Mango Languages

Mango welcomes Challenge Detroit participant, Jared Berman

While the diverse staff at Mango Languages hails from cities all over the globe, we are proud to call Detroit, Michigan our home and are thrilled to welcome Challenge Detroit participant Jared Berman to our team.

Challenge Detroit is an urban revitalization initiative aimed at bringing together 30 innovative leaders from across the country to live, work, play and give in Detroit.

Jared will be working at Mango Languages while also contributing to the Challenge Detroit initiative where he will participate in monthly team challenges and work with area non-profits to positively impact the city and region.

Please join us in welcoming Jared to Mango. You can learn more about Jared and Challenge Detroit by visiting www.challengedetroit.org.

Inspiration: It’s What Keeps Me Going

At the gym the other day, between the monotonous stomping of my feet on the treadmill, I overheard a woman speaking in heavily-accented English.  She was asking her workout partner to show her how to correctly do a push-up.  I listened to her for a few minutes, as she struggled to find the words to describe what she wanted to say.  It made me reflect upon my own experiences as a study abroad student in Munich.  I remember how frustrating it would be to run into situations where I couldn’t accurately express myself.

On one particular occasion, my inability to remember the verb “to pay” meant that I couldn’t tell the waiter that I had already paid my bill.  I recall repeating over and over again: “ich habe schon…ich habe schon…” (“I already…”)  But the word escaped me.  I tried to motion a “paying” action with my hands, but it just confused the waiter even more.  Finally, I remembered the verb and was able to complete my sentence, satisfying the waiter and setting him on his way.

Running into situations such as these occurred on almost a daily basis when I first moved to Munich.  Things that should take moments to complete, often became stressful, drawn-out processes simply due to my inability to correctly express what I wanted to say.  As a grown adult, it was extremely frustrating to have my vocabulary set back to the level of a child, particularly when I still needed to do “grown-up things” (like set up a cell phone or register with the city).

So suffice to say, I completely sympathized with the woman at my gym when I heard her struggling in broken English.  But when I turned around and saw who she had been speaking to all along, I felt an even higher level of respect.  The woman had been speaking with her husband.  It was obvious that they shared the same mother tongue, so it would have been much easier for her to carry on in their native language.  But the fact that she chose to instead practice her speaking skills and converse with him in English, made me beam with admiration.

I’m now married to German-American man, but I have to admit that our daily conversations in German are usually limited to short words and phrases.  Rarely do we commit to conversing fully in German, simply because English is the more natural medium for both of us.  My husband moved to the US when he was 10, so he speaks English as if it were his native tongue.  Plus, we met before I even started studying German, so it’s become what we’re used to.

But I have to admit that seeing this courageous couple made me realize that there’s no excuse not to try.  It also made me think of all the people living in the U.S. who struggle to learn English because they want to create a better life for themselves.  I’m lucky that learning a foreign language has never been imperative for me – it’s always been a choice.  A choice that nonetheless opens the door to many opportunities and experiences.  So what excuse do I have not to practice more often?  Better yet: why would I not want to?

What motivates you to study a foreign language?  When things get tough, what “keeps you going?”

To join Mango Languages’ Language Resolution campaign, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or use the hashtag #LanguageResolution to join the conversation.  Our goal is to make this the year that you commit to learning a foreign language by providing daily challenges, tips, and motivation.  Together, we can do this.

Mango Language Resolution – Weekly Recap 1

We started our Language Resolution campaign with one goal in mind: to help you learn a language by 2013.  We hear excuses all too often: “I wanted to learn a language this year, but couldn’t find the time to practice” or “I ran out of steam and lacked motivation.”  This year, we’re not going to let that happen.  Mango’s got your back – not to mention daily tips, challenges, and motivation to keep you on track.  All you have to do is stay tuned to our pages on Facebook and Twitter.

Last week things got off to a strong start on Monday when we challenged our followers to write their grocery or shopping list in the language they were studying.  On Tuesday, we followed this up with a vocab challenge focused on greetings and terms of gratitude.  Translations of “thank you” and “goodbye” were shared in a handful of languages, including French, Arabic, Japanese and German.  Plus, Philip E. shared his personal translation of those phrases into “Southern U.S. English,” as ‘obliged’ and ‘later’.  Thanks for giving a mini-lesson to our Detroiter Mango crew, Philip!

Wednesday is all about motivation, so we shared a touching story from one of our patrons based at the Kent District Library in Michigan.  Having been in a long-distance relationship for 6 years, she tried everything to learn Swedish without success – including Rosetta Stone.  But after starting Mango, she experienced more improvement in a few days than she had done in years!  Read her full story here.

We dedicate Thursday to a roundtable discussion of issues and challenges faced when learning a foreign language.  Last week we focused on how to successfully learn vocabulary.  Our followers had fantastic tips for tackling this challenge, including: using flashcards, playing video games, reading foreign signs or packaging, and creating associations with English words that have a similar sound.  The one thing that everyone seemed to agree on is that repetition is key, no matter what method you use.  We also agree with this point – which is why repetition of phrases and vocabulary is an important theme in Mango’s courses.

On Friday, we closed out the week with one final challenge for our followers: to “like” or “follow” a foreign company’s page on Facebook or Twitter.  This is a great way to infuse foreign content into your feed!  Haven’t had a chance to complete the challenge yet?  Commit to doing it today!  It only takes 5 minutes.

Ready to get things geared up again this week?  We’ve got a week chock-full of fun challenges, motivating inspiration, and helpful tips/tricks ahead!  Check out our Facebook and Twitter pages daily to keep updated.  Remember, 2012 is the year.  #LanguageResolution.  Let’s do this together.

Language Brings Long Distance Relationship Closer

This story comes to us from a library patron of the Kent District Library in Michigan.  How has language brought you closer to the people in your life?

“My fiancé and I (marrying on December 8th of this year) have been in a long-distance relationship for the last six years. I am American and he is Swedish, and while we have a wonderful relationship, occasionally things would inevitably get lost in translation.

I’ve tried everything to learn Swedish, and for some reason, it just wouldn’t stick. I have bought just about every book and CD on the subject, including the extremely expensive Rosetta Stone, and though I picked up some vocabulary, I could barely string together a coherent sentence.

I first started using Mango because I wanted to learn German. Within days, I already knew more German than Swedish, and I’d been trying unsuccessfully for years! When Mango released Swedish, only weeks ago, I started using it immediately and my Swedish has improved exponentially in only days!

Mango has changed my relationship and my life for the better! For FREE, through the library, I’ve finally found a language program that works!”

Want to see if you can learn for free through your library? Head over to findmango.com and type in your zip code to find out.

What have you learned in your new language today?

We all do it: eagerly dive into our new year’s resolution lists in January and February but stuff them into a drawer in March and forget about them by April.

If learning a new language was on your list this year, consider this your reminder: you still have a few months left. And we want to help.

Last week we asked you what keeps you motivated and what challenges you face when learning a new language.

Pauline Lévesque posted on the Mango Facebook page, “What keeps me going in learning a new language is to be able to speak with the natives when I go on a trip…very satisfying.”

If you’re in a language-learning rut, have you thought about going somewhere where you can speak with a native? It doesn’t have to be around the world; does your city have a China Town or Little Italy? How about popping in a foreign film tonight to get you motivated to keep learning? Check out our post from last week to get some ideas for more fun ways to practice your new language.

What have you learned in your new language today?

Look for more motivation and join the conversation on Facebook or follow the hashtag #LanguageResolution on Twitter.

No Excuses: 20 Simple & Fun Ways to Practice a Foreign Language

“I can’t afford to buy study materials”

“Between work and responsibilities at home, I just don’t have the time to study.”

“I can’t find a partner for speaking practice.”

Excuses.  Trust us, we’ve heard them all.  And they just don’t work with us.  The truth is, if you really want to learn a language, you’ll find a way to do it.  There’s actually many easy, simple and fun ways to infuse language-learning into your everyday routine – most of which cost little or nothing at all.  To prove it, we put together a list of 20 suggestions to get you started.

1.  Read a news article in a foreign language.

2.  Write a status update or tweet in a foreign language.

3.  Listen to the live feed of an international radio station online.

4.  Sign up for an international pen pal and exchange emails on a regular basis.

5.  Cook from a recipe that is written entirely in a foreign language.

6.  Rent a foreign movie and watch it without the subtitles.  If that’s too difficult, try turning on the closed captions so that you can see the lines written in the original language, rather than the translated version.

7.  Download a trivia app for your smartphone that’s in the language you’d like to learn.  Still a beginner?  Try looking for a children’s version for simpler phrasing.

8.  Next time you go to the store, practice writing your shopping list entirely in the language you are studying.

9.  Visit a foreign restaurant and try ordering in the language.

10.  Have a partner to study with?  Try playing “I Spy,” “20 Questions,” or Scrabble in the language you’re studying.

11.  In a relationship?  Come up with some fun pet names for your significant other that are in a foreign language (like “Schatz” in German or “Chéri” in French).  Up for a challenge?  Practice writing an entire love letter.

12.  Check out the foreign music charts, pick a couple songs, and see if you can understand the lyrics.  Too difficult?  Look up the lyrics online and you’ve got a great translation challenge!

13.  Next time you need directions, look them up in a foreign language by going to an international version of the Google Maps site (for example: the German, French, or Spanish site).  It’s a great way to learn vocabulary!

14.  Join a foreign language Meetup in your area.

15.  Finding foreign or international clubs or associations in your area is probably easier than you think.  Think outside the box when you’re searching: schools, college campuses, and even churches or other religious organizations can be a great place to look for clubs.

16.  What’s your favorite TV show?  Chances are it either has a counterpart (like American Idol or Survivor) or a dubbed version in a foreign language.  Try downloading episodes or look for clips online to watch.  Alternatively, you could purchase a DVD set online – just be aware that you may need an international DVD player in order to watch it.

17.  “Like” or “follow” a foreign company on Facebook or Twitter.  This will infuse your newsfeed with foreign language content.

18.  Looking for a fun way to practice vocabulary?  Each day, pick a different topic to focus on (e.g. animals, food & drink, or family members) and see how many words you can list for that topic.  Each time you make a list, try to list more words than the day before.  If you want to take this challenge to the next level, see if you can come up with a word beginning with each letter of the alphabet.

19.  Did you know that official Wikipedias have been created in 285 languages?  So if you’re looking for seemingly endless content and articles to browse (on almost any topic), then look no further.

20.  Turn your down-time into language-learning time.  Practice vocab while getting ready in the morning, have a conversation with yourself in the shower (nobody will know – we promise!), or doodle conjugation charts on your lunch break.  Sitting in traffic?  Listen to foreign music and practice singing along.  See?  Almost any situation can be turned into a language-learning opportunity.  There’s simply no excuse not to try.

Remember everyone – let’s make this the year that you commit to learning a foreign language!  Join us on Facebook and Twitter.  #LanguageResolution.  Together, we can do it.

Language Learning Motivation: Love.

Meet Mango user Jason. Here was his motivation to learn a new language:

“I met and am engaged to a Brazilian who was already living in the US.  I’m doing everything I can to learn the language because our wedding is next year in Brazil and I want to be able to do my vows in both English and Portuguese.”

We heard Jason’s story and wanted to help. We had Josiane, a Mango from Brazil, help us translate Jason’s vows and record herself saying them so he could practice the pronunciation.

Last month, during their wedding ceremony in the states, Jason delivered his vows in his now wife’s native language, Brazilian Portuguese.

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Jason. And for letting us be a part of your journey. We have goosebumps.

What motivates you? Have you completed a Mango lesson today?

Thanks, Mid-Hudson Library System

Part of a large library system and not sure how to train staff across all branches? Take a note from the Mid-Hudson Library System that managed to train librarians on Mango Languages in all 66 of their libraries in several different ways. They recognized an increasing number of patrons wanting to interact with their library online and how critical online engagement is to a sustainable future for libraries.

So how did they do it? One effort that immediately skyrocketed usage was what they dubbed a “word of mouth marketing experiment.” Simply informing the staff of all that Mango has to offer and frontloading them with resources increased their ability to connect patrons with these resources, both in the library and online remotely.

Additionally, MHLS offered a self-directed online learning series to staff members with a portion devoted specifically to databases. Nearly 70 people signed up immediately and the numbers grew from there. They created a scavenger hunt for their databases and included Mango in on the fun! On top of the fabulous education and training the staff received, they were also given great tools and tips to promote Mango to patrons in the library.

The awesome staff at MHLS was abuzz with Mango excitement and the increase in usage speaks for itself. Félicitations to the Mid-Hudson Library System for an incredible feat and a job well done!

Looking for ways to promote Mango at your library? Contact your Mango representative for tips and tricks.

Language Resolution

Help your library patrons complete their new years’ resolutions. Learning a new language consistently tops resolution lists each January. But now it’s August and your patrons have five months left to reach their goals. Let’s help ‘em out.

You and your patrons can ‘like’ and ‘follow’ Mango on Facebook and Twitter for daily motivation and ideas on how to make the language-learning journey even more fun. Patrons can even share their progress with their social networks to help them keep on track with our new social media feature.

We’ll be sending you materials to help you spread the word to your patrons and get them motived. Tune into the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag: #LanguageResolution.

This is the year. Let’s do this together.

Start Bragging. You’ve Earned It.

You and your patrons have worked hard to learn a new language. Why keep it to yourself? Introducing Mango’s new social media feature, which allows users to post their progress to Facebook and Twitter at the end of a lesson or chapter. Inspire some friendly competition in your library with Mango badges. Each chapter unlocks a new badge that will flaunt your language learning prowess to friends and family when posted via social media.

Want to know what makes this deal even sweeter? Every social media post includes a link to FindMango.com, which will help users find the closest local library that offers Mango Languages. This means increased traffic and patronage to your branch and increased awareness for your digital resources.

So, go ahead. Shout your progress from the mountaintops, rally a support group, find a study partner or heck, just show off a little.

Give your Mango rep a call to learn more about the social media feature and all the ways Mango is working to drive traffic into your library.