Mango Languages is a company that produces a series of language learning programs for tons of languages, everything from Italian to Japanese. You can either use their program online, or download the program and run it on your computer. For an extra fee, you can also get portable audio lessons to listen on your iPod.
Pros
- Learn Japanese quickly!
- Great-looking software.
- Accessible at your local library (the company claims it serves 1 out of 5 US libraries).
- Explains cultural aspects as well as language.
- Narrator walks you through lessons.
- Compares your pronunciation with a native speaker’s.
- Portable audio lessons.
- iPhone app available.
Cons
- Pricetag – $150, which doesn’t include portable audio lessons.
- Not a long-term language solution.
Final Word?
Mango is meant more for learning quickly for traveling than it is for a more long-term learning solution. Lessons are named “At a Restaurant,” “Where is the Restroom” and “In Case of Emergency” to help out with everyday situations.
Mango does seem a little pricey, but there are some ways around it. Not only can you download the program and use it as a free trial, but you can also try out some of Mango’s lessons on its website for free.
Mango is also available in tons of libraries around the United States. The Mango site even has a library locator to help you find out which libraries in your area carry Mango, so you don’t even have to buy it. And when compared to similar language-learning programs like Rosetta Stone, Mango’s pricetag looks quite reasonable.
It’s definitely worth the money, though. Mango’s software is very good-looking, easy to use, and very helpful. A narrator walks you through every lesson step-by-step, and each lesson goes at an easy-to-follow pace.
So while Mango might not be the best tool for somebody who is looking to study Japanese in a very long-term way, it’s definitely very helpful to people preparing for a trip and don’t want to start learning the language from scratch. Mango will give you a running head start in Japanese very quickly.
Pictures
A basic lesson in Mango.
Mango lets you compare your pronunciation with the narrator’s.
Lessons include notes about culture as well as language.