Mango’s language requirement is what makes us Mango
This blog comes to us from Robbie Linden, a recent addition to our Marketing team at Mango as a Marketing Intern. We are happy to welcome Robbie, not only to Mango, but also to our Mango Languages Blog! Enjoy and look out for more future posts from him.
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Three weeks ago, I began my marketing internship with Mango Languages. Since then, I have worked hard to learn the tricks of the trade, so to speak. With any new job comes a new set of expectations, responsibilities, and policies and my internship is no exception. Though a new parking spot or software program at work is always something to think about, one specific policy at Mango takes a lot of getting used to: All employees are required to devote an hour and a half each week to learning a new language.
When I first heard of this policy I was bit surprised. Even though I was excited to learn from Mango for the sake of marketing the product, I thought this requirement might be too much to ask. Learning a second language seemed like one of those things that requires a huge amount of will power and is a tough thing to ask someone to do by way of a company policy.
Within days of learning of this policy I was proven wrong. Once I got used to my new work environment, I began to observe some office behaviors from my desk. I heard people speaking to each other in a multitude of foreign languages and saw their wide grins as they did so. It was this that helped me understand Mango’s second language policy. Knowledge of a second language is not merely an asset at Mango Languages, but a way of life. As a company whose goal is to teach a second language to as many people as possible, it is of the utmost importance that we apply that goal within the company as well as across the globe. I have come to recognize and respect the fact that the diverse work environment is really what separates Mango.
As far as my studies go, I have enjoyed learning a foreign language through Mango. I decided to freshen up on my Hebrew, which I have not practiced for 4 years or so now. Even though I am not a beginner, I have picked up some conversational Hebrew in my first few lessons of Mango that I was stunned I never encountered in my previous years of study. For example, I never knew that the greeting “שלומך מה” or “how are you” (literally translated as what is your peace) could be reconfigured to mean “I am good” or “Are you good”. I am looking forward to getting more comfortable with the language and being more conversationally fluent.
I will continue to blog about Mango’s language requirement as I continue my internship and get more used to my work environment. Hopefully, I can even get some of my coworkers’ opinions on the subject. Be sure to share your own feelings or personal experience with language requirements in the workplace through Mango’s Facebook or Twitter!
