Mango Languages

Mango’s language requirement is what makes us Mango

This blog comes to us from Robbie Linden, a recent addition to our Marketing team at Mango as a Marketing Intern. We are happy to welcome Robbie, not only to Mango, but also to our Mango Languages Blog! Enjoy and look out for more future posts from him.
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Three weeks ago, I began my marketing internship with Mango Languages.  Since then, I have worked hard to learn the tricks of the trade, so to speak.  With any new job comes a new set of expectations, responsibilities, and policies and my internship is no exception.  Though a new parking spot or software program at work is always something to think about, one specific policy at Mango takes a lot of getting used to:  All employees are required to devote an hour and a half each week to learning a new language.

When I first heard of this policy I was bit surprised.  Even though I was excited to learn from Mango for the sake of marketing the product, I thought this requirement might be too much to ask.  Learning a second language seemed like one of those things that requires a huge amount of will power and is a tough thing to ask someone to do by way of a company policy.

Within days of learning of this policy I was proven wrong.  Once I got used to my new work environment, I began to observe some office behaviors from my desk.  I heard people speaking to each other in a multitude of foreign languages and saw their wide grins as they did so.  It was this that helped me understand Mango’s second language policy.  Knowledge of a second language is not merely an asset at Mango Languages, but a way of life.  As a company whose goal is to teach a second language to as many people as possible, it is of the utmost importance that we apply that goal within the company as well as across the globe.  I have come to recognize and respect the fact that the diverse work environment is really what separates Mango.

As far as my studies go, I have enjoyed learning a foreign language through Mango.  I decided to freshen up on my Hebrew, which I have not practiced for 4 years or so now.  Even though I am not a beginner, I have picked up some conversational Hebrew in my first few lessons of Mango that I was stunned I never encountered in my previous years of study.  For example, I never knew that the greeting “שלומך מה” or “how are you” (literally translated as what is your peace) could be reconfigured to mean “I am good” or “Are you good”.  I am looking forward to getting more comfortable with the language and being more conversationally fluent.

I will continue to blog about Mango’s language requirement as I continue my internship and get more used to my work environment.  Hopefully, I can even get some of my coworkers’ opinions on the subject.  Be sure to share your own feelings or personal experience with language requirements in the workplace through Mango’s Facebook or Twitter!

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!

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!

Happy International Mother Language Day!

“The language of our thoughts and our emotions is our most valuable asset. Multilingualism is our ally in ensuring quality education for all, in promoting inclusion and in combating discrimination. ”
- Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO

Today is  International Mother Language Day, which is meant to promote linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as multilingualism. It was originally announced in 1999 by UNESCO and has been in observance since February 2000.

Do you have any plans to celebrate your Mother language today? Here are different suggestions on how you can celebrate in your own way:

1) Read a poem, story or book in your mother language
2) Do you know someone who has a different mother language than you? Ask them to share a short song or poem in that language. Or maybe teach you a couple of words.
3) Watch a film in your mother language. Or celebrate someone else’s mother language and watch a film with them in their language with subtitles in your language.
4) Visit your local library to explore their foreign language book offerings and check out if they have Mango Languages.  ;)
5) Use Mango Languages to practice a language you’re learning or celebrate by trying to learn a new one.
6) Check out your local university communities to look for cultural events, discussions, celebrations, and festivals
7) Learn more about endangered languages and what individuals and organizations, including UNESCO, are doing to help prevent different languages becoming extinct.
8) Visit UNESCO.org to learn more about International Mother Language day and what different organizations around the world are doing.

Do you have any other suggestions on how to celebrate this multilingual day? 

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!

Increase Your Usage in Just 10 Minutes a Day

Here’s a scenario we run into all the time: a busy librarian approaches us.  They want to do something to increase their usage, but don’t have much time to commit.  Well, the good news is that some of the most effective awareness campaigns take almost no time at all.  Here’s a few things you can do that take no more than 10 minutes to complete.  Pick a week to try a few and let your Client Care Rep know how it goes.

Monday:  Print out a handful of Mango handouts (available via the MAP – “Mango Administration Portal”) to place at your reference desk.  The handouts, which can be customized to add your library’s own unique Mango URL, walk patrons step-by-step through accessing the program and are available in both English and Spanish.

Tuesday:  Check out Mango’s Twitter or Facebook page.  Retweet or share something of interest, adding a reminder that patrons can access Mango through your library for free.

Wednesday:  Got a blog?  Then check out Mango’s sample blog posts, available through the MAP.  Feel free to re-post the articles verbatim, or add information/edit to fit your needs.

Thursday:  Print out a few of Mango’s free 8.5×11 posters and table tents from the MAP.  Post a few around your library to increase awareness among your patrons.

Friday: Grab a Mango poster – along with a few foreign language books or cultural items, arrange them on a table, and ta-da – you’ve got a language-learning display!  This is a fantastic way to grab patrons’ attention and remind them of all of the great language-learning resources you provide.

Bonus Item:  Have you ever put out a press release to let your community know that you offer Mango?  Don’t be afraid to send one out – we see that local news outlets cover stories on libraries that offer Mango all the time.  We even have a standard press release template ready-to-go in the MAP.  Just download it from the “Free Resources” section and update it accordingly with your library’s information.  This is a fantastic way to spread the word to your community – and get a media shout-out for your library!

What does your library do to promote its resources?

Guest Blog: Celebrating Veteran’s Day

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 31^st, 2012.  For more information, please email usa.gov@mangolanguages.com or call 1-899-626-4611, Government Sales.

Mango Languages in Ohio Libraries

Mango loves Ohio libraries.

In fact, everyone in the state of Ohio has access to Mango Languages through their public library, university library or public school thanks to the State Library of Ohio.

Check out Mango Languages on Your Morning Saturday Toledo to see how your library card can save you lots of cash.

Are you librarian in Ohio who’d like to use Mango in your library? To find out how you can utilize this resource in your community, sign up for one of our Ohio-specific library webinars:

Wed, Oct 31, 2012 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
Tue, Dec 18, 2012 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM EDT

Congrats, Madison County Library.

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!

In the Mangolight.

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.