A lot of the xenophobia sweeping the world these days stems from the simple fact that it is hard to understand what the hell that towel-head/spic/wop/sand nigger or chink is saying. This aside from all the obvious cultural differences. Still, just knowing how to say a few phrases in someone else’s language is a huge step towards understanding, tolerance and a moving rendition of Kumbaya.

In search of alleviating said communication barrier is the free web application, Mango, which just launched its beta version this week. Rather than pay an arm and a leg to attend classes on some campus, just grab a few beers and spend 20 minutes on the site. It’s easy to use, beautifully laid out and the phrases are clearly spoken. I imagine it would take a little longer to load on slower internet connections, nevertheless, it is a fantastic piece of kit. Eleven languages are currently offered and they plan to include more as the site grows. I’d like to see Indian languages offered and I’m personally waiting for Arabic so I can finally tell the terrorists what I’ve long believed; the 40 virgins awaiting them in heaven all have syphilis, razor-sharp teeth and lock-jaw.

Jokes aside, there are a few weird questions later in the lessons (such as, “Show me your passport,” “What is the purpose of your visit,” and, “Is it true what they say about your genital size?”) which smell like Homeland Security xenophobia. Still, Mango is one hell of a service that I whole-heartedly recommend. Mango makes communicating fun, easy and free like AIDS. Enjoy.

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