Free Foreign Language Programs at Library Patrons' Fingertips

If you've ever longed to learn a foreign language, look no further than your local library.

A little-known library resource, Mango Languages, offers online language-learning software free of charge to anyone with a card.

From popular languages such as French and Spanish, to lesser-known ones like Urdu and Pashto, a total of 34 different language-learning programs are offered through the Mango link on the library's website.

The CMPL partnered with Mango Languages in 2008 to bring this resource free of charge to library patrons.

“We used to use Rosetta Stone, but we switched to Mango because it is more economical and I think it is really a great program,” said Jamie Morris, CMPL community relations specialist. “It helps people not only with the terms, but also the conversation aspects of language.”

Since the program’s installment on the library website, patrons have logged in more than 475 times to use the software. 

Although library statistics show French is the most popular language among CMPL patrons, Spanish takes a close second, with Italian, German, Mandarin Chinese and Russian not far behind.

However, Morris said statistics also show patrons have tried lesser-known languages such as Vietnamese, Hindi and Greek at least once.

“The biggest different between Mango and a lot of language-learning companies, is their products teach you nouns and verbs, ‘Do you have a pen?’ or ‘The ball is red,’” said Beverly Cornell, Mango Languages marketing director. “The things people need to do when they go someplace is to ask directions, negotiate pricing in a market, order food in a restaurant or ask where the bathroom is.

“From the very first lesson we are starting to build on sentence structures and language, so you wont be that lost tourist. You’ll be able to navigate easily and quickly.”

Mango Languages can be accessed by library patrons 24/7 through the CMPL website and also offers an English as a Second Language component, so native speakers of a foreign language can use Mango learn English as well.

“I think it’s a great service to offer,” Morris said. “We already have a foreign language collection (at the library), and Mango is great for travel, but also for a lot of students who have to take a foreign language. I think language touches a lot of people in the community.”

Cornell said through Mango’s partnerships with local libraries like CMPL, more than 85 million people have access to the language-learning software across America.

“The world is getting smaller every day and with things like social media, borders are dropping left and right and the one barrier remaining is language, so if we can help connect the world in that way, that’s a pretty big accomplishment,” Cornell said.

And to anyone who believes they are too old to learn a language, Cornell says age has nothing to do with it.

“There’s lots of research that suggests you’re never too old to learn a language,” she said. “We know many people who are in their 50s and 60s and doing very well with Mango. You have to invest some time and have the motivation to learn, but if you really want to go to Italy to do your wine-tasting trip, we can teach you some Italian.”