Another year has come and gone, and with it, another semester of High School Spanish Class disappears from my memory. I used to be proficient, and now I sheepishly struggle to pronounce Chilaquiles, a dish from my favorite restaurant. Speaking a second language is such a valuable skill to have, and I’ve long wanted to cultivate it. However, it’s always been just out of reach due to scheduling conflicts or cost. Well, no longer! This year my resolution is to (re)learn Spanish.
I was introduced to the Mango app through our library earlier this year. It’s free with your library card and offers over sixty languages you can learn. Mango uses a flashcard method that shows you the words as you hear a fluent speaker say them. You’ll recite the word yourself and later review what you went over. Anything you miss is noted and will continue to populate in your review until you’ve mastered it. This learning style allows you to string together sentences from words you’ve only just discovered. Mango’s movies build on this and help you learn sentence structure through hearing and seeing it in a breakdown of each scene.
I chose Mango over other apps out there because Mango focuses on practical conversation skills that I can use in real day-to-day life. Their first Spanish module includes salutations, places and directions, currency and counting, food and drink culture, transportation and payment, help and requests, clarification and explanation, compliments and corrections, relatives and pets, household rooms and items, and even careers and hobbies.
I plan on completing all the modules and even taking the specialty courses that cover medical, legal, and business terms. I think Mango offers a well-rounded course load that makes for confident, fluent speakers. I’m excited to use this app and the opportunities that come from learning a second language.
