Mango Languages iPhone/iPad App Now Available

Now you can take Mango Languages with you wherever you go, thanks to the release of the Mango Mobile Library Edition app for iPhone and iPad. This new app includes all of the languages that are available through Mango, and also has many features of the Internet version of Mango, including grammar and cultural notes, interactive phonetic spellings, and semantic color mapping.

To use  this new app, you will need a valid Troy Public Library card. You will also need to set up a Mango account, which you can do by visiting our Mango Languages site here. You device also needs to be running iOS4 or greater.

The Mango Mobile Library Edition app can be downloaded here through the iTunes App store.  For more information about this new app, visit this site.

More New Languages Available from Mango

If your New Year's resolution was to learn a new language, you now have more languages available to you through our language learning eResource, Mango Languages.

Mango has added several new languages to their offerings, including Cantonese Chinese, Croatian, Danish, ESL Mandarian Chinese, Finnish, Haitian Creole, Irish, Levantine Arabic, Norwegian, and Urdu. You can start learning these languages today by visiting our Language Learning eResource page here.

Mango Languages Releases Mango Complete 2.0

If you use Mango Languages, an online language learning program offered through the Troy Public Library, you will notice some changes have recently been made. In addition to Mango Complete and Mango Basic, Mango Languages now offers a new program called Mango Complete 2.0.

Mango Complete 2.0 builds on the look and design of their popular Mango Basic series, but combines it with the more in-depth lessons offered in their Complete 1.0 series. Using Mango Complete 2.0, you will learn basic introductions, how to make purchases, how to ask for directions, and much more. Mango Complete 2.0 continues to use a flashcard system to introduce you to new words and phrases, and also features quizzes to help you test your learning. Additionally, Mango Complete 2.0 also features grammar and cultural notes to give you greater understanding about the language you are studying.

With the launch of Mango Complete 2.0, the menus for Mango Languages have changed. After logging onto Mango, you will be presented with a screen showing various languages that you can learn. After clicking on a language, you will see what programs are available. At this time, not every language offers Mango Complete 2.0. Current languages that have Mango Complete 2.0 are Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, and Turkish. It is also available for several ESL courses, including Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Cantonese), Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Keep in mind, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Mango is currently working on developing Mango Complete 2.0 for many more languages.

If you've never tried out Mango Languages, now is a great time to start. To access Mango Languages, you will need a Troy Public Library card. Go to our website and click eResources on the left under Library Links. Click on Language Learning, then Mango Languages.Try it out and let us know what you think.

Mango Basic Language Learning Program Now Available at Troy

If you use Mango Languages, an online language learning program offered through the Troy Public Library, you will notice something different when you login. Now, instead of a screen showing various languages, you have a choice: Mango Complete or Mango Basic.

Mango Complete is Mango's standard language learning program. It features courses in 9 foreign languages and ESL support for 3 languages. Each course contains 100 lessons.

Mango Basic is new product designed for people who need basic-level language skills in a short amount of time. It includes lessons for 22 foreign languages and ESL courses for 14. This includes languages that are in Mango Complete, such as French, German, and Japanese, as well as new languages like Arabic, Hindi, and Korean. It uses the same flash card style as Mango Complete.

Each language lesson in Mango Basic is divided into 2 sections. Section 1 teaches greetings, gratitude, and goodbyes, while section 2 discusses how to ask if someone speaks English. In addition to basic words and grammar, cultural information is also covered.

To access Mango Languages, you will need a Troy Public Library card. Go to our website and click eResources on the left under Library Links. Click on Language Learning, then Mango Languages.Try it out and let us know what you think.

For more information about Mango Basic, see this blog post.

Speak Easy

In the United States, public and academic libraries are playing a very important role in providing access to multimedia tools for learning multiple languages for their patrons. The article, "Speak Easy" from Library Journal discusses more about the latest language learning tools in libraries.

The Troy Library has many resources available if you are learning a language. For CDs or books, come to the Adult Reference desk and we will be happy to help you. We also have the interactive website Mango Languages, available via our website. Go to the Library's home page, click on Information on Demand, then on Learning Languages, and log on to Mango using your Troy Library card.