Mango Languages asked the crew to review their Mango Homeschool program. What a neat opportunity. There are 60+ foreign and English language courses to choose from, and we had access to all of them and their various levels. Talk about a Smorgasbord.
The program is designed for ages six through adult, and you can do as many or as few languages as you’d like at one time. Everything is done online, although some of the languages have Course Guides in PDF format that you could print out if you so desired. Mango Languages focuses on a conversational style learning while also sharing cultural insights, customs and etiquette. Essentially, it feels like a focus on getting you ready to use the language while you travel.
My kids used Spanish as their primary language, so for simplicity I’ll focus on that for this review. In the Spanish program, they have audio and pronunciation delivered by native speakers plus a voice comparison tool to help you say it correctly.
When you first click on a lesson, you’ll see a list of conversational goals and a list of grammar goals for that particular lesson. Moving into the lessons, the program presents you with an English word or phrase such as “How is she?” and then presents the Spanish word or phrase. In this case, “Como esta ella?” Of course, there are the marks that go over the letters, but I don’t know how to put those in.
There’s quite a bit of practice, repetition and building on those words and phrases as you move through the lesson. Some of the topics covered include: Greetings, Gratitude, Goodbyes, Names and Introductions, Shopping and Payment, Numbers and Currency and Getting Help. There are more and that’s just in Journey 1. There are three journeys total in Spanish.
I printed out a copy of the PDF course book and stuck it in a notebook for the kids to access, and for me to use to quiz them on various words and phrases. Then, I just let the kids loose on their own. All of them were required to do some Spanish, and then they were free to explore any other language that caught their eye. We all thought Pirate was cool. It made for lots of giggles.
If the kids felt like they didn’t know a lesson well, they simply repeated it again. Plus, they practiced a bit with each other. It helps to all be in the same language. What’s neat is when they hear Spanish somewhere else, and can pick out a few words here and there.
My teens and I found it much easier to learn from Mango languages than my younger two (8 and 10). However, even they are picking up words and phrases. They love it when they realize they know more than they think they do.
Navigation through the lessons and around the site is simple and so is adding languages to your study queue. Some of the features available or coming soon are a forum, a list of other members taking the same course, chat and eNotes (can send messages to others). You can even fill out your profile, and people can post on there with your approval. My daughter and I played a little with some of these features. I think these can be useful tools to practice with other family members or possibly other members of Mango with supervision.
Overall, the teens and I love it. The younger two like it, but find it hard to remember what they are learning. I think adding this to their other Spanish curriculum will give a solid foundation in Spanish. Now that the review is over, I’ll be blending their curriculum with Mango Languages for a more rounded education. I think this will help my younger ones grasp it better. Truth be told, mama finds remembering Spanish (or remembering anything for that matter) a challenge, too. I think for myself and the older two, practicing by writing it and using it more will help us retain it better.
Mango Homeschool introductory pricing:
1 subscription is $18/month or $125/year total
2 subscriptions is $28/month or $175 /year total
3 subscriptions is $38/month or $225/year total
4 subscriptions is $48/month or $275/year total
5 subscriptions is $58/month or $325/year total
Anything over 6 subscriptions is a special group rate that will depend on the number in the group.
You can also find Mango Languages on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. They also have a blog.
Think you might want to check it out? You can try it for free, and see what you think.
From the vendor:
What is currently available on the site:
Over 60 different languages
Progress Assessments
Built-in journals, discussions and wikis
Collaborative learning spaces
eNote messaging /chat rooms
Access to embedded/downloadable content
Support from other community members
Calendars to schedule meetings or study groupsOver the next several months, we’ll be introducing other exciting features like:
Enhanced Tracking and Progress Monitoring – including seat time (for students and parents)
Goals and Personal Lesson Plans (both stand-alone and tied into Mango courses)
Resume and Portfolio Builder
