, alphabet, etc.) within a different context and with distinct vocabulary. We read books, listen to music, play games, create art, and learn about different cultures and traditions. Children can try one workshop or take them all! Click here for a list of classes.
You can register for Spanish tutoring sessions here. Tutoring is also available in French, Portuguese, ESL, and German. Please email us at info@omniglotsri.com if you are interested.
We also have a variety of classes for adults! Click here to learn more.
Laura Healy started Omniglots because she wanted a place for Barrington kids (including her own!) to learn languages. She has a master's degree in Romance Languages and Literatures from Harvard, and she teaches in the writing program at the Harvard Extension School. As an undergraduate at Brown, Laura studied translation, and she translates poetry and children's books from Spanish into English. Before the pandemic, she and her family spent three years in Germany, where she learned about European language pedagogy and different approaches to raising multilingual children.
Emmy Douglas earned a PhD in English with an emphasis in the translation of medieval languages from the University of Arkansas. She also has degrees in Spanish, French, and creative writing/translation. She loves learning languages because it helps her communicate with more people and affords her the opportunity to discover new perspectives. She has nineteen years of teaching experience, and when she’s not in the classroom, she is spending time with her family at music concerts or at home playing with their dog.
Jana Bloechl grew up in Germany and worked as a social worker there before moving with her family to Rhode Island. She received her master's degree in Social Work from the University of Applied Sciences of Münster and her bachelor's from Cologne University of Applied Sciences. She is looking forward to using her experiences as a social worker and as a mother of two bilingual children to help expose others to the benefits of using multiple languages in their lives.
Amrita Adak recently graduated from UMass Amherst with a degree in Neurobiology, Language, and Trauma and a minor in Education. She grew up in a trilingual home, where from an early age she was nurtured with a deep love for languages, linguistic reflection, and cross-cultural appreciation. Having moved between countries many times, she understands both the joys and confusions that can come with navigating different cultural customs and languages. Amrita has experience teaching ESL, Hindi, and Korean to students of all ages. During her free time, she likes to crochet sweater vests for her friends and their pets.
Henry Robbins is a senior at Brown University studying History and Portuguese and Brazilian Studies. Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, he was introduced to multilingual environments early on—he vividly remembers visiting his grandparents in Portugal and hearing as many as five languages spoken around the dinner table. He has studied both French and Portuguese in depth, and after graduation, he will pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching in Social Studies at Brown. He hopes to carry the skills he develops at Omniglots into his future career as a teacher.
We encourage our students to always keep in mind why they are studying a language, and we strive to keep our classes fun and meaningful so that the class itself becomes something to look forward to.
Learning a language is not something that happens overnight; it requires repeated exposure over time. We take every opportunity to expose our students to the languages they're studying, both inside and outside of class.
We are always looking for ways for our students to apply the language they've learned in ways that are meaningful to them. Getting students to a point where they can use the language — watching a foreign film, interpreting for a neighbor, writing a love letter — is our ultimate goal.