Learn a Language with Mango Languages

Once-free in beta website Mango has officially moved up to its gold release version, resulting in a rate hike. Fortunately, the service still offers one lesson free per user.

I have used it before – about a year and a half ago – and it was somewhat helpful, like a cheaper subscription version of Berlitz. It was somewhat effective, especially the Russian lessons, and I still remember a few words.

I have not had much experience with them beyond the free lessons, so make sure you read other reviews before you buy or ask for an extra sample by email (It’s worth a shot; the worst they can do is say, “No”).

So be sure to try out the sample and if you like it, I encourage you to use it and share your experience.

Had fun with Mango Languages before? Tell us about it!

Studying Efficiently

There is a wealth of knowledge on the Internet concerning studying. Whether you want to learn to take notes using the Cornell method or become a speed reader, there is something out there for everybody. The down side of these things, however, is that they tend to require just as much studying to learn as simply reading the textbook normally. What do you do when the up-front cost is seemingly worth more than the return? I have compiled a list of simple yet effective study tips. Even enacting one in your life will yield results.

Flash cards

Remember elementary school? They didn’t put vocabulary words on flash cards for no reason. Flash cards are efficient for memorizing simple, one or two-word phrases quickly and well. The trick here is in the time for response, which triggers a conditioning sort of quality. Seeing the word “dcera” and thinking “daughter” still sticks with me even years after my Czech phase.

Flash cards are most effective for short, energetic bursts of cramming. For example, vocabulary lists or memorizing the periodic table.

Do it

For certain subjects, many people learn more efficiently with much higher retention rates by doing something. It won’t work for all subjects, but for things like translation, mathematics, and programming, doing it is a wonderful way to commit things to memory.

If you are learning a spoken language, there is a pitfall, however. Do not abuse the dictionary or conjugation tables too much, or you will find yourself relying on them more and more. Try your best and look words up only after you have dedicated effort to recalling what you are looking for.

Teach it

If doing it gets a 10/10, teaching it gets a 12. Many people learn things much better – or even have an easier time figuring things out – when they are explaining them to others. The reason for this is that as a teacher, you are expected to know the why, rather than just the how. If you know why x cannot be equal to 2, you will retain that knowledge for much longer than by simply existing in a classroom.

The list is short, but I think these are the most efficient ways to study. Always keep in mind that depending on subject, one way may be more efficient than another, so change your approach based on what you need to learn and how quickly.

Want to Team Up?

Online learning can be difficult to accomplish alone, especially with a full-time job or other obligations, like children. Fortunately, the Internet also comes with about a bajillion websites, some of which provide a method to team up with people who have the same interests as you do. Here is a summary of some of the sites I’ve used over the years to help me become motivated and keep me on the right track.

43 Things

43 Things is a service that provides users with the ability to set goals, share them, speak with others, ask questions, give advice, and much more for just about anything (If the goal doesn’t exist, just create it yourself).

I find most of the advice is relatively solid compared to, say, Yahoo! Answers and the people are generally willing to help out with serious goals. Give it a try and be sure to let yourself adjust to the interface before making any decisions (It’s not the most intuitive website).

Comotivate

Comotivate is a service similar to 43 Things, but with much greater focus on specifically partnering with a handful of people. The site’s matching features aren’t the best, and there are some bugs and improvements to be fixed and added, but the general concept is spot-on and the implementation is fairly solid.

The site can be slow at times, which is unfortunate. I would keep checking back in the future to see if it improves at all.

I Want to Speak

Instead of trying to be everything, I Want to Speak focuses on languages and learning them. Similar to Comotivate, I Want to Speak matches you with a partner based on what languages you both speak and want to learn to speak. I signed up for the site around a year ago, but I never really used it much due to a lot of slowness and a clunky interface due to a half-baked JavaScript implementation. It may have improved by now, but I still tend to avoid it.

SparkPeople

If weight loss is your thing, SparkPeople is where you can get the best buddy system I’ve found online. With matching by area, interest, or goal, specific groups which provide an expanded matching system, plenty of motivating articles, exercise tips and guides, and recipes, SparkPeople really was the ultimate tool for weight loss. It does not focus solely on losing weight or getting fit, but rather changing the way members think about things and making them live healthier lives overall.

I have used the above communities somewhat, especially the first and last, and have found them more useful than others I have tried. There are plenty more out there, so I want to hear from you: what am I missing?

If a stand-alone goal tracker is more your thing, try out Joe’s Goals.