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!
What is round, delicious and read all over? Mangoes of course. Check out what libraries like yours are saying about Mango in the news, online and in print.
Mango bears fruit of fluency
Five area colleges plan to create a Foreign Language Institute on Missouri State University property.
Is there a smart card in your wallet that keeps on giving?
Two-thirds of Americans have a library card in their wallet but most don’t realize all of the free stuff they can get because of it or how much money it can save them.
College student gadgets & patch buddies deal
Colleges and universities are gearing up for parents’ days and family weekends. Do your kids have everything they need?
Speaking volumes: Arg! Prepare for Talk like a Pirate Day
Arr, mateys! Sept. 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and we be celebratin’!
Freebee Friday: Lingua Digita
A library card is good for more than taking out books these days because you can use Mango’s unique and innovative online language learning course via many local libraries.
Mango Languages leaps forward on Inc. Fastest Growing Companies list
The expansion of Farmington Hills-based Mango Languages over the past three years is nothing short of amazing.
Mango is dedicated to helping your library become a hub for language and culture in your community. Join us for a short and sweet virtual training on how to make the most of your Mango subscription. Topics include:
- Quick Mango demo: get your staff up-to-date on what Mango is all about!
- Frequently asked questions
- Ways to promote language-learning in your library and boost your usage
Join the party and register for Mango 101 on any of the following dates:
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST
Wednesday, January 16, 2013 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST
Ohio libraries, please register for one of the following sessions:
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 from 2:00-3:00 PM EST
Wednesday, December 19, 2012 from 2:00-3:00 PM EST
When we released our Religious and Scholarly Course Collection last June, we were excited about the appeal it would have with students and religious scholars. After all, the collection – which allows users to study classical and religious texts in their original form – was the only one of its kind on the market, as it continues to remain today.
However, what we didn’t expect to see was so much excitement and positive feedback from our younger generation of Mango fans. But according to many “Mango Moms”, their kids have had a blast learning about ancient cultures and civilizations from the R&S Collection.
Take Jody M., for example, who told us: “I just started using your program through my local library with my 8 year old who wants to learn Latin and Ancient Greek. Thank you so much for including these courses, since they are often difficult to find!” Or Sara P., who shared that she was “learning Latin with a 9 and 11 year old.”
Who knew that Mango would inspire a new generation of mini-scholars? We’re sure they’re heading great places – keep up the awesome work!
Don’t forget, Mango’s R&S courses appeal to faith-based schools, religious organizations, and community centers – providing your library with a great opportunity to conduct outreach and promote your resources to other groups in the area!
Mango is more than just another fruit-themed vendor. We partner with our clients because we truly care about them becoming a hub for culture and language learning. How do we love thee? Let us count the ways.
1. The MAP
The Mango Administration Portal is your home for stats galore, training resources and more promotional goodies than you can shake a Mango tree branch at.
2. Freebies.
Speaking of marketing goodies, through the MAP you have access to free downloadable and customizable marketing materials like blog posts, press releases, website images and even sample Twitter posts. Tweet, tweet.
3. FindMango.com
The more patrons, the merrier. With findmango.com, we’re working to drive more traffic to your library. New patrons can find their way by visiting findmango.com and entering their zip code. From there, we link them directly to your site and even instruct them to high-five their librarian when they get a library card! Check it out: findmango.com.
4. Social Media Feature
We help your patrons show off and spread word of the knowledge they gained at your library. Our new Social Media Feature lets users post their language-learning progress on Facebook and Twitter, earn virtual badges and send all their friends to findmango.com to drive traffic to your library.
5. Mango 101 Staff Training Webinar
This live training session is designed to turn you and your staff into Mango Masters. We’ll walk you through the program step-by-step, answer any questions, show you how to access your library’s stats, and provide you with tips on how to promote Mango and boost usage at your library.
6. So many more ways.
Contact your Mango rep today to find out all the other ways Mango partners with you and impacts your community.
Mango loves libraries. And we love hearing from their patrons.
We want to know: how has learning a language through your library impacted your life? Tell us your story and we may feature it on our blog!
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.
“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.
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.
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.
