CALL Newsletter - March 2021 (Plain Text Version)
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ARTICLES WHAT DOES "MANGO LANGUAGES" OFFER TO LANGUAGE LEARNERS?
Anyone wishing to learn a new language online might have used or heard of Duolingo. Recently, with the Duolingo English Test making its way into the academic world as an alternative to proficiency tests such as TOEFL and IELTS, I wanted to look deep into another language learning application that has not caught as much attention: Mango Languages. Mango Languages and Duolingo are both online language programs that aim to teach users how to speak a foreign language with daily expressions, everyday phrases, and sentences. Both of them are accessible through any searching device on desktop, as well as mobile or iPad applications. Moreover, they both offer a variety of languages: Mango Languages offers 71 languages and English as a Second Language (ESL) courses for more than 15 different languages (Mango Languages, n.d.), and Duolingo currently offers 95 different language courses in 23 languages (Duolingo, n.d.). However, Mango Languages is not a free software program unless users have a membership to university libraries or certain public libraries. Therefore, one can register for free through libraries that have an agreement with Mango Languages. Without a library, the program is $7.99 for a single language and $17.99 for all languages per month (Mango Languages, n.d.). Technological features and Application Design For the evaluation process, I accessed the program through a search device: Safari. Once logged in, the selection of the language appears on the screen. They are easily visible and color-coded with the flag colors of the countries of the available languages. Selecting the language is only one click away, and once you reach the course page, navigating the website only gets easier. The interface of the program is user-friendly, engaging, and compelling, plus the videos and audio links can be downloaded quickly without a glitch. Through one interface, users have access to the content structure, and they can review the progress, support, and learning activities next to a simplified navigation that encourages users to discover different topics in the selected language. There are three sections on top of the ongoing course, which are “learn”, “explore”, and “tools”. The “learn” section is the place where the actual learning takes place, the “explore” section provides authentic movie clips in the selected language with subtitles, and the “tools” section includes a translation/dictionary feature. As can be seen in the image above, the users can see their progress and what remains on the main course page. The content is also visually appealing to users with visual pronunciation keys and color-coded words that show matching colors for the words and their translations. As demonstrated in the image above, the translation of “it’s” is “está”, and these words are colored in blue, whereas the translation of “hot” is “caluroso”, and these words are colored in brown. The pronunciation of the new words is always provided with a pronunciation key that does not require specific phonological knowledge. The intonation and stress of the words are also shown through the implementation of upper- and lower-case letters. If one gets lost, there are virtual help pop-ups and a “support” section while navigating through the course. The “support” section includes “Frequently Asked Questions”, which enable the learners to find an answer without dealing with customer service. Course Design As a user, I wanted to explore a language that I was a novice in and possibly needed to learn in the future, which was Spanish. The program allows users to select Spanish based on the region, so users can select either Latin American Spanish or Castilian Spanish. Mango Languages also provides a placement test before embarking upon a language journey. The Spanish section of Mango Languages is structured in two categories: Main and Specialty. The main unit contains the core content, whereas the specialty unit consists of topic-based courses that are shorter in length. Depending on the user’s motive, one can choose the categories based on expectations and desires. I chose the main units and started exploring the lessons and units. There are five main units subdivided into 9 chapters, except the “introductions” unit. The “introductions” unit is divided into only 4 chapters. Each unit has a theme such as “introductions”, “connections”, and “community”. The topics of subdivided chapters are connected to the overarching unit theme. For example, the unit “community” includes friendship, relationships, tasks, and errands. The chapters are further broken down into lessons, each of which starts with a main dialogue that is aimed to be mastered after each lesson. The main dialogues are broken down into phrases and words as the lesson unfolds. The users listen and repeat the words and phrases until the main dialogue is completed, and they then take a quiz at the end of each lesson. A review for the lesson is also provided before the quiz, which enables the users to revise what has been learned through listening comprehension and building word chunks. The learners can also record their voices in the “listen and repeat” sections. The voice recording part captures the users’ voice and compares it to the correct answer. In addition to the drilling, listening, and building phrases, the program also provides grammar and cultural notes when an explanation is needed. One difference between Duolingo and Mango Languages is that Duolingo gamifies the language learning journey and enables learners to collect badges and a “counts streak” to keep learners motivated, whereas Mango Languages feels more like a structured language course. Mango Languages provides grammar notes that are short and clear. They come after the explicit instruction, which allows the users to “discover” the grammatical pattern. Moreover, each lesson starts with the lesson objectives, including both conversational and grammar goals. The articulation of lesson objectives, which shows the students what they will have achieved by the end of the lesson, helps learners build metacognitive skills, as well as providing them with solid outcomes. The learners can cross out each goal, as can be seen in the image below, as they master it. CALL and SLA Supported Practices As Mango Languages uses units centered upon particular themes, it can be said that the approach of the program is content-based supported by grammar-translation and audiolingual approaches. Mango Languages offers repetitive drills of the word chunks and sentences, which is a direct indication of audiolingualism. Reinforcement being a fundamental element in the learning process for both apps, the program has adopted this method, assuming it will increase the possibility that the behavior will occur again and eventually become a habit. Further, users are expected to translate the target language into English and master it eventually through drills and repetition. In addition, limited comprehensible input is provided throughout the units and chapters, and output is only enforced through repetition. The application also embedded some ways to help users “notice” certain grammatical patterns through grammar-translation and drilling. As the lesson progresses, similar grammatical points are left unexplained with the expectation of learners to “notice” and “discover” and then apply the new information. For example, the chapter starts with a sentence “Qué día tan frío!” , then the translation is provided, which is “What a cold day!” The program later breaks it down to words and gives translations for each word that forms the sentence. After providing translation for each word, the users are asked to translate “cold day” based on the given information, which requires “noticing” a pattern to achieve the correct answer. The application ensures that it presents the information that would lead users to the correct answer for those “do it yourself” parts. The application does not forget about the importance of cultural input in second language acquisition. In addition to the linguistic details, grammar and cultural notes are provided in relevant spots to foster learning and understanding of the concept. Grammar notes can be viewed as explicit instruction. Furthermore, cultural notes allow users to immerse in the target culture, which would eventually facilitate their learning process. Learners might end up achieving cultural competence thanks to the cultural notes related to the topics taught in the course. This feature of Mango Languages somehow supports the central idea of Sociocultural SLA, which claims that learning is mediated by cultural artefacts (Ellis, 2008). The cultural notes do not only provide information on how to greet people in the target culture. They also offer idioms or cultural sayings that would be appropriate in the relevant topic that prepares users for colloquial expressions and daily conversations. These two features do not exist in Duolingo. In addition, Mango Languages enables users to monitor their learning process and track their progress. The users can also check how much time is spent on each activity with the timer feature. They also have access to their educational goals that are provided in the beginning of each unit. All these features improve learner autonomy and develop agency because it enables students to track their improvement, take responsibility for their own learning, and manage their time based on their learning goals and habits. Conclusion In conclusion, although Mango Languages appeals to both visual and auditory learners, it may not fit the expectations of learners who are looking for a thorough explicit instruction. Proactive learners who might expect in-depth grammar explanations might get disappointed with the extent of the grammar notes. Those notes only apply to the relevant word or a phrase mentioned in the lesson. As argued by Blake (2013), software programs like Mango Languages provide specific exercises dealing with mastering linguistic forms at the word or sentence level as opposed to providing explicit grammar instruction or stimulating real communicative interactions. References Blake, J., R. (2013). Brave new digital classroom: Technology and foreign language learning. (2nd ed.). Georgetown University Press. Duolingo. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.duolingo.com/info Ellis, R. (2008) Understanding second language acquisition (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. Mango Languages. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://learn.mangolanguages.com
Sezgi Acar is a graduate student in applied linguistics at the University of Alabama and a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of English where she currently teaches first-year composition. A former Fulbright scholar, she holds an MA in TESOL from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. |
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