Mango Languages

Learn Greek

Greek is not a widely spoken language and it may not give you the passport to learning other languages but it merits a seat in the pantheon of languages because it is one of the world’s oldest recorded living languages and because many words in English and other languages have been derived from Greek.

Greek is spoken in Greece, and it is one of the two official languages in Cyprus. It is also spoken by emigrant and minority communities in Germany, the USA, Australia, Canada, the UK, and in the neighboring countries Albania, Turkey, Southern Italy, as well as in the countries around the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. All in all it is spoken by about 14 million people.

It belongs to the Indo-European family of languages and it is an independent branch of it. According to some historical linguists the peoples in the plains of Europe and Anatolia spoke the Proto-Indo-European language until the 3rd millennium BC. At the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC this language had already been divided into the various Indo-European languages, one of which was Proto-Greek, the common ancestor of all dialects of Ancient Greek. Proto-Greek speakers came to Greece in the 2nd millennium BC. The first record of Greek is the script in Linear B on tablets in Mycenae dating from the 15th or 14th century BC.

Ancient Greece was the cradle of civilization and the means of expressing it was Ancient Greek. The great philosophical, scientific, and cultural texts of that era, which influenced the entire Western thought, were written in this language. It is only natural that a great number of Greek words has been borrowed in international science, philosophy, and technology vocabulary: words like mathematics, geometry, athletics, theater, philosophy, and many others have Greek origin. It is said that 12% of the English vocabulary is derived from Greek.

Ancient Greek has undergone many changes in phonology, morphology, syntax but the language was never interrupted and, although Greeks today cannot understand Ancient Greek texts without some help, the similarities are more than obvious and many words have survived unaltered as they were in ancient times. For example, the word for “child” was “pes” (“pedos” in genitive) in Ancient Greek and it is “pedi” in Modern Greek.

Most interesting is the search of the origin of words and how they changed meaning through the ages. For example, did you know that the word “enthusiast”, of Greek origin of course, comes from the Ancient Greek word “entheos” = en (in) + theos (god) and meant having or being inspired by divine ecstasy?

Having said all that, learning Greek, apart from giving you a means to communicate with the Greeks who live in the beautiful place you are going to visit, will also give you a better insight in your own language.

A Foreign Language is Key to Employment Success

The way people do business today has changed. Due to a flattening of the world and the ever increasing need to be able to do business across borders foreign languages are becoming an integral part of education and job readiness.

Did you know?
1. Three in four Human Resource Executives cited study abroad as important when evaluating the resume of a job candidate.
2. Colleges look for both a well-rounded, balanced student and that ‘standout’ special gift, skill, or talent, such as language proficiency gained from studying abroad.
3. International volunteer work is highly regarded in graduate school applicants and is often favorable in the eyes of prospective employers.
4. Internships abroad are an excellent option for graduates and undergraduates. They provide the training needed to succeed in a career, as well as practical experience critical in qualifying for gainful employment.
5. Learning a language and studying abroad can save thousands of dollars in tuition and lead to graduating faster. *
6. Employers say that knowledge of a 2nd or 3rd language is crucial in today’s competitive job marketplace.
7. Students are finding that taking a gap year between high school and college to study or work abroad can increase their opportunities, both in education and employment.

How are you staying competitive?

The Conscious vs. Subconscious in Language Learning

Whether you are learning a second language or producing and selling language learning materials, it pays to understand some of the factors that influence second language learning. This is the first of a few short installments on the topic of second language learning.

University of Southern California linguist Stephen Krashen has identified two main modes of picking up a language — conscious ‘Learning’ and subconscious ‘Aquisition’. Language learning means a rule-based approach to new languages and is common in classroom settings. Teachers present students with grammar and pronunciation rules and then give examples of how these rules play out in real life. Language Aquisition, on the other hand, is most commonly identified with immersive language learning. Imagine, for example, an immigrant child who spend hours each day with her peers and absorbs (or ‘aquires’) the new language.

According to Krashen, the most effective language study focuses on language aquisition rather than grammar rules. When students are actively engaged in speaking and listening their focus is on the message being communicated rather than the form of the communication. Successful students know their grammar but they don’t use rules to form the sentences they speak. Rather they have developed a feel for the language that lets them create sentences more organically. Their knowledge of grammar is used sparingly, to do some last-minute editing before the words come out of their mouths. This function of the grammar is commonly termed the “monitor” since it monitors, reviews and edits what the mind produces.

What does this mean for you? If you are learning a second language, put yourself in situations where the focus is on conversation and communication. Don’t ignore grammar, but don’t worry if you don’t know the perfect way to communicate your thoughts. The process of interacting with native speakers is as important to your success as any language book you study.

Learn a Foreign Language – Be Recession Proof

No doubt times are tough right now. The economy is still reeling from a recession and jobs are still being cut. How do you stay safe? Diversifying your job skills can be one way to make you more desirable.

By taking a foreign language you are adding value to the company as they grow in a more global marketplace.

Having a foreign language on your resume can help you:

1. Get accepted into college
2. Get into graduate school
3. Save money on tuition
4. Find a job
5. Keep a job
6. Enjoy international travel
7. Personal achievement and growth

Some things to think about:
*Employers expect to hire 8% fewer college graduates this year.
*Job losses at highest point since 1945, after World War II ended.
*College acceptance is more competitive than ever.
*More college graduates are opting to go back to school.
*The US government is encouraging people to learn strategic languages, which include: Arabic, Chinese, Korean and Russian

How are you keeping your skills relevant and diversifying your resume?

Learn Russian

Russian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe. Russian belongs to the family of Indo-European languages and is one of three living members of the East Slavic languages, the others being Belarusian and Ukrainian (and possibly Rusyn, in Ukraine considered a dialect of Ukrainian and recognized in some countries).

The Russian language is primarily spoken in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus, and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics of the USSR. During the Soviet period, the policy toward the languages of the various other ethnic groups fluctuated in practice. Though each of the constituent republics had its own official language, the unifying role and superior status was reserved for Russian. Following the break-up of the USSR in 1991, several of the newly independent states have encouraged their native languages, which has partly reversed the privileged status of Russian, though its role as the language of post-Soviet national discourse throughout the region has continued.

Russian is the official language of Russia. It is also an official language of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine. There are several opinions on how many dialects that Russia has. Some say two and some say three all based on regions.

If you get ambitious you could try Russian, once you have learned Russian you can begin to communicate with other Slav speakers.