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!
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.”
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!
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 31st, 2012. For more information, please email usa.gov@mangolanguages.com or call 1-899-626-4611, Government Sales.
Mango would like to wish hearty congratulations to Madison County Public Library in Kentucky for being selected as the library with the “Most Outstanding Usage” for the month of September. The number of total user sessions at MCPL skyrocketed an awe-inspiring 347% between August and September.
Library Director, Ruthie Maslin, explained that they have worked hard to increase awareness of their digital resources by highlighting tie-ins with special collections and creating visual displays. She said that Mango is also a great resource to promote at the Back-to-School Fair hosted by the library in the fall.
Congrats again, MCPL – and keep up the great work!
Mango is excited and honored to announce that we were voted the “Best Database for Library Outreach” by Library Journal! Check it out in Library Journal’s first annual Reference Issue, coming out on Nov. 1st.
This recognition is especially meaningful, since our goal is to be a partner for our library clients, not just a resource. We work with libraries to promote awareness of their digital resources and help them become a hub for language and culture in their community.
One of our newest awareness campaigns is the launch of FindMango.com. This website helps users locate libraries in their area that offer Mango, driving traffic to our partner libraries and promoting awareness of their resources. Mango also offers a host of free marketing materials, live training sessions, detailed usage statistics, and a bunch of other awesome services to help our clients optimize their Mango experience.
Want to learn more about how Mango benefits libraries? Check out our webinar!
September is here, which means “back to school” season is in full swing. We’re delighted to say more and more college and university libraries are using Mango – some to supplement a smaller language program, others to assist ESL or study abroad students, and many simply because Mango is a resource with broad appeal. Mango benefits students, faculty, alumni, and campus organizations alike. Check out the video below to learn more.
Ready to get your school started? Click here to set up a free trial, sign up for an informational webinar, read case studies, and much more.
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.
Last week, we introduced you to ‘Libby the Librarian’, Mango’s FREE course developed specifically for librarians to learn Spanish.
‘Libby the Librarian’ was officially launched at this year’s ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. At the show, Libby got librarians talking – in Spanish, as well as English! Check out the video below to see what they had to say!
We also had the chance to sit down with Patrick Sweeney, Branch Manager at the San Mateo County Library, to talk about how he’s going to use ‘Libby the Librarian’ to educate staff at his branch.
Ready to join in the fun? Well, Libby’s ready to teach! Click here to access the course.
Do you speak Texan?
Mangoes traded the snowy Michigan weather for some southern hospitality (and sunshine) while attending ALA Midwinter 2012 in Dallas, Texas!
While we got a little taste of the south, we gave a taste of mango smoothies to stoppers-by at the Mango booth. Attendees could also check out demonstrations of the Mango iPhone app, Little Pim and learn some Hindi!
While we were sporting tie-dye and mango smoothie sugar-buzzes, we saw many wonderful familiar faces, made great new friends and heard inspiring language learning success stories.
We even got a short lesson in “Southern English” from a few true Texans, y’all!
Check out some pictures from our adventure and let us know: did you drop by the Mango Languages booth at ALA Midwinter in Dallas this year? Do you still remember how to say, “where is the bus station” in Hindi?
