Mango Passport

Designed to help travelers converse abroad, Mango Passport's vocabulary and cultural lessons are great language resources to prepare you for a trip. The software could use more community features and mobile options, however.

The bottom line

A valuable tool for traveling novices. Mango Passport is a useful tool if you want to converse without yanking out a phrasebook on your next trip. It's one of the better beginner-level resources for navigating your way through hotels, restaurants and bazaars, and won't waste your time with lessons explaining the mechanics of the language. If you're looking for a deeper linguistic endeavor, however, consider other options like Rosetta Stone TOTALe. 

Setup

A desktop application with MP3 files for mobility. Mango Passport is a desktop application enhanced by mobile audio content. Many of the languages offered have three levels (described as "Journeys") to choose from, or you can buy all three. Journey 1 covers basics like greetings and asking for directions, while Journey 3 tackles more complex vocabulary that you would use at a hospital or a cultural event. After purchasing, the desktop application is downloaded onto your computer. An MP3 audio supplement for mobile devices and a PDF course guide are included. Mango's software and apps are also available in thousands of U.S. libraries.

Interface

Images enhance a clean design. A professional reviewer and user both comment on Mango Passport's clean design and interface, with one describing it as "easy on the eyes." Each lesson is displayed as a navigable flashcard-style slideshow on the screen, with an image of the country serving as the backdrop. You can follow the path set by the software, or click through each lesson and choose your exercises. Each level has 10 chapters.

Features

Vocab and pronunciation reign supreme. Mango Passport's interactive, audio-intensive lessons focus on pronunciation and practical vocabulary for travelers. Grammar and cultural tips are also offered; there are no writing exercises. The software is fairly basic compared with its competitors, but a few features stand out. Audio lessons are accompanied by transcribed dialogue on a flashcard; you can scroll over a word to see the phonetic spelling, and a tool will give you the literal meaning of phrases. A voice comparison tool allows you to record your voice and play it back separately or simultaneously with the recording of the native speaker. Mango Passport offers mobile options via its MP3 audio files and a few apps (iPad and other tablets not included), but could boost its mobility by offering more content online and on its apps. Community features like chat rooms would also enhance the experience. One reviewer doesn't care for Mango Passport's scripted dialogue and is frustrated that it does not teach multiple dialects, but few competitors offer those features. Some also feel the drills are too repetitive. The language learning software is available in 28 languages, including 12 for ESL learners.