Adventures in Language

Is your vocabulary not growing at the rate it used to? Does your grammar feel stunted? Tired of having conversations about the weather but feel you can’t make the leap to talking about complex feelings? All of these are instantiations of the Intermediate Plateau. But they don’t all have the same underlying causes.
In order to figure out how to overcome your particular case of the Intermediate Plateau Effect, your guide Emily will walk you through 6 of the most common reasons that language learners experience an Intermediate Plateau – followed by helpful tips for how to address each one!
Sign up here for more FREE language learning content (like the awesome goal-setting worksheet we mentioned): https://info.mangolanguages.com/glc-signup
If you found this episode helpful, check out our “Fluency Illusion” video, which is chock-full of active learning tips to help you reach your fluency goals! https://youtu.be/9jpuqv_B3pE
Or, watch our video on Learner Feedback, available here: https://youtu.be/U_xkXA0daOg

If you’d like the blog article that accompanies this episode, click here: https://blog.mangolanguages.com/tired-of-being-stuck-at-just-conversational-in-your-target-language
We also invite you to check out our website at: https://mangolanguages.com/ and follow us on social media @MangoLanguages. And remember – language is an adventure. Enjoy the ride!
Wondering what languages were used in today’s episode?
Buenos días and nos vemos are expressions for ‘hello/good day’ and ‘goodbye/we’ll see each other’ in Spanish.
In Chaldean Aramaic, ܫܠܵܡܵܐ ܥܸܠܘܼܟܼ (shlama ilookh) and ܦܘܿܫ ܒܸܫܠܵܡܵܐ (posh bishlama) are ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye/stay in peace.’
废话不多说 (fèihuà bù duō shuō) means ‘without further ado’ (literally translates as ‘don’t talk nonsense’) in Mandarin Chinese.
Interested in learning English, Spanish, Chaldean Aramic, Mandarin Chinese, or one of the other 70+ languages that the Mango app offers? Click here to learn more! https://mangolanguages.com/app
Want to know more about the scientific research underlying this episode? Check out this great read → Richards, J. C. (2008). Moving beyond the plateau. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Emily Sabo (PhD, University of Michigan) is a linguist at Mango Languages. A Pittsburgh native, her areas of specialization are the social and cognitive factors that impact bilingual language processing. Having studied 7 languages and lived in various countries abroad, she sees multilingualism -- and the cultural diversity that accompanies it -- as the coolest of superpowers. Complementary to her work at Mango, Emily is a Lecturer of Spanish at the University of Tennessee, a Producer of the “We Are What We Speak’ docuseries, and get this...a storytelling standup comedian!
#languagelearning #languagestruggles #intermediateplateau

With DEI initiatives reimagining how we do what we do, it’s a great time to consider how your language class can contribute to expanding the next generation’s worldview. How can you, as a language teacher, structure your class to help your students build their cultural competence skills? While there is no one right way to do it, there are some best practices to keep in mind – and we’ll cover 5 of them in this podcast!
Interested in downloading our White Paper or Setting Good Goals PDF? Click here to access: https://info.mangolanguages.com/glc-signup
For more tips on how to cultivate a student-driven class, check out our video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxQ6vFWin6Y
If you’d like the blog article that accompanies this video, click here: https://blog.mangolanguages.com/5-dos-dont-for-cultivating-a-culturally-diverse-language-learning-class We also invite you to check out our website at https://mangolanguages.com/ and follow us on social media @MangoLanguages.
Wondering what languages were used in today’s episode?
Hindi | नमस्ते! (numuStay) is both ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’
Turkish | Merhaba (MEH.ra.bah) and hoşçakalın (hohsh.CHA.kuh.luhn!) are ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’
Modern Standard Arabic | بدون إطالة (bidoon iTaala) means ‘without further ado’ (literally translates as ‘without long talk’)
Interested in learning English, Hindi, Turkish, Modern Standard Arabic or one of the other 70+ languages that the Mango app offers? Click here to learn more! https://mangolanguages.com/app
Want to know more about cultural competence in the language classroom?
Nguyen, T. T. T. (2017). Integrating Culture into Language Teaching and Learning: Learner Outcomes. The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal , 17 (1), 145–155.
Barraja-Rohan, A.-M. (1999). Teaching conversation for intercultural competence. In J. Lo Bianco, A. J. Liddicoat, & C. Crozet (Eds.), Striving for Third Place: Intercultural Competence through Language Education (pp. 143–145). Melbourne: Language Australia.
Meet your guide Emily! Emily Sabo (PhD, University of Michigan) is a linguist at Mango Languages. A Pittsburgh native, her areas of specialization are the social and cognitive factors that impact bilingual language processing and production. Having studied 7 languages and lived in various countries abroad, she sees multilingualism -- and the cultural diversity that accompanies it -- as the coolest of superpowers. Complementary to her work at Mango, Emily is a Lecturer of Spanish at the University of Tennessee, a Producer of the “We Are What We Speak’ docuseries, and get this...a storytelling standup comedian!
#teachingtips #languageEd #culturaldiversity

In this episode of our "In the Wild" mini-series (Part 2 of 3), you’ll learn everything you need to know about sound blending: what is it, why does it matter, and what should you know about it when you’re out having conversations out “in the wild?”
Sign up here for more FREE language learning content (like the awesome goal-setting worksheet we mentioned in the podcast): https://info.mangolanguages.com/glc-signup
If you’d like the blog article that accompanies this episode, click here: https://blog.mangolanguages.com/why-hearing-your-target-language-in-the-wild-may-be-different-than-how-you-learned-it-part-2-sound-blending
We also invite you to check out our website at: https://mangolanguages.com/ and follow us on social media @MangoLanguages. And remember – language is an adventure. Enjoy the ride!
Wondering what languages were used in today’s episode?
Malay | Helo. Apa khabar? means 'Hello - how are you?' (lit. Hello - what news?) and Selamat tinggal means ‘goodbye’ (lit. safe leaving)
Korean | 시간낭비 하지말고 means ‘without further ado’ (literally translates as ‘without wasting time’)
Interested in learning English, Malay, Korean, or one of the other 70+ languages that the Mango app offers? Click here to learn more! https://mangolanguages.com/app
Emily Sabo (PhD, University of Michigan) is a linguist at Mango Languages. A Pittsburgh native, her areas of specialization are the social and cognitive factors that impact bilingual language processing. Having studied 7 languages and lived in various countries abroad, she sees multilingualism -- and the cultural diversity that accompanies it -- as the coolest of superpowers. Complementary to her work at Mango, Emily is a Lecturer of Spanish at the University of Tennessee, a Producer of the “We Are What We Speak’ docuseries, and get this...a storytelling standup comedian!
#languagelearning #soundblending #coarticulation

Not yet where you want to be in your target language? Fret not, because in this podcast, we walk you through a guided self-reflection of 3 quick (but important) questions that are going to help you say さようなら (saYOOnara) to your fluency frustrations!
Together with your language learning guide Emily, you’ll get to (1) reflect on your motivations for learning the language, (2) figure out whether you’re carving out enough time to meet your proficiency goals, and (3) discover the right learning strategies for your needs.
Sign up here for more FREE language learning content (like the awesome goal-setting worksheet was mentioned in the podcast): https://info.mangolanguages.com/glc-signup
If you found this episode helpful, check out our “Fluency Illusion” podcast, which is chock-full of active learning tips to help you reach your fluency goals!
If you liked this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our podcast! If you’d like the blog article that accompanies this episode, click here: https://blog.mangolanguages.com/
We also invite you to check out our website at: https://mangolanguages.com/ and follow us on social media @MangoLanguages. And remember – language is an adventure. Enjoy the ride!
Wondering what languages were used in today’s episode?
Aloha is the word for both ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ in Hawaiian (language spoken in Hawai’i, also called ‘Olelo Hawai’i Makuahine’). Hujambo and kwa heri are ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye,’ in Swahili (a macrolanguage of Tanzania; also used as a lingua franca throughout East/Central Africa).
さようなら (saYOOnara) is ‘goodbye’ in Japanese (spoken in Japan). Sans plus tarder means ‘without further ado’ in French (the national language of France; also spoken in many other countries, such as Morocco, Canada & Belgium).
Interested in learning Hawaiian, Swahili, Japanese, French, or one of the other 70+ languages that the Mango app offers? Click here to learn more! https://mangolanguages.com/app
Want to know more about the scientific research underlying this episode? Check out this academic paper about the role of motivation in the language learning process: Lee, M., & Bong, M. (2019). Relevance of goal theories to language learning research. System, 86, 102122.
Emily Sabo (PhD, University of Michigan) is a linguist at Mango Languages. A Pittsburgh native, her areas of specialization are the social and cognitive factors that impact bilingual language processing. Having studied 7 languages and lived in various countries abroad, she sees multilingualism -- and the cultural diversity that accompanies it -- as the coolest of superpowers. Complementary to her work at Mango, Emily is a Lecturer of Spanish at the University of Tennessee, a Producer of the “We Are What We Speak’ docuseries, and get this...a storytelling standup comedian!

Are your proficiency goals in line with your practical goals? How many hours a week can you realistically commit to your language learning? What does success look like for you a year from now? In this episode of Adventures in Language, we’re talking about how to set good goals for yourself and walk you through 6 prompts to set you up for success.
Pssst - we have an awesome (and free!) worksheet version of the 6 prompts we cover in this episode, which you can access by downloading here: https://info.mangolanguages.com/glc-signup
If you liked this episode, please let us know by following our podcast! If you’d like the blog article that accompanies this podcast, click here: https://blog.mangolanguages.com/how-to-set-good-language-learning-goals
We also invite you to check out our website at: https://mangolanguages.com/ and follow us on social media @MangoLanguages.
Wondering what languages were used in this episode? In addition to English, you heard Hebrew, Polish, and Spanish. שָׁלוֹם (sha.LOM) and יַאלְלָה בַּיי (YUH.lah bye) are ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ in Hebrew, which is spoken today by over 8 million Israelis as an L1 (native language) and statutory national language. Fun fact: did you know that when saying ‘hello’ in Hebrew, you’re literally saying ‘peace/harmony’? Dzień dobry (djen dOHbreh) and do widzenia (doh veedzENyah) are ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ in Polish, which is spoken today by appriximately 37 million people in Poland as an L1 and statutory national language). Pues, sin más preámbulos means 'Well, without further ado' (lit. 'Well, without further preambles...’') in Spanish, which is an Ibero-Romance language that is the statutory national language of over 20 countries world-wide. Interested in learning Hebrew, Polish, Spanish or one of the other 70+ languages that the Mango app offers? Click here to learn more: https://mangolanguages.com/
Meet your guide Emily! Emily Sabo (PhD, University of Michigan) is a linguist at Mango Languages. A Pittsburgh native, her areas of specialization are the social and cognitive factors that impact bilingual language processing and production. Having studied 7 languages and lived in various countries abroad, she sees multilingualism -- and the cultural diversity that accompanies it -- as the coolest of superpowers. Complementary to her work at Mango, Emily is a Lecturer of Spanish at the University of Tennessee, a Producer of the “We Are What We Speak’ docuseries, and get this...a storytelling standup comedian!
Want to know more about the scientific research underlying this episode? For a fun, easy read that summarizes the takeaways of how we learn - check out Ben Carey’s 2015 book entitled How we learn: The surprising truth about when, where, and why it happens. Chapter 2 (titled The Power of Forgetting) is of particular relevance to this video/episode. We highly recommend this read because Carey writes in a way that’s clearly well-researched but accessible and free of jargon. He does a great job of sprinkling in engaging reviews of the experiments that laid the foundation for how we know what we know about how learning happens in the brain. One academic article that illustrates how active learning strategies can combat the Fluency Illusion is Roediger III, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). The power of testing memory: Basic research and implications for educational practice. Perspectives on psychological science, 1(3), 181-210.