Mango Languages is the latest in public learning language software from developer Mango Languages. Mango Languages is a program designed to enable the general public to independently pursue learning the language of their choice. Mango is available in libraries across the United States, and is becoming available more widely every day. We’ll be taking a look at its performance from the perspective of a brand new user.
Mango Languages takes a straightforward approach to teaching you an additional language. When you begin the process, you must select the type of training you’d like to receive. Based on the amount of time you’d be able to spend learning the language (and the level of mastery you’d like to achieve), you select either Mango Basic, or Mango Complete.
Mango Complete includes:
- Language programs for English speakers—Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish (Latin America)
- Language programs for English narrated in other languages— Portuguese, Polish, and Spanish (Latin America)
- Context information provided during lessons when relevant, giving you the “when” and “where” in addition to meaning
- Lesson length @ 40 minutes to an hour and a half
- Provides detailed grammar instruction throughout each lesson, providing necessary building blocks for becoming conversational
- Extensive lesson plan for each program—100 lessons per program.
Mango Basic includes:
- Language programs for English speakers—Arabic (Levantine), Chinese (Mandarin), Dari, Farsi (Persian), French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Pashto, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Latin America), Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese
- Language programs for English narrated in other languages—French, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Cantonese), Italian, Arabic (Egyptian), Japanese, Vietnamese, Polish, Korean, Greek, German, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil)
- Necessary context information provided to give the speaker the ability to get around in another country
- Lesson length @ 15 to 30 minutes
- Not as extensive as Mango Complete—provides only basic conversation skills and vocabulary necessary to travel or briefly interact with people using chosen language
Both programs pace themselves well, with lessons carefully constructed for their respective audiences. Each lesson commonly begins and ends with a conversation that includes all vocabulary learned throughout the lesson (with vocabulary carried over from previous lessons)—then breaking down each piece of the conversation individually until the knowledge is adequately reinforced.
Mango Basic seemed to be better suited to a 1-2 lesson session per day, making it a much better choice for people who will be traveling and need basic conversational skills quickly—while Mango Complete was better suited to a 1 lesson session per day, as the lessons tend to be much larger and more detailed for users who are looking to speak and understand the language more organically.
Vocabulary is introduced piece by piece following the introduction; in the case of a lesson which does not include a full conversation, the vocabulary is usually the start of the lesson. Vocabulary is reinforced throughout the lesson with timed memory challenges. I found that the program reinforced new vocabulary effectively, and the challenges provided forced me to adapt phrases and words I had already learned to new uses which are common during normal use of the language. Repetition is the name of the game here.
All lessons are coupled with voice instruction and narration, providing the user a more intimate experience with the language. Of course, the sound may be toggled using the options provided within each lesson to customize the experience where sound may not be available or convienent. In addition, all lessons use keyboard shortcuts for navigation, as seen at the bottom left of the screen capture.
Usually following relevant vocabulary, grammar and context blips are found throughout the lessons, with greater detail provided to Mango Complete users, while the bare-bones facts are provided to Mango Basic users.
Mango has a library finder on their website. If your local library doesn’t have it, you can request it. They do offer individual subscriptions if you cannot find it in your local library as well.
Overall, I found that Mango Languages to be a genuinely helpful program. On both Basic and Complete I found that the lessons were well constructed, and felt as though they could equip me effectively to achieve whatever mastery of the selected language (French, in my case) I wanted to achieve. My only complaint was with some of the transitions provided by the narrator, often times the excess of English being spoken would somewhat stifle my progress—other than that, I really enjoyed using the software.
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