Last time in Unlocking Library Coolness, I introduced you to the magical funtime that is Libby, Overdrive’s new app (which everyone in my house now uses and loves). I even overheard folks at RT last week talking about Libby, and how easy it is to use.
Today I’m going to talk about some other features of my library that are likely available to you as well: should you wish to learn or practice foreign languages, your library is very well equipped to help you out!
I was using Duolingo for a very long time to practice Spanish (I’m moderately fluent) and to learn rudimentary French, but after a few aspects of the app really started to bug me, I switched over to see what my library had to offer.
I’m very fortunate in my public library, as the Montgomery County Public Libraries in Maryland provide a LOT of language resources: Mango, which I’ve been using and enjoy quite a lot, plus Muzzy, Tumblebooks – both for children, and Rosetta Stone, which is accessed by patrons through EBSCO.
The bulk of my experience is with Mango, which I’ll talk a little about here, as I’m really enjoying it. But it is far from the only language learning option available through libraries. There are a bunch of different language learning options that may be available at your library, including borrowable materials and online and app-based resources. Other choices I’ve encountered at other library systems include Transparent Language, and Pronunciator. If you visit your library website, you’ll likely find a few options for language learning software, and probably some conversational practice groups as well.
So let’s take a quick look at Mango, because it is charming and I’m really enjoying it.
First, Mango has a TON of languages, and teaches in a conversational format where an opening conversation is broken down in to parts and then rebuilt. I’ve done lessons in so many different languages, including Hawaiian (Aloha! Pehea ‘oe?), Japanese, and Dutch, and I’ve done considerable number of lessons in Spanish and French, which are the two I work on most attentively.
Second, the easiest way to set up your access if your library uses Mango is to visit the website. You can view the complete set of languages available, and set up your account (your library should have instructions as well). You can do lessons on the computer, but I’ve found that downloading the app makes the lessons easier to use. I tend to do my language practice over coffee each morning.
Each lesson begins with a conversation, and then you learn the elements of that conversation. Different parts of speech are color coded to correspond between the two sentences in two different languages.
Here is an example from my lesson in Spanish:
Each sentence is read aloud but you can disable the additional encouragement narration that reads aloud cultural notes and adds things like, Isn’t this easy? and Ok, let’s hear it!. That got on my nerves after awhile. The primary narrator is, fun trivia fact, Kathleen McInerney, aka Veronica Taylor, who is also the voice of Ash Ketchum.
Well, to be honest, he probably speaks more.
The context of each lesson is usually based on common interactions with the world: introducing yourself, going to the store, going clothing shopping, going to parties, or, in this example, maybe stopping embezzlement or theft:
Each section also contains a timer that allows you to try to answer aloud. When the timer runs out, the answer is read by another narrator. Some languages have both a male and female voice actor, which helps with languages that have gender rules. (I am somewhat bad at remembering those.)
You can also record yourself and compare your audio to the lesson, though it doesn’t grade or give you feedback on your spoken attempt. One of the features of Duolingo that I found both useful and frustrating was the oral responses, which were evaluated by the app, though sometimes I knew I was saying things correctly and it would tell me I did it wrong. Duolingo can be very specific in its pronunciation demands. (Also, I learned Spanish in Zaragoza, so I have a kinda specific regional accent, and Duolingo was not having any of that.)
I didn’t think I was learning that much when I started using Mango for French, but then, after several weeks of lessons, I was in Paris and found myself able to converse with people based on phrases I’d memorized and practiced, and was able to translate and read a large number of signs and posters because I knew most if not some of the words. If you went through drills and verb conjugating recitations in school like I did, learning through conversations broken apart and then rebuilt in sections may seem different, but for me personally, it’s been pretty effective.
Plus, when you reach the end of a unit, the little mangoes that accompany you through the lessons will throw you a little party:
There is a placement test for some languages, but you do have to take it on the Mango website, and it’s not available for every language and variation. For example, I had to take the placement test in Latin American Spanish, but I learned Spanish in Spain. There is a Spain, Castilian lesson series, but it is shorter and there is no placement test. I’ve been working in the Latin American Spanish lessons just fine, but there are a few times where the words I know and the words it uses don’t match entirely. But hey, languages change (Have you met English on the Internets?), and it not like learning more words is a bad thing (MOAR WORDS PLS).
We have also used Mango (my husband and I, I mean) for travel. Before we went to Greece last year, we did Lessons 1, 2, and 3 in Unit 1, mostly so we’d know how to say please, thank you, yes, no, and common polite greetings like, Good morning, Good afternoon, and Good night. The people we met were, as one would expect, very patient with our attempts to greet and thank them in Greek (and a few taught us naughty or fun words, which anyone who has traveled knows is the most funnest part of learning a new language). So even for basic tourism purposes, Mango can be useful.
But learning a language also has long-term cognitive benefits. I think it’s another way to learn empathy and connect on a more intuitive or emotional level, too. It also, as a very wise person I met in a restaurant said, teaches you how much you don’t know. Not being able to talk in one language when you’re very fluent in another but can’t necessarily use it teaches me right quickly how much I do not know, a very humbling experience.
I learned Spanish as an exchange student when I was 15, but being able to converse in Spanish, even if I’m trying to talk my way around a word I can’t remember, has been useful in myriad ways. Moreover, to my everlasting shock, being multilingual or merely speaking Spanish out loud now has become a political act. To my contrary mind, the best way to battle against such linguistic bullshit is to learn as many languages as I can stuff into my brain (which really doesn’t want to add a third or fourth, but I’m going to keep trying).
Libraries, in my never-humble opinion, are a constant and admirable resource of much badassery, and I love that I can indulge my love of cookbooks, ebooks, comics, and audiobooks alongside my long-held aspirations to be a polyglot. I hope you’ll check your local library if you’re curious about learning or practicing a language. Buena suerte!
So this is extra exciting, and I immediately checked: my library does do mango. So I downloaded the app and…what does it have to do with the library? I mean, it’s still great and I am thrilled to try it! I just feel like I’m missing a piece?
Essentially the library pays for Mango so you don’t have to. It’s a free language learning software that’s part of the library’s collection.
Mango is awesome and I believe, an underused resource. If your library has it, give it a try! It even has “Pirate” as a language. This little quirk makes me adore it even more. I love people/companies that do not take themselves too seriously.
Get out your slings and arrows. I wish libraries used all of their funding for books and for summer programs for kids. Not for music, movies, computer applications or internet access.
I work at a library so I immediately loved this! One of the things that I find hardest is letting people know about all of the amazing things you can do with one little library card. Thanks for helping spread the word.
@LML: I’m keeping my arrows with me, but I will say I’m glad my library serves every person in our community and all their different informational needs.
@Wiley: It is my pleasure! The more I discover the cool things my library makes available to me, the more I want to tell everyone. Good thing I have a website.
As a librarian in a public library, I extra love this feature! Thanks, SB Sarah!
We have the Rocket Languages app available at the library where I work. It sounds very similar to Mango…so user friendly and with many practical functions. Our community has taken in several Syrian refugee families in the last couple of years and Rocket has been invaluable in helping these new patrons pick up English in a timely matter 🙂
I really dig Mango. My library has it, too, and I like it more than DuoLingo.
Libraries aren’t just about books and summer reading programs; those things are definitely great and important, but patrons also love to have access to movies and tv shows, and items that cater to diverse interests – such as language learning – in a political time of hostility towards immigrants are absolutely essential.
Not everyone has cable or subscriptions to Netflix/Hulu, or at-home internet access, for that matter. When so many jobs only accept computer-based applications – paper applications not even existing anymore for most places – having access to the internet is a must.
Per the Pew Research Center, 30% of American households don’t have a computer with broadband Internet access. Globally, internet access ranges between 47 and 51%, depending on whose stats you use. I was totally dependent on the library to complete my graduate degree program because everything was computer-based and I didn’t have computer or Internet access at home; I couldn’t afford it. I’m using a library computer to type this right now.
I apologize if I seem harsh here, but the notion that library funding should not pay for technological access in world that is absolutely dependent upon technological access and proficiency to accomplish basic tasks like searching for work, completing a job application, applying to college, etc, just reeks of privilege.
The library serves everyone in its community. That includes immigrants, those who are illiterate, those who choose other forms of entertainment besides reading, and those who don’t have the luxury of computer-based Internet access at home because they simply can’t afford the expense. Libraries are the true great equalizer – no matter who you are or what your status is, they are there for you.
HeatherS
Hear, hear! Well said!
Another cool trick I’ve discovered is setting a bilingual dictionary as the default on my Kindle app (I believe this works on the apps, but not the Cloud reader website). I’ve found Merriam Webster Spanish-English Translation Dictionary is compatible (www.amazon.com/dp/B002ROKQUG?ref_=k4w_ss_dp_lp).
My library has a big selection of ebooks in Spanish available on Overdrive. So I’ll borrow one of those, download the Kindle version. Then when I get to a word I’m unsure of (which I assure you, dear reader, is often),I can highlight it and see the English definition. The dictionary isn’t comprehensive and there’s still a lot of guesswork with homonyms and idioms and stuff, but I find it a really useful tool.
I can’t agree more with @HeatherS. To echo that point, as a former caseworker for refugees, many asylum seekers do not have computers and rely on library computer access to keep in touch with family as well as their caseworker. Given the additional pressure to integrate and learn the local language of where they get resettled (e.g., they have to learn Dutch if they’re being resettled in the Netherlands), these free resources can be invaluable.
Also, the library is not just for kids. The disabled and/or elderly also use it and many of their assisted learning or applications require more than just books. Some of these equipment and devices can be very expensive! Many libraries offer non-able-bodied individuals learning opportunities that were not available before.
I’ve always thought of a library as a space that makes resources accessible to everyone across various demographic lines.
Ooooh, I love this! I have been using Spanish Duo for several months as a beginner (5+ years of French in high school/college) but am up for trying out something new. Also- if you want the experience of learning the fun/slang words without knowing any native speakers, music is the way to go.
Most of what I have to say in response to LML’s comment has already been really nicely stated by Heather and bgs. I have a few aditional thoughts to add (for the record, coming from the POV of a children’s librarian):
A) I don’t particularly think of books and children’s programs as the end goal/main point of a library. Libraries are a free public space, which I see as being for the pursuit of ideas, stories, information, connection, community, learning, participation in society. People get these things in different way. So even if books and children’s programs are the focus, you’re more successful if you can offer different gateways to discovering them. I have lots of kids who come in to play Roblox or watch YouTube videos and leave with books in their hands. The books (and programs) get more use when there are more reasons for people to come into the building in the first place. Not to mention the fact that lots of successful children’s programs involve technology, like learning to code with Scratch or Minecraft. Kids in elementary school even (definitely by middle and high school) often have homework that requires the use of a computer or Internet access.
B) I loved Heather’s last paragraph:
The library serves everyone in its community. That includes immigrants, those who are illiterate, those who choose other forms of entertainment besides reading, and those who don’t have the luxury of computer-based Internet access at home because they simply can’t afford the expense. Libraries are the true great equalizer – no matter who you are or what your status is, they are there for you.
This idea is part of what drew me to the profession in the first place. But I do think that it’s important to acknowledge that is is an ideal that libraries often fall short of. There’s such a big need for library advocacy that I think sometimes there’s not as much room in the conversation for looking at libraries critically. I can’t speak to other countries, but at least in the U.S., many places in the country had libraries that were only for white Americans. Some libraries chose to close rather than integrate. Plus, libarianship is a predominantly white profession, compounded by the fact that the Master’s of Library and Information Science is a pretty high barrier to entry/advancement for any number of people. Lots of libraries have tons of Christmas trees and decorations and programs and little to nothing for major holidays from other religions. The ID requirements for getting a library card often pose challenges to immigrants or non-US born residents and trans* folks. Policies often leave little room for deviation from the status quo (neurotypical people might be told they’re too “disruptive,” selective enforcement by library staff of policies that unfairly tagets marginalized populations).
There’s an article by Fobazi Ettarh that got me thinking a lot more critically about conversations about libraries, and she explains things a lot better. One point she makes is that, “By the very nature of librarianship being an institution, it privileges those who fall within the status quo. Therefore librarians who do exist outside librarianship’s center can often more clearly see the disparities between the espoused values and the reality of library work. But because vocational awe refuses to acknowledge the library as a flawed institution, when people of color and other marginalized librarians speak out, their accounts are often discounted or erased.” VOCATIONAL AWE AND LIBRARIANSHIP: THE LIES WE TELL OURSELVES
I love libraries and the work I do. But I think it’s an important part of the conversation to remember that we still have a lot of work to do. We exist in a country where promises of equality have always had a lot of exceptions, and every institution – libraries, schools, government agencies, businesses – carries that baggage, I think.
As a side note, please let me know if I got anything wrong or misrepresented anything here. I’m white and have a lot of privileged identities, so I know I’m not speaking from a place of personal experience on a lot of this. Most of it’s stuff I’ve learned and am trying to continue to learn.
I am so excited about this! I’ve wanted to learn Spanish forever and it is my goal for this summer. I started using Duolingo, but I’m going to go back and forth between the two! Thank you for sharing this!
Also no arrows here, but I couldn’t agree more with others who have pointed out the critical nature of technology access. I live in a rural area, as in, I have a landline because I need to walk over the hill to the south half of my farm to have a conversation on my cell phone or check my voicemail. I have internet access but I’m comfortably middle class. There are SO MANY poor people in my area. It’s difficult to even apply for a job without internet access, so where else is there for people to turn? Our tiny little library does an amazing job of helping people navigate technology. Sure, *I* may only need the library for books, but I am incredibly fortunate in my life and don’t begrudge a single penny of my tax money going toward my local library for whatever they deem necessary. I make financial donations, as well, and don’t specify where they go. The library staff can make that call better than I can. It’s incredibly easy to say that technology access doesn’t matter *when you already have access to technology.*
My library has a weekly English Conversations meeting for English Language Learners. I’ve really enjoyed participating as an English-speaking volunteer.
They also recently changed their language app subscription from Mango to Transparent.