Mango Languages

The Foreign Language Problem and an Exciting Solution

It is no secret that foreign language education, or the lack there of, has become an important issue in the US.  Many elementary and high schools have cut their foreign language programs due to budgetary constraint, which is particularly troubling for a couple reasons.  First, countless studies confirm that students pick up new languages quickest at younger ages.  By this logic, students most effectively learn a second language by beginning in elementary school and delaying this process until high school or even college will only reduce their chances of retaining the language.

Second, as new technologies continue to shrink our world, the ability to speak a second language becomes more valuable!  Though it may seem that services like Google Translate make foreign language education obsolete, it is quite the opposite.  If you don’t believe me, check out this recent article published in the UK.  It explains how new career opportunities have begun to present themselves to those that speak a second language.  Due to an unprecedented level of interconnectedness in our world, businesses are more actively looking for employees who can communicate with people across the world, rather than only across the table.

So what exactly is the heart of the issue here?  As the demand for multilingual employees increases, there is less pressure being put on young students to learn second languages.  While many wish to increase school funding to foreign language programs to solve this problem, perhaps it is time to call upon a less conventional solution.  If classroom lectures have become ineffective at teaching students, then maybe we should rely on interactive technology to fill this void.

It is for this reason that we are launching Mango Premiere–a fun, new way to learn a language.  Rather than using traditional vocabulary lists and grammar exercises to learn a language, Premiere will allow users to learn a new language entirely through film!  While being an undoubtedly more enjoyable way of learning, Premiere also has the advantage of seamlessly teaching students practical conversation and culture.  Though cracking open a Spanish 101 textbook can be a daunting task for a learner of any age, committing to sitting down and watching a movie is a much easier feat with an even greater payoff.  While students find themselves staring blankly at a page of a language textbook all too often, Premiere will keep users engaged as they learn a language with cutting edge technology.

With much more detail about Mango Premiere to come, there is a lot to be excited about, as a whole new way of learning language is almost ready to burst onto the scene!

Mango, Dr. Seuss Style.

Looking for a fun way to promote Mango that will really get your patrons excited?  You might want to take a note from the super-creative folks over at Bedford Public Library.  When they told us about their plan to launch a “Seussified Mango Poem Contest”, we couldn’t help but get excited.  It’s such a unique way to promote the database – and one that all patrons of all ages can enjoy!

Here’s an excerpt from one of the winning entries:

It’s known by all the world ’round
Languages all have a sound
Where you make it, you’ll be known
Among the foreign as their own.

So join us on a learning trip.
You’ll like it; it’s done in a zip.
It’ll be Fred and Ginger, you and me-o
Flying all together down to Rio.

We’ll speak the lingo and we’ll tango
Thanks to the language system Mango.

Would you like to host a Mango-themed contest at your library?  Or maybe you’d like to get other ideas for promoting Mango to your patrons?  We’re here to support you – just contact your Client Care Rep!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patricks Day is is quickly approaching  and Mango Languages has just what you need to speak a little Irish on St. Patricks Day. But first, check out some of these fun trivia facts about this green holiday:

• The very first St. Patrick’s Day parade was not in Ireland. It was in Boston in 1737.
• Green is associated with Saint Patrick’s Day because it is the color of spring, of Ireland, and of the shamrock.
• 19 Presidents of the United States proudly claim Irish heritage—including our first President, George Washington.
• There are four places in the United States named Shamrock (West Virginia, Texas, Indiana, Oklahoma) and nine Dublin’s (Dublin, California and Dublin, Ohio are most populous)

Using our Irish course, you won’t only learn how to converse in Irish, but you’ll also learn some insight into the Irish culture.

And if you’d like to ask someone if they would like something to drink…

Or if you find yourself on the receiving side of that question…

From everyone at Mango, we wish you a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day!

Learn a language free through your library.

We love this video created by the Green Hills Public Library!

Do you have free access to language learning through your public library? Type in your zip code and find out: findmango.com.

5 Ways to Overcome a Language-Learning “Rut”

It happens to the best of us.  Sometimes you just get stuck in a language-learning “rut”.  Overwhelmed by cases and conjugations, the learning experience doesn’t seem fun anymore.

For those of you who find yourself in this situation, we’ve got a few tips to help you “fire up” the engine and breathe new life into your studies.

1)   Sit back, relax, and immerse yourself

If you’re spending all your learning time engaged in lessons and review, you’re missing a big part of the language-learning experience.  Take some time to sit back and simply immerse yourself in a foreign environment.  Don’t worry about understanding every word – just allow the context of the situation to help you fill in the missing pieces and pick new vocabulary.  Don’t worry, you don’t need to travel to make this work.  Simply tune in to a foreign radio station online or pick up a foreign magazine or newspaper.  Try watching YouTube clips in the language or listening to a song.  In the age of the Internet, there’s a million great ways you can immerse yourself in language and culture – and they’re all at your fingertips!

2)   Review

If you’re frustrated or overwhelmed by your studies, it’s probably not a good time to start learning new material.  Why not take a break and review the things you’ve already learned?  Not only will it help you retain what you’ve learned so far, it will also remind you of how far you’ve come – and probably give you the boost you need to keep going!

3)   Make it fun

Language-learning doesn’t have to be (and shouldn’t be!) a boring experience.  Try thinking about the things you like doing in your native language (for example: reading blogs, interacting on social media, listening to certain genres of music, watching stand-up comedy, cooking, etc.)  Now simply look for ways to do those things in a foreign language environment.  For example: read a foreign blog, “like” a foreign Facebook page, watch stand-up comedy clips on YouTube, purchase a foreign-language cookbook.  Anything you can do to immerse a little bit more language into your everyday experience will help push you towards comprehension and fluency.

4)   Make friends/connections

Nowadays it’s easier than ever to connect with people from other countries and cultures.  A great way to start looking for conversation partners is to simply go to Facebook or Google and search for foreign language organizations in your area.  Or you could search Meetup to look for foreign language events.  Even just joining in on foreign language conversations on Facebook or Twitter can help you pick up the language and make connections with people from that country.  If you find a conversation partner who doesn’t live within driving distance, just use Skype to video chat for free.

5)   Set timelines and goals

Achieving fluency isn’t easy, no matter what language you’re studying.  It takes time, commitment and practice.  So when the journey seems overwhelming, it can help to break down your goals into smaller steps or milestones.  Pull out the calendar and set some deadlines for yourself.  For example: “by the end of the week, I need to achieve 3 hours of learning” or “by the end of the month, I need to complete chapter 1 of Mango.”  Goals can also be theme oriented, such as: “by April 1^st, I want to memorize a comprehensive list of food-related vocabulary.

So if you find yourself stuck in a rut, feeling a little bit uninspired, we hope these ideas will help spur your language-learning love back to life!

How do you stay motivated and interested in language-learning?

10 Tips for Traveling in Germany

So if you’ve been reading our blog this past month, you may have seen the last two posts I wrote in which I shared a few of the red-faced, cultural faux-pas moments I have experienced over the years.  In case you missed it, you can check out them out here and here.

To wrap up the series, I’m going to divert from the topic just a bit to share a few cultural lessons that I wish I had learned before traveling to Germany.  Luckily, my ignorance on these topics never led to an overtly embarrassing moment – but knowing about them definitely would have made my life easier!  So for any of you planning a trip to Deutschland in the future, consider these tips my little gift (“mein kleines Geschenk”):

1)   This is how the number ‘seven’ is generally written in Germany:

And this is what the ‘one’ usually looks like:

Mix them up (like I did, on at least one occasion) and you’ll end up calling a very confused German.

2)   If you order “Wasser” (water) at a restaurant, you will more than likely be served a glass of sparkling water.  If you feel the same way I do about sparkling water, then this is an outcome you’d probably like to avoid.  Just remember to clarify when you’re ordering by saying “stilles Wasser” (still water) or “Wasser ohne Kohlensäure” (water without carbonation).

3)   I know I mentioned this is my last post, but I think it’s important, so I’m going to say it again.  Whatever you do, be sure to look the other person in the eye when making a toast.  You’ll find that most Germans are very serious about this – it’s a sign of bad luck to divert your eyes!

4)   Don’t expect to find stores open on Sunday.  Restaurants and gas stations are generally the only places with Sunday hours, so be sure to get all your shopping done on Saturday.  You don’t want to run out of something vital (read: toilet paper) and have nowhere to go.

5)   Despite what you may have heard, speed limits (Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzungen – there’s a fun word for you!) do exist in Germany.  It’s true that many stretches of the Autobahn (freeway) are limitless, but over 50% have a posted speed limit, particularly within populated areas.

6)   Jaywalking is never a good idea, but especially not in Germany.  You’ll find that most Germans are pretty respectful of pedestrian laws, so have patience and wait for the Ampelmann (“traffic light man”, as you’d see at most cross walks).

7)   When visiting a German household, don’t be surprised if you see your host switch from outdoor shoes to indoor shoes (commonly known as “Hausschuhe” or “house shoes”) the minute they walk through the door.  In fact, they may even offer you your own pair of shoes to wear while visiting their home!  Most German houses have tiled or wooded floors, so the shoes are used to provide comfort and warmth while walking around at home.

8)   Should you be seek the comforts of home and stop at a German McDonalds, be warned: the condiments will cost you!  Ketchup, mustard, and mayo are sold in packets, so you’ve got to decide how much you think you’ll need and pay accordingly.

9)   Relax and enjoy breakfast.  When I first visited my husband’s family in Germany in 2004, I was blown away by the production that was “Frühstück”.  Baskets of bread rolls and pretzels, endless platters of meat and cheese, bowls of fruit and yogurt, even a serving of cake.  To put it in a word, I was amazed.  Not just by the food, but also by the feeling of community and togetherness that these breakfasts create.  There was no rush, we’d sit for a couple hours chatting and enjoying each other’s company.  To be sure, this kind of thing isn’t a daily event for most Germans.  Usually these longer breakfasts are enjoyed on the weekends with friends and family – but I can tell you it’s a great thing to look forward to!

10)  This is mostly important in Bavaria, but still worth sharing: Weißwurst is boiled, never grilled.  And always eaten before noon.  My Bavarian-born husband still cringes every time he sees a Weißwurst thrown on a grill here in the States.

I hope you enjoyed my little insight into the German culture!  For those of you who are culture fans, be sure to check out one of my favorite aspects of the Mango program: the Culture Notes.  Popping up several times a chapter, they guide you like a friend, providing gentle nudges on what-to-do and what-not-to-do.  They also provide a great little “brain break” from all the language-learning you’re doing and keep you interested in the lesson!

What’s your favorite part about the Mango program?  Is there a particularly good cultural lesson that you learned?

Don’t forget to “Prost!”

Earlier this month, I posted a blog about the cultural faux pas I committed in Germany when using the wrong form of “you” (the informal “du”, instead of the formal “Sie”) in an exchange with a stranger.  In case you missed it, you can read the post here.

This week, I’m going to continue the series by telling you about another cultural faux pas I committed – but this time, it was actually on American soil!

Over the holidays, my German-born husband, Mike, and I met up with a couple of his German friends in a nearby city.  On the first night of our stay, we went out to dinner at a local pub.  The style of the restaurant was casual – you’d order your drinks and food at the counter, and then take a number back to your seat so that the server knew where to find you.

My husband and I ordered first, and then I scouted out a place to sit while Mike helped his friends finish their order.  While I settled into the booth, my drink order arrived ahead of the food.  Parched from an hour of walking, I started to sip my drink as I waited for the others.  Within a few minutes, the rest of the group arrived – as well as their drink order.  It was at that point that Mike’s friend, Florian, lifted his glass in a toast.  I looked around and realized that I was the only one who had touched my drink up until that point.

A few minutes later, my food and my husband’s food arrived.  As is customary, we waited to eat until his friends’ orders were also delivered.  Once everyone had their dishes, we started to dig in.  I could tell from the look on our guests’ faces that they seemed surprised that we had waited so long to start.  A few moments later, Mike leaned forward explained: “in the States, people generally don’t start eating until everyone’s food is on the table.  But you usually start your drink as soon as it arrives.”

“Ahhh!” responded both of his friends in unison.  I could tell from the look on their faces that they now understood why I had started my drink in advance of them.  But I did feel slightly embarrassed about my own cultural oblivion and the fact that I may have come off rude to our guests.

Throughout the course of their stay, I made sure to follow the European etiquette and held off starting my drink until customary toast had passed – at least at the beginning of dinner.  Breakfast and lunch were often less formal.

I also found that the toast itself generally plays out differently in the German culture than an American would expect.  Signaling the beginning of a meal, the toast is a sign of respect that can be preceded by “zum Wohl” (to your health), “Prost” (cheers) or a message to your guests.  Glasses are clinked one-by-one (rather than in a group cluster) and you must be sure to look the other person in the eye when you tap their glass.  If you think I am kidding about this, just try it in Germany.  Chances are, the other person won’t let you get away with averted eyes – lest you both suffer seven years bad luck, as says the widely-known old wives tale!

So you can be sure that next time I’m in Germany – or the next time I host German guests – I’ll leave my glass put until the meal officially begins.  And if a toast is involved, I’ll definitely be making eye contact!  Prost!

Have you ever experienced a cultural faux pas?  Share your story and we may feature it on our blog!

Congratulations, West Orange Public Library.

Mango would like to congratulate to the West Orange Public Library in New Jersey for being selected as the library with the “Most Outstanding Usage” for the month of December!  More than doubling their number of user sessions in December over the month of November, WOPL patrons have clearly been committed to language learning!  Congratulations, WOPL!

Ringing in the new year…in four new languages.

Want to learn Romanian?  Good news: Mango has a course for that.  And for Swahili, Modern Standard Arabic, and Egyptian Arabic – four new courses released today to our complete database subscribers.  Expanding our language offerings is just one of the many ways we’re working to make Mango sweeter, both for you and your patrons in 2013.

The new year also means it is time for us to travel to Seattle for the 2013 ALA Midwinter Conference.  Stop by booth #1215 to learn more about these four new courses and all the ways Mango shows our love for clients.  Tell us how to say “I love Mango” in Romanian, and we’ll give you our free “Language Love Affair” mini-course download.

English: I love Mango
Romanian:  Eu iubesc Mango (ee-YOH YOO-besk MAHN-go)

Happy new year and happy learning!

Students have spoken. And they love Mango.

Mango recently surveyed users at academic institutions and found that over 90% of respondents reported an improvement in their language skills from using Mango.  But that wasn’t all – they had lots of great things to say about their Mango experience.  Check it out:

“I want to learn Japanese in my free time so I’ll be ready for an exchange in the near future.  Mango has made it so much easier to learn Japanese and I’ve been telling all of my college friends about it.“

“I like Mango’s portability, as I have it connected on both iPad^® and my Android™ phone.  Whenever I need it, Mango is there!”

“I love that it covers many aspects of learning the language and gives you the opportunity to practice.”

“It offers a variety of languages – and languages that are relevant.”

“I love how simple it is to navigate and how clear the voices of the ‘teachers’ are.”

“I love how it keeps reviewing previously learned material.”

“Manageable chunks of information make me feel like I’m making progress.”

“I really like using Mango. I have been able to grasp the language much better than when I took a class on it.  And I can remember much more, even if I take a long break in between sessions.”

“The format of lessons is well done: breaking down sentences, teaching the words, and showing how things change when used in another context.  This has been very useful, especially in learning long or otherwise difficult phrases.”

“I like the availability and the accessibility.  I can pick it up and use it whenever I want to.”

“I love this program. It has proved beneficial for every situation I have found myself in.”