Mango Languages

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!

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!

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.

Funny Video: English Lesson – How to Pronounce The "th" Sound

Late last Friday – a few Mango Languages staffers sat down and had a couple drinks while they practiced pronunciation of the “th” sound based on a Learn English Pronunciation exercise we found on the internet. Note…this is not the way we teach English!

The results a very funny video. Check it out and let us know what you think of our English pronunciation!!

Two Year Anniversary

Mango Languages Two Year Anniversary

On August 31, 2009 Mango turned two years old. While we have been developing technologies and distributing language learning programs for over 8 years – the evolution of Mango over the last two years has been tremendous.

We began the Mango journey by researching and looking at the science of second language acquisition. We knew and learned foreign languages ourselves, all before the concept of Mango was even born. We believe that creating an online language resource had to have the best teaching and educational foundation to be successful. By using the best linguists and extensive language learning theory, the content for Mango Languages emerged.

We fully understood that the technology behind the product was and is critical for the user to have the best “language learning experience.” We didn’t want users to have to be computer science majors to interface with our software. We created a program that is simply point and click. No need to go through numerous screens or get lost in our software.

Lastly, there was no doubt that our program had to be fun. We wanted people to enjoy learning a new language. To learn English (ESL), Spanish, French, Italian, German, Mandarin-Chinese, Japanese, Brazilian-Portuguese, Greek, or Polish can be a daunting and overwhelming idea. We wanted to help people learn without even knowing that they were learning vocabulary, grammar and conjugation. We created a system to help people enjoy the experience and before they knew it they would be speaking and conversing in a foreign language.

All of this work came with countless hours at the office, lots of growing pains, new offices and an outstanding staff of foreign language linguists, technology folks, sales super stars, integration specialists, accounting geniuses, marketing mavens, intern extraordinaires and good old fashion hard work.

We want to make sure to thank all of our clients and users. Without you, we would not be having the time of our lives! We are humbled and honored to work with you!