By using Mango Classroom by Mango Languages, French language professor Dr. Elizabeth Appleby has challenged students of multiple skill levels, improved retention of learned material over the holidays, and motivated students to engage in language learning beyond the classroom, boosting their overall confidence in speaking another language
“By providing a freer space just to explore, Mango has helped with motivating students. I noticed they were telling me things I hadn’t taught them yet because they got it from using Mango at home.”
Dr. Elizabeth Appleby, Associate Professor of French
For Dr. Appleby, preparing students of varying skill levels and comfort zones for conversations with French language partners was a consistent challenge. Lacking motivation, students were not regularly practicing their language skills outside of the classroom. After holiday breaks, Dr. Appleby found that she had to start from scratch, spending valuable class time reviewing previous material. “Often when students return from a break, it seems as though they’ve forgotten practically everything.”
Dr. Appleby first heard of Mango through her local library when searching for ESL resources for her husband, a native Spanish speaker. After exhausting the options available among other language-learning resources, Dr. Appleby found that Mango’s conversational approach was the key to finally developing her husband’s English speaking skills. Impressed by the amount of language courses offered by Mango Classroom and the interactive nature of the personalized program, Dr. Appleby was excited to introduce this digital resource to the College. In Dr. Appleby’s French language classes, Mango is incorporated into students’ homework assignments, providing listening, reading, and speaking practice outside of the classroom. With the Mango Admin Portal (MAP), Dr. Appleby can effectively track students’ time spent learning with Mango and measure their progress by viewing the results from their chapter quizzes and unit tests.
Unlike other language resources that offer too little for too much, Dr. Appleby found that with Mango, students were more confident and ready to start talking, and in less time. With the ability to record their voices and compare them to those of native speakers, students were able to build their confidence speaking French at their own pace and comfort level.
In overall academic performance, Dr. Appleby saw a significant improvement among the students with the highest levels of engagement with Mango. These students shared that using Mango energized their language study as they made real progress towards their fluency goals. One of the biggest benefits of Mango for Dr. Appleby is that the mobile app turns any situation into a language-learning opportunity for her students. Mango’s mobile app continued students’ learning over extended holidays and summer breaks. Dr. Appleby found that students’ minds were still engaged with the language when they came back from break and they were able to proceed without the additional review that was previously needed.
Outside of their course load, students are now able to explore and study languages not offered by the College. Mango’s 70+ language courses are used campus-wide by heritage learners, culture clubs, and ESL students. Students and professors involved in study away programs began using Mango to prepare for their international travels. Mango’s practical conversations helped both students and faculty feel more secure while they were traveling, and gave them the confidence to explore and interact with locals. For the College’s International Education Week, international students representing 11 different countries were able to share their native languages with peers using Mango’s courses in Mandarin Chinese, Danish, Hindi, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, and even Scottish Gaelic. Ultimately, LaGrange College has found that studying any language with Mango enhances students’ global perspective and prepares them for application beyond the classroom.
MANGO PARTNER SINCE 2017
LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia, is a four-year liberal arts and sciences college with approximately 1,000 students, representing 21 states and over 11 foreign countries. As part of a Global Engagement Initiative, students participate in a one-year language requirement, study away programs, and a week highlighting international diversity on campus.
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