Mango Languages Product Review

Have you always wanted to learn a new language? But found that it was too expensive or you didn’t have the time to sit in a class several nights a week? Learning a language can be daunting, and a little overwhelming. But now you can sit at home, learn at your own pace and do it easily. Mango Languages was created for any learning type. The best part – you get to learn how you want!

I spent 6 years between high school and college in classes to learn German. I am still conversationally fluent, but I doubt I would do very well in a classroom or a business setting. I’m sure I could navigate around the area, order meals, shop and all of the basics though.  Despite that knowledge, I’ve always wanted to learn more languages. I even failed Russian (quite spectacularly) in college. So when Mango Languages offered me access to their software to review it for the holidays I was excited. It’s time to brush up on those language skills!

So of course the first language I chose to learn/work with was – Dutch. I remember how to say “Thank you very much” from when I was in the Netherlands years ago, but that isn’t very useful.  But Dutch has some similarities to German and has some similar bases – plus it is where my mom’s side hails from, might as well give it a try right?

When you choose a language you instantly can select what chapter or course you want to take. I started with Basic #1 – which teaches you very basic phrases.

One feature I really liked was that Mango also includes cultural notes throughout. So if you are planning on visiting the country, you have a small feel for their customs. Remember, not a lot of countries kiss each other on the cheeks to say hello – where we just wave or say “HI”.

The first course of Dutch had basic phrases like “Hello, How are you” “I am Fine” – simple conversation starters and answers. They introduce you to the phrases then they teach you it word by word (and what the words really mean). But in my opinion one of the best features they have is the word practice. They have the software tell you what the word is, and how to say it and have you practice it. You can repeat it back, record it and play it along side with their speaker. You can compare how close (or how far) your pronunciation of the word is. It’s interesting to see how close you can get.

After the first lesson I was able to say a few basic phrases and remember what they meant! It was simple to use and fun. I plan on continuing using it to hopefully get a better understanding of Dutch as well as other languages.

Mango Languages currently offers 16 different languages you can learn including: Chinese (Mandarin), French, Greek, Hindi, Japanese, Portuguese  Spanish, Turkish, Farsi, German, Hebrew, Italian, Korean, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese. They also offer 12 different English as a Second Language courses (ESL).

Know a traveler or someone who’s always wanted to learn a language? Basic packages of just one language start at $79. You can get packages of One, Two or Three Passports – or even get all “Journeys” for $176. It’s a great deal to learn at your own pace!

Want to give Mango a try? They have a free Demo on their site!