The language I chose was German.
1. I learned that there are 105 million native speakers of German and 80 million non-native speakers. I am not sure what I was supposed to learn about the culture of Germany. Maybe I missed where this was, but I didn't see where I could learn about culture.
2. I think if someone were studying a language that Mango would be helpful for practice. The lessons were very repetitive which is helpful when studying something new - I liked that. I also liked the option of using audio to record my own voice and match it to what it should really sound like. This immediate feedback would be helpful to someone learning a new language. I also liked "Little Pim" This is a fun way for a younger person to be exposed to the language. What I did not like about Mango is that I felt it was a bit confusing at times - not very user friendly.
I have shared Mango with the Spanish teachers in our school. They like that they can share this site with their students. It is a helpful tool for their students to practice the language that they are learning in school.
Hi, Mary, The amount of cultural information varies, but is found under the info about native speakers. Some cultural info is embedded into the lessons themselves, too. I, too, like the option to record my voice and compare with the program's pronunciation to see how far off I am. Very helpful. Sorry you found Mango to be confusing. Like any new thing, it takes some poking around and getting used to. To clarify, "Little Pim" is a Siouxland subscription and not something the State Library provides. It is a wonderful addition to language learning. Thanks for sharing Mango with your Spanish teachers. I hope they & their students can make good use of it. Thanks for your comments!
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