How do you learn a language in a month?: Mango Language’s #31DaysofLanguage Challenge

"Magandang umaga!" (Good morning!)

"Ako si Ky." (My name is Ky.)

Have you always wanted to learn a new language? Is one of your 2018 New Year Resolutions to be able to chat in a different language?

Well then, you are in luck! Check out Mango Languages, opens a new window, and get on with it! It's fun, easy, and free - all you need is a Christchurch City Libraries library card , opens a new windowand a pin.

During January, Mango Languages ran the #31DaysofLanguage, opens a new window social media challenge. With a different language challenge for each day of the month, I used it as a chance to learn more about this great resource, and see how much Tagalog I could pick up in a month. (Spoiler - not as much as I would have wanted to, but hey, it's been fun trying anyway!)

Share a link to a recipe with #31DaysofLanguage. We don't recommend doing this before lunch. pic.twitter.com/WvFvTCF45C

— Mango Languages (@MangoLanguages) January 26, 2018

Here area some of my highlights from doing the 2018 Mango Language Challenge.

• Learning how Filipinos celebrate New Year - Feasts, fun, and family! New Year is an opportunity to party, and food is a big part of that party. Long noodles and sticky rice bring good luck and a long life, so you'll eat lots of that, but you won't see chicken on the menu - chickens are always scrounging for food, and if you eat chicken at New Years' you'll be hungry all year.
• Sharing books, opens a new window with Tagalog-speaking students and family at a local school.
• Learning there are eleven Tagalog-language newspapers, opens a new window available to read online on PressReader (with your library card and pin). It's interesting seeing the way that both English and Tagalog are used in the newspapers - I'd start feeling really clever because I'd read a whole newspaper article, only to realise that it was one of the English articles, not the Tagalog one!
• Listening to the soundtrack from Pinoy Big Brother, opens a new window, the Philippine version of the Big Brother TV show, and other music from the Philippines.
• Exploring recipes from the Philippines. I'll be honest - I haven't got around to actually making any of the recipes just yet, but I've found a recipe called 'chicken tinola' that looks quite yum, so that's going to be my experiment this weekend. Chicken, broth, ginger, and mango - sounds just right for summer.

So there you have it. Some of my learning from a month of dipping in to Mango Languages. This is a fun app to use, and I love the variety of languages you can learn with it - Arabic, Greek, Vietnamese, Pirate, Shakespearian English... the list goes on. There is something for everyone, so give it a try and see which language takes your fancy.

Paalam! Bye!