The Magical Guide to Finding and Reading Bilingual E-books

The Magical Guide to Finding and Reading Bilingual E-books The Magical Guide to Finding and Reading Bilingual E-books Books turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.They transform and transport us.And sure, sometimes they tell magical stories about frog princes and enchanted worlds, but theres something magical about all stories when you think about it.They allow entry to places we wouldnt otherwise have access to.They shout open sesame to doors that seem locked.Language learning does all of this, too. Thats why reading is not just a practical and fun way to learn a language, but a magical one, too.With dual language or bilingual books, you can actively learn your target language and enjoy a good story at the same time.And more recently, you can get that enjoyment not just among the dusty shelves of your local library, but by literally just hitting a button.Yep, were talking about bilingual e-books. They may be  the most magical items around.The magic of e-readers is that they turn heavy books into mobile, weightless takealongs, that are available for near-instantaneous download on a whim.Lets see w hy bilingual e-books work, how to add them to a language program andâ€"this is where the magic really comes inâ€"where to find them! The Magical Guide to Finding and Reading Bilingual E-booksWhy Bilingual E-books Make Target Language Reading Practice a SnapBilingual books are typically formatted so one page or passage  of foreign language reading is  paired up with  the corresponding English language translation of that material, and e-books can make bilingual formatting even more practical. For example, sometimes the translation is accessible on a paragraph-by-paragraph or even line-by-line  format and  appears when  the reader  clicks or taps on what needs to be translated. Other times,  pages are divided into columns  with both languages represented. And some books present translations following the foreign text, so you can swipe or click back and forth between the two languages.It’s definitely less frustrating to read without having to use a translation app or dictionary, an d bilingual e-books (as opposed to just bilingual books) also have the added advantage of separate dictionary look-ups if youre using an e-reader like a Kindle. For example, if youre reading a bilingual e-book that switches between original text and translation every page, you can choose to just look up a single word with your default dictionary rather than flipping to the next page and spoiling your initial try at interpreting the general meaning of the text.For the above reasons, many learners feel that bilingual e-books are less intimidating than regular foreign language books. Remember,  foreign language books that arent  bilingual present the entire text in the target language.  Thats fine if the book is  basic level for beginners or if a learner is fluent and  possesses a  sizeable vocabulary. But unless thats the case,  endless pages of foreign text can be off-putting, especially if you can physically measure exactly how long the book is. The fact that bilingual e-books trans late  a text and place it within eyeshot  of readers through the convenience of weightless technology makes this a doubly friendly and accessible method of reading.Plus, just like with any e-book, once a bilingual e-book is downloaded onto a Kindle, phone or tablet, it’s completely mobile. Since reading enables language acquisition,  anything that makes it easy to take target language reading along wherever you go is definitely worth adding to your program.Tips for Adding Bilingual E-books to Your Language ProgramFirst, while looking at whats out there, consider all types of books. Dont limit yourself to just one scholarly source or even a language learning text. With bilingual e-books, all reading genres are represented. Choose something that piques your interest.Theres no shame in starting smallâ€"what I mean is, keep it basic to begin with. You don’t need to grab War and Peace for your first e-bookâ€"or even your twenty-first. Childrens books or comic books are solid reading materials and both are available for bilingual e-reading.Consider reading a book youve already read or a story that youre familiar with, but in electronic bilingual format. Doing that eliminates some potential vocabulary or storyline questions. You already have an idea of who the characters are and how the plot progresses, so its not a stretch to figure a few things out without having to look at the translated page. But when all else failsâ€"thats why the books are presented in two languages. Use the translations.As you learn new words and phrases while reading your e-book, compile a vocabulary list or add to the one youre already curating. Vocabulary lists are a language learners best friend. They can go anywhere and are perfect for filling up empty minutes spent waiting in line or on your lunch break. I carry vocabulary lists everywhere!Then, take that vocabulary list and plug it into a customized flashcard set on FluentU. The program will pull clips using that vocab from videos a cross the site, transforming the vocab from your reading practice and re-contextualizing it into real-world interactive reading and listening practice. FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like news, music videos, vlogs and moreâ€"and turns them into personalized lessons that maximize the language learning experience.Try to choose at least some books that have more idiomatic language to increase your ability to know and use lingo appropriately. One way to do this is to choose contemporary titles rather than classics. Its more likely that a current bestseller set in the present will contain  more current idioms than a book written in the last century! Classics are still a great way to go with bilingual texts, especially since they tend to be so widely translated and easier to find in bilingual formatâ€"just make sure to mix it up a bit.6 Sources for Finding Fabulous Bilingual E-books in Multiple LanguagesThere are some outstanding sources for bilingual e-books! Here are some of the best .Bilinguis.  Bilinguis is a great spot to check out if youre interested in reading the classics. There are five classic titles available in an assortment of language pairs. You can read them right on the site, and theyre available absolutely free!Unite for Literacy.  Unite for Literacy offers bilingual childrens e-books in Spanish and English. Navigating the site is simple. Use  the tool bar at the top to  check out  the various book  categories  (nature, technology, health and others) or search for specific titles. Its also the place to select the text language (either English or Spanish) and audio translation. Audio translation is available in over 30 languages!VitalSource. VitalSource is a site that allows you to rent or buy e-textbooks, which in the Foreign Language Study category includes readers and dual-text books in a variety of languages. The cool thing about using VitalSource is that you can rent or buy multiple language learning books and access them through the sites own reading appâ€"its a great way to save money and keep your language study library clutter-free.Doppeltext.  Doppeltext is an excellent resource for bilingual e-booksâ€"particularly if you enjoy works by famous authors or well-known pieces of literature. Books are available in French, German, Russian and Spanish, and translated text fragments appear in English.With these books, the entire page of foreign language text doesnt have a corresponding full-page translation in English. Rather, the text is translated in small bites to encourage authentic reading. Following along is easy because the translations are generally sentence-long bits. If youre struggling, just click and the translation appears above the passage. This works on a tablet, smartphone, e-reader or PC.Alba Learning.  Alba Learning carries parallel text books in various combinations of English, French and Spanish as well as foreign language audio books. Their titles cover many genres, including short stories and biographi es.Amazon.  Amazon is undoubtedly a leader in providing bilingual e-books. Just search for bilingual e-books with your target language pair within the Kindle store to see what’s available. Some Kindle titles are free, so that’s a big plus. Download and begin readingâ€"the whole process is so streamlined it makes this a very simple way to add relevant material to your reading program.Looking for a Particular Language? Here Are a Few Suggestions!Japanese learners will be impressed with the stunning drawings in Yuko-chan and the Daruma Doll: The Adventures of a Blind Japanese Girl Who Saves Her Village because they beautifully portray the sweet story. The tale is told in English with the Japanese kanji directly below the corresponding text.French readers will appreciate Victor Hugoss “Les Misérables.”  The translation from the French version keeps true to the original version, so the vocabulary and idioms are authentically presented.Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment in t his Russian-English bilingual volume is a snap to read. The individual paragraphs are translated, so going between languages requires minimal work. Reference the corresponding paragraph if theres a question, and then continue reading!Italian language learners will fall into the rabbit hole with Alice in “Alice nel Paese delle Meraviglie” (“Alice in Wonderland”)â€"and have no problem at all understanding every bit of the adventure! I doubt Lewis Carroll could have imagined that this beloved tale would ever be available in a format that provides both English and Italian text side-by-side.This e-book also allows readers to highlight passages, take notes and search the book. I actually have this book on my Kindleâ€"and I love it. Its impossible to dog-ear e-books, but believe me, this one has been read and enjoyed more than once.Spanish Stories: A Dual-Language Book is a collection of thirteen classic Spanish short stories. Theyre arranged in chronological order (oldest to most recently written) with accompanying text that gives readers insight into the authors who wrote them as well as the period in which they were written. Its a book thats not only entertainingâ€"with sound Spanish language learning valueâ€"but educational in a historical and cultural sense as well. This Kindle edition allows readers to highlight passages, take notes and search the book, so it really has a lot to add to a Spanish reading program!A Whale Who Dreamt of a Snail is the ideal beginning dual-text Portuguese story. The illustrations are charming, the story is encouraging for both children and adults and the text appears in both English and Portuguese.Chinese learners are in for a truly magical experience with The Mystery of Dragon Bridge: A Peach Blossom Village Story because its as beautiful as the title suggests. Its a childrens book suggested for intermediate level readers, but its gorgeous watercolor illustrations and uplifting tale are suitable for all ages. English and Si mplified Chinese text is presented on each page.Alice Hoffman was right that books may well be the only true magic. They transport and transfixâ€"and they teach.For language learners, anything that increases the potential for trouble-free reading is a resource that needs to be explored. E-books are portable and hit every mark. Theyre truly an ideal tool for language learners.So, what are you waiting for?Power up your Kindle, phone or tablet. Download a selection or two.Make your own magicâ€"and see how your language skills benefit from bilingual e-books! And One More ThingIf you love the idea of learning languages with bilingual ebooks, you may love learning with FluentU even more.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, including movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, de finition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive Transcripts You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.