The curricula · Mango Navigators · Available now
Let students explore four languages before they choose one
Mango Navigators gives students real exposure to Spanish, French, Mandarin, and ASL, with culture and everyday language at the center rather than conjugation drills. It's built so any teacher can lead it, including one who doesn't speak a word of the four. Ready to teach now.
For exploratory & intro courses
What Navigators includes
Built for “language wheel” rotations, samplers, and introductory courses, and it ends with a project comparing every language a student studied.
Languages to explore
Four
Spanish, French, Mandarin and ASL, with the menu expanding over time so a school can eventually choose its own four.
No target-language expertise required
Every slide's target-language content carries an audio recording, because exploration courses are usually taught by someone who doesn't speak the languages. This is the design constraint the whole program is built around.
Nine modules per language
36 total
Four language chapters of nine modules each. Modules one through eight build language and culture together; module nine is a summative assessment of both.
A cross-language capstone
Students finish by comparing one theme across every language they studied: music, food, or holidays. It's the beat a sampler course usually lacks.
Culture first, grammar light
Engagement and cultural discovery are the point; proficiency and grammar are deliberately de-emphasised. Students explore customs, traditions and everyday language rather than drilling conjugations.
Classroom materials
Lesson plans, worksheets and slide decks, designed to align with ACTFL standards. Delivery matches the other curricula: PDF, PowerPoint, and Common Cartridge for Canvas districts.
Who it's for
Built for exploration, not mastery
Navigators suits middle-school language samplers, exploratory “wheel” rotations, and intro courses that help students work out which language they'd like to pursue, before a school commits a timetable slot and a teacher to a full program.
It's also built for the classroom that has no dedicated target-language teacher. Every slide's target-language content carries an audio recording, so the person leading the room doesn't need to model pronunciation they were never taught. When a student does want to go deep in one language, Mango Fresco is the four-year Spanish course on the other side of that decision.
Compare the curricula
Mango Fresco vs. Mango Navigators
Two curricula for two different goals: deep mastery of one language, or exposure to several.
| Fresco | Navigators | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A full Spanish course in middle & high school | Exploring several languages (intro / “language wheel” courses) |
| Focus | Proficiency & mastery in one language | Exposure & culture, with minimal grammar |
| Languages | Spanish | Spanish, French, Mandarin & ASL (more coming) |
| Structure | 4 levels · 40 chapters · capstone projects | 4 languages × 9 modules + a cross-language capstone |
| Standards | ACTFL & WRSLL aligned | ACTFL aligned |
| Teacher expertise | Taught by a Spanish teacher | No target-language background needed. Audio is built in |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
Best for
Fresco
A full Spanish course in middle & high school
Navigators
Exploring several languages (intro / “language wheel” courses)
Focus
Fresco
Proficiency & mastery in one language
Navigators
Exposure & culture, with minimal grammar
Languages
Fresco
Spanish
Navigators
Spanish, French, Mandarin & ASL (more coming)
Structure
Fresco
4 levels · 40 chapters · capstone projects
Navigators
4 languages × 9 modules + a cross-language capstone
Standards
Fresco
ACTFL & WRSLL aligned
Navigators
ACTFL aligned
Teacher expertise
Fresco
Taught by a Spanish teacher
Navigators
No target-language background needed. Audio is built in
Availability
Fresco
Available now
Navigators
Available now
Ready to add language exploration to your timetable?
Talk to our K-12 team about Mango Navigators for your middle school, high school, or district.