Mango Languages Is an AI-Focused Alternative to Duolingo and It’s Free in the Libraries
Duolingo is currently phasing out its contract workforce as it transitions to using artificial intelligence for some tasks. The move is part of the company’s artificial intelligence-focused strategy.
“AI is about more than just improving productivity,” Duolingo co-founder and CEO Louis von Ahn said in a press release. “It helps us get closer to our mission.” Based on what von Ahn said, it looks like AI will be used to scale content, build Duolingo’s codebase, and implement features like video calling with AI avatars .
If this reliance on artificial intelligence leaves you a little cold – perhaps due to concerns about ethics, energy use, copyright infringement or accuracy – then one alternative worth taking a look at is Mango Languages . You can usuallyaccess it for free through your local public library and other institutions such as schools, but if you can’t find a free option you qualify for, it will cost as little as $12 a month (or less if you pay annually).
Getting started with Mango Languages
Even if you can’t access Mango Languages for free through your library or other institution, you can try a free lesson to see if it’s right for you before you pay (or even sign up for an account). With over 70 languages to choose from, your first task is to choose the one you want to start learning.
It uses a simple slide-based approach so you can move at your own pace and move back and forth as you see fit. The app also tries to explain the basics of the language as you go, including how pronunciation can change as you connect more words and phrases, as well as the speech patterns used.
You can really start with the basics, with simple lessons on greetings and how to make yourself understood. Apart from learning vocabulary, Mango Languages also tries to help you understand the grammar of the sentences you speak as you progress, and the objectives of each lesson are set in advance.
Mango Languages is not only available online , but also offers dedicated apps for Android and iOS , so you can learn on the go or at your desk. There are the usual configuration settings you’d expect, including the timing of the slides you see and whether you want each slide to be narrated to you.
Progress in language learning
As you progress through the Mango Languages course, you can review your progress every day and go back to previous lessons and find out what’s coming next. You take tests of reading, writing, speaking and pronunciation, and you can also compare your speech with that of a native speaker.
What Mango Languages does well is provide little cultural notes explaining how different terms are used, which is important if you don’t want to offend any of the locals on your next holiday. The app also encourages critical thinking and sometimes asks you to figure out how to say something rather than just having it tell you.
Next you’ll also encounter special lessons: for my chosen German language, one of them is the annual Oktoberfest drinking session. This can help put language learning into more context, so you learn about the country and its customs, as well as the native language.
You get a clear interface, more flexibility, and a fun mix of exercises and challenges to help you continue learning the language, which is a challenging task for most of us. Both basic vocabulary and more advanced ways of connecting words are well implemented, and if you can access them for free, so much the better.