Mango Languages

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.

Press-The daily

For Jason Teshuba and his partners, language has always been about so much more than words. It’s about culture and having fun.

With that in mind, Mango Language instruction products were born four years ago in the suburbs of Detroit. Since then, the company under Teshuba’s leadership has doubled its sales each year and employees now number 200 worldwide, including professional linguists.

“We’ve always felt that it would be cool to learn different languages and bring them to life in a way that would interest our customers,” said Teshuba, 35. “It’s always been about the passion of language and culture for us.”

Mango’s digital products were first introduced in hundreds of libraries across North America and now are expanding to a wide range of consumer and educational products that include dozens of courses in 49 languages, including 15 English as a second language courses, each with about 10 lessons. The products are being sold to libraries, educational outlets, military branches and departments and, more recently, consumers.  Read More…

United in Strength

Armed Forces Day is celebrated this Saturday, May 21, 2011, in the U.S.

It was on August 31, 1949, that Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force Days.  President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.  The single-day celebration stemmed from the merger of the Armed Forces under one department — the Department of Defense.

Mango Languages supports thousands of members of the Armed Forces, via base libraries, government agencies and armed forces units in the area of Language Learning resources.  It is through programs such as the recently released Mango Military, Mango assists the armed forces in their peacekeeping missions.  Mango Military courses focus on speaking skills and conversations for common military interactions. These conversations are critical to the success and safety of military members around the world, and are designed to meet standards and criteria set by the federal government.

This Saturday, if you get the chance, remember to say thank you to military members of your family, your community and our Nation for their service. Mango Languages says thank you as well to its Military and Government Clients and all of those “United in Strength” that support the United States Armed Forces.

Public Service Recognition Week

Since 2007 Mango Languages has supported public servants across many sectors of government, military, and law enforcement in their foreign language learning (and ESL) needs. Mango believes, as President John Kennedy envisioned, public service is a noble calling and we are grateful to all those who serve. The First Lady, Michelle Obama has declared the week of May 1^st PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK.  Mango Languages supports hundreds of people in the public service sector everyday by providing language learning resources.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/02/public-service-recognition-week

Public servants do a million things we take for granted every day.  These are the people who pick up the phone when you call 911; the police and firefighters who come to your door; the teachers in your schools; and the people who maintain your local parks. Public servants are not always visible. They focus on national security and law enforcement tasks like protecting our borders; they pursue criminals who cross state lines; and they care for our veterans.  Some fifty years ago, in his state of the union address, President John F. Kennedy declared, “Let the public service be a proud and lively career.”

Mango thanks each and every public servant for keeping our homeland and shores secure and safe.

April is Month of the Military Child

Did you know there are 1.7 million American children and youth under 18 with a parent serving in the military and about 900,000 with one or both parents deployed multiple times?

April is designated as the Month of the Military Child, underscoring the important role military children play in the armed forces community.

The Month of the Military Child is an opportunity to recognize military children and youth for their heroism, character, courage, sacrifices, and continued resilience.

Mango Languages supports the Troops and their families by working with United States Marine Corps and the United Air Force.  Mango Languages is an online Language Learning Resource tool offered at Military Base Libraries all around the world.  The online language learning experience is critical to Military personnel during peacekeeping efforts.  Language learning for military families is something that the entire family can share.

For instance a military family member deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq might need to learn Arabic in order to function in a foreign setting on behalf of United States peace keeping exercises.  Learning a new language through a tool like Mango can put everyone on the same page.  Mango offers language learning courses for children ages 0-6 via its Little Pim product.   Accessible and engaging for young children, the Little Pim method incorporates words and themes that are relevant to the child’s daily life, and research shows that early language learning enhances verbal development, social, and cognitive skills. Click here for more information about language courses for your Military Library.

Mango Languages celebrates the brave little souls this month in their support of families on the front line, and says thank you (in 49+ languages) to all the Troops and those family members supporting them at home.