Lesson 6 : Discovery Exercizes and Thoughts

Its Mango time!

I am particularly excited to use this resource because it is something we have been actively promoting at the library, and this is the first chance I've had to really play around with it. I chose to try the Italian "2.0" class to start, mostly because it is a language that I've been taught in a traditional classroom, and I thought it might be nice to compare and contrast the differences in approach.

I'd heard that people have had problems setting up an account, but the whole process was quick and painless for me (using gmail). I did have some problems getting the first lesson to load, and had to refresh several times, but it ran smoothly after that. My first impressions were that, yes, the lessons are very basic. They seem to rely a lot on repetition of words, with very little of the 'conceptual' language stuff you would get in a traditional class. For example, they don't talk about the differences between feminine and masculine nouns in the first lesson, but set up scenarios where you learn several of them. You learn about the verb 'stare', which literally means 'to feel', and how it is used in Italian greetings. One thing I liked is the small cultural asides that were given throughout the lesson, such as the body language involved in a traditional Italian greeting (kissing the cheeks, of course). From a technical standpoint, I like that all of the lessons have voice over as well as text, which helps people who have visual disabilities, and people who are auditory learners.

After getting through the first two lessons, I think I have a better understanding of what Mango is for. I think that it is helpful for people who are looking for a basic understanding of a language, perhaps as a prep tool for a traditional class, or as a way to keep your existing language skills sharp. I don't think that it could replace a traditional classroom learning experience though.

Working at a public library, I think that the best use of Mango might be for people who are learning English as a second language. This is especially relevant because there are not a large number of resources readily available for people who might want to take English classes. We sometimes get questions from people who are interested in finding a tutor or learning English, and this could be an excellent resource for them, one that I will continue to reccommend.