Mango Languages

Increase Your Usage in Just 10 Minutes a Day

Here’s a scenario we run into all the time: a busy librarian approaches us.  They want to do something to increase their usage, but don’t have much time to commit.  Well, the good news is that some of the most effective awareness campaigns take almost no time at all.  Here’s a few things you can do that take no more than 10 minutes to complete.  Pick a week to try a few and let your Client Care Rep know how it goes.

Monday:  Print out a handful of Mango handouts (available via the MAP – “Mango Administration Portal”) to place at your reference desk.  The handouts, which can be customized to add your library’s own unique Mango URL, walk patrons step-by-step through accessing the program and are available in both English and Spanish.

Tuesday:  Check out Mango’s Twitter or Facebook page.  Retweet or share something of interest, adding a reminder that patrons can access Mango through your library for free.

Wednesday:  Got a blog?  Then check out Mango’s sample blog posts, available through the MAP.  Feel free to re-post the articles verbatim, or add information/edit to fit your needs.

Thursday:  Print out a few of Mango’s free 8.5×11 posters and table tents from the MAP.  Post a few around your library to increase awareness among your patrons.

Friday: Grab a Mango poster – along with a few foreign language books or cultural items, arrange them on a table, and ta-da – you’ve got a language-learning display!  This is a fantastic way to grab patrons’ attention and remind them of all of the great language-learning resources you provide.

Bonus Item:  Have you ever put out a press release to let your community know that you offer Mango?  Don’t be afraid to send one out – we see that local news outlets cover stories on libraries that offer Mango all the time.  We even have a standard press release template ready-to-go in the MAP.  Just download it from the “Free Resources” section and update it accordingly with your library’s information.  This is a fantastic way to spread the word to your community – and get a media shout-out for your library!

What does your library do to promote its resources?

Why do you learn a language?

While the end result may be the same for many language-learners, the motivation can be unique for every learner.

Below are three quotes that relate to  three different situations I found myself in this past week.

1.
“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.”
‒Flora Lewis

While catching up with an old friend from high school and mentioning where I worked, I was excited to hear that he had not only heard of Mango Languages, but he was also starting to use it, thanks to Mango Military through the US coastguard! He  shared his new goal to learn Spanish as a new dad and husband. It seemed random at first, as both him and his wife, and their families, all speak English. When I asked why, he told me that he wants to learn Spanish to be able to better communicate with the teachers at his son’s daycare.  It was great to see him making such an effort to ensure that communication was always clear for the well-being of his son, but it also was great to see that language-barriers don’t have to push people apart, in fact in this situation, it is only bringing people closer!

2.
“The limits of my language are the limits of my world.”
‒Ludwig Wittgenstein

A friend from Mexico who recently moved to the United States for work asked me if I knew any fun and easy ways to learn a new language (Mango Languages!) so that his girlfriend who is still in Mexico could start learning English.  After telling him all about Mango Languages I realized that he also had a unique motivation for learning a different language; his future! It was touching to see that he thought about his girlfriend’s comfort and success as they contemplate their future together beyond their comfort zone and in a foreign country.

3.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
-Nelson Mandela

Hitting a little closer to home, my Turkish boyfriend’s parents, after hearing all about my new job at Mango Languages, wanted to know how and how fast they could start learning English. With my efforts to learn Turkish and their effort to learn English, I was excited at the prospect of us being able to communicate without needing a constant translator (the boyfriend ). I was also touched that they were willing to take time and put an effort into learning a language in order to be able to talk to me and my family. It also made me realize how much it would mean to them and to my boyfriend for me to be able to speak to them in their native language. Without doubt, my Turkish-learning experience continues!

After talking to these friends and family, I realized how extremely happy and thankful I was for being able to be a part of their language-learning experience. In the end, everyone has a different motivation for learning a language. Maybe it is out of necessity, or out of thirst for knowledge, or maybe its for love.  Whatever it may be, I hope you continue to find motivation and encouragement!

Mango Languages Makes Tech 200 List

Thank you for helping Mango Languages become one of 200 companies to make this list of the top privately held tech companies in the US.

Check out the full list here.
This is a  good excuse for a Mango fiesta, right?

Does your dog speak Spanish? Pet commands in 5 languages.

What’s the best way to look super cool at the dog park?
Telling Sparky to stay in five different languages of course.

Give these commands a try:

Spanish
Sientate (sit)
Echate (down)
Quieto (stay)
Aqui (come)

French
Assis (sit)
Couché (down)
Attend (stay)
Viens (come)

German
Sitz (sit)
Platz (down)
Bleib (stay)
Hier (come)

Italian
Seduta (sit)
Terra (down)
Resta (stay)
Vieni (come)

Brazilian Portuguese
Senta (sit)
Deita (down)
Fica (stay)
Vem (come)

What language does your pet speak?

Happy Thanksgiving – Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias!

As Thanksgiving is only one day away in the United States, all of us at Mango want to express our gratitude to you for your constant support and passion that make our job  so enjoyable!

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful but it is also a time to celebrate culture. And what a better way than to explore how people from all over the world celebrate their own Thanksgiving and how people all around the US add their unique traditions as well.

Growing up in a Mexican-American household, Thanksgiving is a perfect example of how two culture can fuse together while still bringing unique traditions to the table (no pun intended!).

While we have the traditional Turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie, you can’t expect to sit at my family’s table without also having tortillas and Mexican rice. And instead of only saying Happy Thanksgiving, we also say “Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias”, with a combination of Spanish, English, and even Spanglish conversations all around the table.

And with so many different cultures in the United States, I know my family isn’t the only one to incorporate different cultural foods or traditions into a very traditional American holiday. Take a look at how Arabic cuisine can incorporate “…hummus, tabouli salad, garlic dip, batata harra, which is sautéed potatoes, as an alternative to the mashed potatoes,”  as  Denise Hazime, of Mediterranean cooking website DedeMed.com explains.

Other countries also celebrate Thanksgiving in their own way. The day and way of celebrating may be different, but it is clear that traditions, culture, and most importantly, giving thanks, are always the main components of this special day.

In what ways do you add your own flavor to Thanksgiving?

Thank you from Mango Languages

We are so thankful. For you.

For you, the enthusiastic librarian whose creativity and passion for helping your community or campus impress us beyond words.

For you, the curious global citizen who wouldn’t dream of traveling to a new country assuming everyone speaks English.

For you, the ambitious new citizen who can’t wait to learn English to meet your neighbors.

For all of you, who allow us to pursue our passion and share our goal to enrich lives with language and culture, we are thankful.

Bonne action de grâce! Happy Thanksgiving from Mango!

Congrats, Wayne County Library System.

Mango would like to congratulate to the Wayne County Library System in Pennsylvania for being selected as the library with the “Most Outstanding Usage” for the month of October!  Boosting user sessions over the past few months, WCLS has driven usage by conducting outstanding outreach efforts to local schools and actively by recommending Mango to patrons looking to learn a foreign language.

Mary Fritz, Outreach Coordinator for WCLS, explained: “We are a large rural county and because of our logistics, many people cannot get to our libraries.  So, we decided to take the library out to the community.”  Mary works with local schools to promote Mango – and the library’s other resources – at Freshman Orientation, Curriculum Night, PTA and faculty meetings, Parent Teacher Conferences and at individual classes.  They also initiated a “Tutoring Tuesday” program, in which students can access the library’s resources during their study hall period, and are working on a “Library Ambassadors” program to encourage students to spread the word about library offerings to their peers.

Mary explains: “The local school districts realize the importance of our resources and are very supportive.  Since August, we have reached out to approximately 2500 students and families through our schools.  I also present our website to business and service groups – and there has been a tremendous interest in Mango Languages overall!  I especially enjoy hearing students say hello, goodbye, etc. in many languages.”

The staff at WCLS explained that the county also has an active adult and senior population who do a fair amount of travel, so librarians regularly point these patrons toward Mango to support their language learning needs.

Mango wants to congratulate WCLS on their outstanding efforts to promote language learning in their community.  They are truly an example to follow.  Keep up the great the work!

Is there an international language? Part Two.

In the previous post we looked briefly at the main factors that can lead to the abandonment and loss of a language.  Let’s see now what happens nowadays to foresee if of the 83 major languages, one will surpass all others and be crowned THE language.

Part 2: What Is the Situation Today

Let’s say first that from a biological standpoint, the existence of only one language is not impossible. Our brains are hardwired to learn language, not a language. A child will learn the language(s) s/he is exposed to, regardless of their nationality. For example, a Chinese child will learn Chinese if s/he is exposed to Chinese, or Japanese if s/he is exposed to Japanese.

So, what is the situation today?

There is still immigration.

There are social forums, where people want to communicate and make friends with people sometimes in the other part of the planet, speaking a different language, so they need a lingua franca, a language commonly known.

There are new developments and so new vocabulary is used, and languages either create new words to cover that need or adopt the foreign word as is; there is osmosis, attrition, “languages” like Chinglish, or Spanglish.

There are movements of language revitalization: despite the efforts of the former Spanish dictator Franco to stamp out the regional languages of Spain, today Catalan is stronger than ever; similarly, efforts are made to restore Irish, Cornish and other languages whose speakers were forced to abandon them.

All these phenomena have been with languages since day 1. People have always come into contact and had lingua francas. Languages have always come into contact and borrowed or lent words; new words have always been created to cater for new needs. Creoles have been created.

But is there coercion? Is there loss of self-esteem? Is there conscious effort to keep up with the changes or are the changes too rapid for us to keep up pace with them?

Maybe the answer to the two first questions is no, or not to the same extend as in the past, but we must explore the third one more in depth. One word that characterizes “today” is “globalization.” People today come into contact more often than before, through forums, blogs etc. The reason why there were so many languages in the past was that people lived in small settlements of a few speakers, sometimes in complete isolation, and used a lingua franca whenever they had to communicate with other tribes; they met, solved their issues, and left to meet much time later, if ever. But today, people use the Internet on an everyday basis. Services are created that are addressed to the world as a whole. Translation of services is costly and sometimes it cannot be done automatically and hence on time.

Languages must keep up with the technological changes. If a page is not translated into someone’s native language but is translated into English and s/he speaks English, then s/he will read it in English. There is automatic translation but if only English is supported then the future of the other languages is bleak.

There is much need for an international lingua franca, and the English Language is the best candidate. The question now is, will it prevail? Are we – or rather our children’s children – going to experience an anti-Babel phenomenon?

Why give up a language when you can speak both your language and the lingua franca?

No reason, probably, but let’s look at what happened in Italy: Before 1861, there were many states in Italy and as many languages: if someone from Milan met someone from Sicily, they wouldn’t be able to communicate. After 1861 when all these states were united, through education, but more importantly for our topic, through the mass media, the Italian language has been homogenized and is now what we call “Italian.”

Can there be a similar case today through the Internet? Can people unconsciously start using one language more and more until they forget their native tongues?

This is yet to be seen.

Guest Blog: Celebrating Veteran’s Day

Today’s guest blog post comes from Mango Government Ambassador and Client Care Specialist, Jane Potee.  Thank you for sharing your touching story with us, Jane!

This year’s Veteran’s Day has special significance to me.   My 83-year old father relocated in September from Indiana to an assisted living facility nearby my home in Michigan.  This year we will celebrate Veteran’s Day closer than we have for years.  I always knew my father was retired United States Air Force Korea, but I never knew much of his time spent in the military.  I am learning more now that we are closer in distance.

A few years back I was privileged to accompany a group of U.S. Marine Corps Veterans on a trip to visit the war memorials in Washington D.C.  During this trip our group visited the following memorials: Vietnam Wall, Iwo Jima, World War I, World II, Korean War monuments and Arlington Cemetery.  I picked up a Korean War Veteran’s hat at one of the local D.C. souvenir stands to bring back to my Dad.  My Dad was a business executive and for much of his career his attire was shined shoes, suit and tie.  I was not sure if Dad would welcome my gift of the Veterans’ hat, let alone wear it.

Imagine my surprise when he started wearing it.  In fact he began to share stories with me of strangers on the street who would come up and thank him for his service to his country.  I soon noticed a bit more “spring” in his step and a straighter posture when he was wearing his Veteran’s hat.  Merchants and business people also took to noticing him in his hat, and acknowledged him for his country’s service.  Sixty some years later, he was receiving validation for his time in military service, and it was gratifying.

In the few years that have passed since Dad first got his hat, his body – like his hat – has become more tired-looking and ragged with age.  The emblem on the hat, however, still shines bright, much like the light within the retired Air Force Korean veteran that wears it.

So how does this story connect to Mango Languages?  Mango Languages, a FEDLINK certified vendor, is proud to support thousands of active and retired Military and Government users all over the world.  Many of these Mango users connect to Mango online via their assignment to a military base or affiliation to one of our Armed Forces.  Mango created a customized program, Mango Military, which uses critical commands and phrases to better enable service personnel deployed overseas.  Our program is also used by service members for whom second language proficiency is critical to their rank or command.  For more information on Mango’s language learning solutions for the government, click here.

This year on November 10th, 2012 Veteran’s Day, take time to thank a Veteran.  Like the quote says, “…they rose to the occasion.  All of the values their mothers and fathers and grandparents taught them, they learned.  They stepped up to the plate.  They did not just follow their leaders, they ACCOMPANIED their leaders.  Sometimes, they LED the way!”… And sometimes they still wear the hat that proves it.

FEDLINK Veteran’s Day Promotion:

To celebrate Veteran’s Day, Mango is offering new FEDLINK clients their choice of 3 Mango Playaway devices to add to your library’s collection.  The set, valued at $120, will be provided completely free-of-charge to new FEDLINK clients that sign up for a Mango subscription by December 31^st, 2012.  For more information, please email usa.gov@mangolanguages.com or call 1-899-626-4611, Government Sales.

Introducing: Mango Passport mobile apps for iPhone, iPod Touch and Android

Now take your language learning wherever you go with free apps available for iPhone and Android mobile devices for Mango Passport customers. Enjoy your favorite Mango features from the palm of your hand, across town or across the globe.

Download the apps.