Parallel Text Example From Sustaining
A parallel text resource for learning another language is a book or text in which the target language and native language are presented side by side on the same page or screen. The side by side nature of the text makes for a robust learning resource for language learners and can be a good source of comprehensible input.
How To Use Parallel Texts
Parallel texts can be used in a number of ways depending on your level in the language.
Beginning Language Learners
As a beginner, you may want to read a paragraph in your native language first and then move over to read the same paragraph in the target language. By reading the text in your native language first you are essentially priming your mind to understand and make better connections with the target language. The context of what you read will be fresh and allow you to make stronger connections to words and phrases thus creating a good source of the comprehensible input necessary to maximize your learning experience. I continue to encourage learners to avoid reading sentence by sentence. This encourages the mind to do more direct translating rather than allowing the input to get in and do it’s work.
Intermediate Language Learners
Start with paragraph by paragraph and as your command of the language grows, begin to read bigger and bigger chunks at a time. You want to move toward reading whole chapters and then whole books first in the native language and then in the target language.
Advanced Language Learners
As an advanced speaker of a language, you may want to begin to read parallel texts in the target language first and then use the native language section as a resource for paragraphs or expressions that you are not understanding.
Other Ideas
Parallel text can be a great way to get started reading target language literature written by native speakers of the language. Novels written by national authors are often times difficult to read because there is so much cultural and historic knowledge, idiomatic expressions, and writing styles that are unfamiliar and difficult to understand for language learners. Finding a famous novelist’s work in a parallel text can be both a great source of language as well as provide tremendous insight into the culture of the people who speak the language.
For vocabulary, you can utilize the layout of a parallel text by highlighting the new word as well as the translation of the word on the same page. This provides a quick reference when reading back through the text. It is important to capture the new words you are learning that you feel are important, so be sure and write them down on a flashcard for later review as well.
Another idea if you are learning a third of fourth language is to find parallel texts in the languages you have and are learning and to forgo your native language all together. This provides input in both languages and could save you some valuable time if you are working to both maintain a language and learn a new one. I’d like to find some Turkish/Spanish parallel texts for this purpose.
Finding Parallel Texts
Commercially produced parallel books and websites are available in the format above with both texts presented in this side by side manner. A Google search using the two languages and the term “parallel text” will lead to a host of resources both free and for sale. So for example, in the search bar you would enter: “Turkish English parallel text” With this search you should be able to find quality resources that you can read from your computer, print off or purchase.
The same parallel text environment can of course be created as well by simply finding a copy of the text in both languages. The easiest resource in the world to find for this is the Bible, but much in popular literature has been translated into most of the major languages of the world. It is not quite as convenient to have two books to flip back and forth between and keeping your place in each may be difficult, but it works fine.
You can as well create your own parallel texts. I recently did this with Sustaining, a short guide written to help language learners create, maintain and protect their motivation, commitment and positive attitude toward the language learning journey. [take a peek] I am excited to have this guide in English, Turkish and soon in Polish and would love to see it translated into as many languages as possible. (If you would like to undertake this project in your native language, please let me know.)
Parallel texts can be a great resource for language learners. In the Internet age they are more available than ever before and so I encourage you to give using a parallel text a try and see what you think.
Comment Suggestions:
Where have you been able to find parallel texts?
How have you used parallel texts effectively?
- Sustaining in English
- Sustaining in French
- Sustaining in Spanish
- Sustaining in Turkish
- Sustaining in Polish
- Sustaining English/Turkish Parallel Text
- Sustaining Spanish/English Parallel Text
- Sustaining on Kindle for $ .99
(If you have read Sustaining, would you mind stopping by Amazon and leaving a quick review? Leave a Review)
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"Aaron consistenly pumps out top quality language learning advice and motivational posts,
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Aaron, thanks for this post! I saw you mention this a few days ago and have been trying it. My wife and I have done this in learning songs. First one or the other has translated it using a dictionary and other aids and then working to memorize it and learn it but being able to read it along side in our first language. It has been great. As a beginning-early intermediate learner I find reading short paragraphs works well.
Thanks!
@jaybark7 Thanks for the comment Jay. There is a great series of parallel texts books by Turkish authors. Great Turkish resources as well as great insight into Turkish culture.
Great advice.
The only thing I would add as a caution is that people should be careful with translations. They’re never completely accurate in bilingual and interlinear readers.
@mezzofanti Good word of caution. I would encourage folks not to read looking for translations. Think big picture. The English text is there only to give you the ‘gist’ of the story and help create more comprehensible input. This way, even bad translations (and there are a lot) don’t necessarily matter. As long as they are getting the basic story line right, they can be helpful.
I would recommend a series of books for Spanish learners called Stories from (Puerto Rico, Spain, Mexico, Latin America). They are great books that have short stories on local legends. One side of the book is Spanish and the other English. Published by McGraw-Hill.
My one caution, especially for beginning learners, is to not give up so quickly when you become stuck on a word or phrase and jump to the other language. Spend some time working out the meaning by its context. With these books it is too easy to just give up and glance over at the translation.
@JaredRomey Thanks for the recomendation Jared and thank for the word of caution. I heartily agree. Effective language learners have an ability to live with ambiguity. Those who have really used reading as a part of their language learning journey and used it effectivly tend to just read and not look up every word.
I do agree with the post and I do think that parallel text are a great source of comprehensible input. And they are even better if you do have the audio version of it. I teach Italian for a living and, knowing this, three years ago I also created a bilingual book to teach yourself Italian on your own and recorded its audio. I’ve just bought your guide and I find it very useful as it focuses on the psychological and practical aspects of the learning and even though if I knew much of what you wrote, I find the audio recording an added value!
Antonio,
Thanks for stopping by and for the comment. Your site looks like a good resource for Italian and yes, the audio adds a whole other element to learning. A very good idea! Glad you have enjoyed having the audio with the Getting Started Guide!
I finally started using a parallel texts type method with Norwegian today which I have between A1 and A2 knowledge of and am loving this method. Unfortunately I’ve found it difficult to find much parallel text material for Norwegian, but using two novels, an original and translation, I can manage. Just not as convenient or efficient as a proper parallel text but does the job.
Found it to be an enjoyable and relaxed way of learning more Norwegian and my comprehension of new text has jumped a lot after covering about 20 pages of material. Would read the Norwegian and jump to the English translation if needed and very occasionally consult a dictionary. I also read over the material again and see how far I could get without consulting any translations. I think this will definitely be my primary mode of input for a while.
For anyone unable to track down parallel texts, get some novels in the L2 and L1, preferably not particularly books and it is possible with some good positioning and developing a method of keeping your place to learn this way. I personally just use a couple of train tickets positioned just under the line I am reading to keep my place with a hand on each book to keep them both open.
I like to read on a sentence-by-sentence basis at first but read through a page I have just covered a before moving on and this helps me cover the context as well. The chapters in the book I am reading are only about 10 pages long so it is easy enough to go through a chapter in this fashion and then re-read the chapter when done to reinforce things. Anyway, hope this helps anyone having trouble getting parallel texts, especially of contemporary material.
And btw, great article.
Hi Aaron, I was just doing some research on parallel texts for my book and ended up here, excellent article, I agree completely. The only problem I’ve found with parallel texts is that they’re SO scarce–of course, you can always get a copy of a book in your native language another copy in your target language, but from what I understand that’s not technically considered a parallel text because you don’t have both languages in the same book side-by-side.
Anyway, I was wondering if you had any favorite sites for parallel texts? So far this is what I’ve come up with (just two):
http://www.lonweb.org/
http://www.thespanishblog.com/spanish-courses/spanish-english-parallel-texts-city-guides/
Cheers,
Andrew
[...] http://www.everydaylanguagelearner.com/2012/02/16/language-learning-tip-using-parallel-texts/ [...]
[...] I’ve started with my shortest guide, The Everyday Language Learner’s Guide to Sustaining. Working with some great friends, this short manifesto of motivation has already been translated into French, Polish, Spanish and Turkish. I’ve also recently put together the Turkish/English and the Spanish/English parallel text versions, a plan I hope to complete for all translations of Sustaining. (read about parallel texts) [...]
This is a good method all you need is parallel texts
Luckily i found a perfect app to make parallel texts in no time its calle dNova Text Aligner:
http://www.supernova-soft.com/c5/index.php/products/text_aligner/
Atza,
Thanks so much for sharing this link! I’ll try the trial version soon because I want to make both the Polish and French versions of my Sustaining guide available in parallel text as well. Great.
Aaron
I’m talking here about one of the ways to practice English on one’s own by foreign learners, but it is applicable for practicing any foreign or second language on one’s own.
Have you noticed that interpreters have to possess the most thorough knowledge of a foreign language, especially of conversation, vocabulary and grammar? Perhaps foreign learners of English can achieve fluency in English also through oral translation from their native language into English. It is possible to check oneself this way when practicing speaking in English every sentence in ready-made materials with both a native language and English versions. I also believe that the value of oral translation from a native language into English with self-check is underestimated by English teaching specialists for self-study and self-practice of English conversation, vocabulary and grammar. Oral translation practice should cover English grammar, conversation and vocabulary. Thematic dialogues, questions and answers on conversation topics, thematic texts (informative texts and narrative stories), grammatical usage sentences and sentences with difficult vocabulary on various topics, especially with fixed phrases and idioms can be used in practicing English through oral translation from one’s native language into English.
I firmly believe that oral translation from a native language into English is effective in practicing English speaking, vocabulary and grammar on one’s own with ready-made materials using self-check in a more logical, thorough, in-depth way as to content than casual talking to native English speakers. Practicing English on one’s own through oral translation into English with self-check may be a quicker way for developing fluency in speaking English than casual talking to native English speakers with limited content.
Self-study and practicing English on one’s own are indispensable, and substantially accelerate success in English. Communication with native English speakers can’t encompass all aspects of mastering English adequately and thoroughly, especially vocabulary, grammar, potential in-depth content of conversations suitable for real life needs of students for using English. It’s possible and effective to practice English (including listening comprehension and speaking) on one’s own through self-check using transcripts, books, audio and video aids.
Oral translation into English allows speaking a wide variety of sentences on a multitude of topics with sophisticated important content that is rarely widely used in daily life because of limited opportunity and limited content of communication of foreign learners with native speakers of English. Oral translation from a native language into English is very important and effective for foreign learners of English because oral translation into English creates solid additional extensive practice of English that is rarely possible in terms of comprehensive content in daily communication with native speakers of English.
Hi,
We have launched a parallel text service. It takes two of your e-books and creates an aligned parallel version which is available for reading online or on your gadget. Have a look at http://synkopi.com/freeBooks.
A demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB_yKvZwx7Q
Main points
- you may create a parallel version for the book you like
- quality of alignment is not perfect, but good and sufficient for understanding
- language learning is included – helps you to learn the most frequent words
- it’s free while it’s beta. Prices are planned for alignment only