Interlinear Books Review: a Powerful Language Learning Tool

Remember the recent podcast about reading in other languages? We talked a lot about how difficult it can be to find original literature in your target language that is actually comprehensible too.

In today's post, I've asked Fluent contributor Victoria to take a look at an intriguing offer...Interlinear books - they're like original subtitled literature. Say what! Victoria is both Norwegian and book-obsessed - no better candidate to review the books we examined in this post.

Read on to find out if the promise of Interlinear books delivers:

When I was asked to review Interlinear Books, a language learning literature tool, I was intrigued - I'm always looking for new reading experiences, and this certainly was unlike anything I have read before!

Short version of verdict: Interlinear Books are a great supporting language learning tool for intermediate learners to infuse some foreign language literature into their lives.

This review is based on no previous knowledge about Interlinear products, and all comments are based on my first-hand experience of trialing the Swedish Interlinear book.

What are Interlinear Books?

Interlinear are bilingual books that include the original and an English translation below. The English is in a smaller font, so that it doesn’t distract too much from the original language. Each word or phrase is translated below the original one, and the books are classic literature from the language it is teaching. In Interlinear Books’ own words: it’s like subtitles for books.

Click here to view all Interlinear books

Does it work?

Initially I was intrigued by the idea of learning language by reading quality literature – as a literature graduate and a book lover at large there could hardly be anything more fitting! I chose the Swedish title, Skatten: Herr Arnes Penningar (The Treasure: Sir Arne’s Money) and dived into it.

As a native Norwegian speaker, I was already fairly acquainted with Swedish as a language and feel that I was already somewhere between advanced and fluent level. However, I find that reading books in the language you are learning is always useful to broaden vocabulary, regardless of your fluency level. I wanted to feel more confident reading Swedish and thought this would be the perfect tool to do so with some guidance.

The story is not the most compelling and the language is fairly poetic for a novel, which I thought was a slightly strange choice. However, Interlinear does ensure that this poetic language carries through into the English translation, which I appreciated.

Not Your Usual Translation

Since each word is translated in the word order of the original text, I found that the English text could sometimes be strange to read. As a consequence of the word-for-word translation, the English sentence structure is sometimes quite unusual. However, this appears to be an effect of Interlinear’s aim to make you read sentences, rather than single words; the intention is for you to be able to grasp the meaning of the sentence without looking up every single word, just the ones you don’t already know. The text is translated and proofread by humans, which sets it apart from other translation language learning services.

Personally, I found the layout of the pages slightly hard to follow; the translation may be in a smaller font, but it is nonetheless very existent on the page and can be distracting at times. The result of the text appearing twice on one page is often that there is very little white space. You do get used to this as you read, however it may throw you off slightly at first.

I did, however, very much enjoy reading the text, and found that my reading skills improved throughout reading the text, as well as adding new words to my vocabulary. I also enjoyed the fact that Interlinear Books allow you to explore the literature of the country whose language you are learning and consequently get an insight into the cultural specifics.

Intermediate Learner? Look to Explore Interlinear

Interlinear really works best if you're an intermediate learner, as the concept of understanding the meaning of a sentence from understanding a few key words is unlikely to be effective at a beginner level. For this same reason I would also suggest that the Interlinear Books are a great tool for bridging the gap between beginner and intermediate; it allows you to put your language skills to the test with the translation to fall back on when necessary.

The key question you're all probably wondering about right now – can the Interlinear Books support your language learning experience? The answer is: absolutely.

So Should You Give Interlinear Books a Go?

If you're an intermediate learner, the short answer is: yes – but be aware that it cannot replace more conventional language courses or classes. It works best as a learning supplement.

The whole concept of Interlinear Books is to provide a tool that helps support your language learning, and the books should therefore not be the sole language learning you implement in your everyday life. Instead, you should use the books to replace some of your other English-language reading – read a chapter during lunch or during your commute, for example. The books are relatively short, so they are likely to feel easier to get through than a massive brick.

Interlinear Books currently have 10 books on offer, in 10 different languages. They're also continuously developing new books and languages, and you can sign up for their newsletter to be the first to hear about any new titles they produce.

View the Interlinear catalogue in full by clicking here

So, if you're looking to take that next step into reading books in the language you are reading, Interlinear Books is a brilliant place to start.

My 5 Simple Steps to French Fluency in 2017

I started learning French over 20 years ago and persisted with it diligently, but for a long time learning French felt like the harder version of learning my other languages, like English and Italian. It’s just that little bit trickier: a little harder to pronounce, a little less seductive.

I never quite connected to that relatively formal French culture, saying Madame and reserving the jokes for a little later. My language level slid down a little from C1…but this year something changed. In 2017...

French came back into my life!

After my first visit to Montréal, I discovered the joys of Quebecois and the relaxed French-Canadian mannerisms that were so on my wavelength. And since moving to Canterbury in South East England, I suddenly started hearing a lot more of the language, bumping into French people, and visiting the French bakeries here.

French is spoken by 80 million people on every continent of the world, and I’m part of a huge community of French learners. In other words, I was able to re-connect to French and focus on how much fun it is to learn a language when we love the places where it’s spoken.

If you also feel a desire to improve your French, either build on old foundations or to start from scratch, check out the following resources to see how I added more French language into my life.

1) Adding French to My Podcast List

My go-to podcast in French is News in Slow French, a short show that takes up no more than 7 or 8 minutes. I also had a root around the French iTunes Store to find more interesting shows.

My usual podcast joys are true crime, languages, politics, and TV reviews so I added Whisperos, a French review show all about Game of Thrones. The great thing about podcasts is that they’ll teach me a bit more colloquial French, my total weakness after years and years of academic and secretarial studies in the language.

Such a small button, such great results

2) Reading in French for 10-15 Minutes a Day

People don’t read anymore? Nonsense! I believe that the text-based nature of the internet means that most people who own a screen read more than ever. My French education had always focused on reading formal language like business letters and Le Monde, so I went out of my way to look for texts with street cred on this one.

Street Cred:

First, I added a subscription to the MademoiZelle feed to my list of blogs. Second, I went out and purchased magazines like Marie-Claire in French. So that was lots of casual, women’s mag style topics, perfect for keeping me interested.

…and Edu Cred

Third, a trip to the library sorted me out with the book 50 Ways to Improve Your French. Sometimes it’s nice to revisit language instruction and focus back on little linguistics points to improve and exercises that go with them. The book is split into different sections so that I only had to pick what was new to me (vocabulary and a review of irregular verbs, job done).

Adding to that, I regularly read articles from French Crazy and French Together to get new words and interesting points into my system.

3) Working through Glossika

I actively sought out educational materials for French learners. I worked on Glossika 123 French to speak more - the majority of sentences were a little below my level, which allowed me to think on my feet and whiz through them.

4) Setting Goals and Making Them Public

As a busy person who is already tackling one main language (Welsh), it was important for me to make sure I actually commit to the time I was going to spend studying the French language.

I’m not someone who learns for over an hour every day, and I do not believe that daily hours of study are necessary for fluency. But having said that, the German saying von nix kommt nix (from nothing comes nothing) is also true. If I was going to get better at French, I had to spend a little more time and effort on it.

So in addition to looking for a few new resources that I was interested in, I also made the decision to be very public about my renewed French efforts. I set up my goals in the Language Habit Toolkit, printed them out and pasted them in my notebook.

A post shared by Kerstin Cable (@kerstin_fluent) on Aug 29, 2017 at 8:58am PDT

The best thing about planning in this way was that I got to eliminate my background worries about how learning French would make it impossible to progress in Welsh, and instead I always had clarity on how much I was going to add in each language.

Posting the photo on Instagram may not be much of a public commitment for some, but for me this was really important. When I tell you guys I’ll do something, it’s just one more reason to keep going.

5) The Easiest Way My French Improved: Speaking to More People!

French is spoken all over the world, so you can look forward to connecting with people in this language anywhere from Canada to Sénégal, from France to Shanghai. Sometimes the French speakers do seem to hide a little bit though, so my trips to Canada and my move to Canterbury really made a difference.

Now, I hear French spoken in the street, at my office, and on the television. But that didn’t solve my conversations issue entirely, so I went one further and found regular text partners. I’ve not started video calling in French yet, but have high hopes for adding in a few conversation classes soon.

If you’re looking for an online tutor or partner, the best online directories to use are italki (for qualified, independent, fair priced live tutors), and HelloTalk (for texting new people).

Keeping My Commitment

Before I started, a small part of me was grappling with the lack of excitement I was feeling. French wasn’t as hot as Welsh somehow, it felt like more of a chore. Adding interesting content and keeping the commitment to “little and often” helped me pull through and improve quickly.

I never aimed to read or listen to French for more than a quarter of an hour every day, but found that this made it a lot easier to get started. If you’re finding it particularly hard to get going, try my “ok then” trick and set a timer for just 10 minutes. It’s a lot better than ignoring French altogether and letting that guilt mount up in your head.

In conclusion, language should never feel like a chore…even if it does require some hard discipline now and then!

How Good is your French?

Are you a French learner, too? Have you been trying to master the language for 20+ years like me, or do you feel like you’re just starting to fly?

I’d love to hear your favourite resources and tips, so go ahead and leave a comment below.

By the way: If you're keen to improve your French grammar, check out Finally Get It in French Grammar, a course I'm teaching in the Fluent online school.

"For The Love of Humanity": Using Languages for Good

Welcome to episode 66 of the Creative Language Learning Podcast.

In this episode, I'm presenting two interviews with women who are working to change people's lives through the power of language.

Madeline, Interpreter for Survivors of Torture and Trauma

Community Interpreter Madeline Vadkerty gives me an overview of what it is like to interpret for survivors of torture and trauma. This interview was an incredible chance to learn more about interpreting from her, and to hear why helping refugees and toture survivors get their stories heard matters so much.

The people Madeline works with were caught in situations that we take for granted in many other countries: running for political office, being a homosexual, or expressing different opinions to the mainstream.

She says got into her field "for the love of humanity", and shares what you need to know if interpreting intrigues you.

Marianne Manz, Religious education teacher...turned teacher for refugees

When Germany accepted a large number of refugees back in 2015, Marianne Manz sprang into action. She's a school teacher who has always loved teaching and languages, and thought to herself "we can do something here." Marianne pulled together a group of volunteers and started AG Reliwerk, a tiny local group of Germans who offer language courses.

In this interview, Marianne shared the joys and pains of teaching German to refugees, and what it's like when you have untrained teachers from 16 to 70 teaching refugees without regular internet access.

As a bonus, I also asked her if German is really so difficult to learn. A fascinating interview!

Go Further With Languages

1) You don't have to make this your full-time career

Marianne's interview shows that even a few hours a week can make a huge difference to the lives of other people, and give you so much joy.

2) Other skills really matter

In addition to their language skills, both of the women I interviewed stood out to me for their strengths in their field. Interpreting and teaching are skills in themselves and your new position will stretch them and help you grow in incredible ways.

3) Getting together with other is key

If you're reading these words right now, chances are that you're looking at a screen by yourself. Supporting others with your language takes you out of that state, and puts you deeply and intensively in touch with others. When you contribute to the world, you give to others but you also benefit in so many ways.

Check out the links for this episode to find inspiration of where to volunteer in the UK or USA.

Interpreting Links

• The Community Interpreter
• Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma · Causes
• Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma PSA - YouTube

Teaching Refugees and Migrants Links

• Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutsch | Deutschunterricht für Flüchtlinge entwickeln
• Tips for teaching English to migrants and refugees in the UK | British Council
• Hominum International e.V. - Home
• Wycliffe Associates | Accelerating Bible Translation

Volunteering Links

• Home | Do-it.org volunteering made easy
• A Few Simple Ideas for New Language Learners — Greg Thomson's approach to self-directed language learning.
• Public Service and Volunteer Opportunities | USAGov
• Creative Language Learning Podcast Episode 43: Wikitongues — Language documentation and preservation charity Wikitongues, interviewed by Lindsay for our show

Do you want to use your languages for good?

I'd love to hear what you think! Have you ever been able to help someone else thanks to your own language skills? Do you feel inspired to start teaching, translating, interpreting, or writing for others?

Leave a comment below or share on Facebook or Twitter - and finally, of course don't forget to check out our sponsors at Clozemaster.

No More Hoarding! How to Organize All Your Language Learning Resources

Ever heard of resource overload? Most language lovers I know can't get enough of new books, courses, and blogs to inspire them...but there's a dark side!

Language resources can be overwhelming. You might wonder which ones are worth your time, or what you really need to get started in a language.

Over the years, I've amassed a huge pile of language learning resources, and in today's post I want to introduce you to a few of my favourites and explain four categories of resources that you should have when you're teaching yourself a language.

For instant organisation, you can find a Resource Organiser worksheet in the Language Habit Toolkit, available in the Fluent Online School.

1) Guiding Resources: Language Textbooks and Language Courses

The first resource I believe you should have is what I call a guiding resource. This can be a book, a CD set, a video course, or even a night class. For any resource to be considered a guiding resource in my mind, it must fulfil the following criteria:

Great Structure

Never compromise on structure. Look out for units, chapters, steps. There is none that is best for everyone, so ensure that your guiding resource follows a path that you will find interesting. You don't want something that just throws a lot of information at you, and you don’t want to be yawning by chapter 3.

The resource should have lessons that move you from one level to the next level. For example, in Benny Lewis' Teach Yourself book, there are different units and they tell you what it is you are going to learn - units such as talking about yourself, asking about other people, talking about family, and describing things.

Having a structure to follow is very important for independent language learners, so be sure to check out the curriculum before you buy.

Designed for Your Situation

When you buy a textbook, make sure you check if your choice might be designed for group classes (for example, Façon de Parler). This doesn't make such textbooks bad resources, but the way they are written, a lot of the exercises are usually not designed for you to do by yourself. The text will say something like: "Find a partner in your group and then practice these sentences with them," or "In the group, have a discussion of this image." The textbooks just assume that you're in a group class. If you're teaching yourself, this is not always helpful.

Multimedia

Third, there should be a multimedia component. This means that you want more than just a book or audio. You want the book unit to be accompanied by audio, worksheets, or video. Online courses in languages are getting better and better, but check that there’s offline access if you need it.

My preferred structure for a guiding resource is this:

Start with a story or dialogue, then an explanation of what was new, and finish with a chance for you as the learner to practice what you’ve learnt.

Good examples of guiding resources are

• Teach Yourself series, in particular the Language Hacking books
• Assimil (on Amazon UK)
• Duolingo if used in line with these recommendations

2) Input Resources: Enjoyable and Comprehensible Input

Input resources are very easy to find…the internet is a total treasure trove of them! I also call them supplementary resources, as they supplement all other learning.

You can have as many as you want. You never have too many input resources. With these resources, you can follow any story or video for some time, drop it, and then get back to it weeks later. Most YouTube videos in the language that you're learning are going to fall into this category. Music and TV shows also fall into this category.

Your input resources must be understandable, but not too easy and not too hard. You need to be able to sense that you're learning as you're following it; so, there should be a little bit of a challenge. But at the same time, you don't want them to be so easy that you know exactly what's coming.

If it’s fun, it works

Input resources also must be enjoyable. They must be fun, so feel very free to toss out what doesn’t interest you. If you don't enjoy them, you aren't going to engage with them. At Langfest in Montreal, I met the famous applied linguist Dr Stephen Krashen, whose belief in comprehensible input is all about these resources. This is where the magic happens. You need input, it needs to be fun, you need to understand it, and you need lots of it.

Good examples of input resources include

• Easy Languages on Youtube
• Olly Richards’ Short Stories for Language Learning (Amazon UK | amazon.com)

3) Reference Resources: Dictionaries, Grammar Guides, Phrasebooks

In a journey as epic as learning a new language, you’re going to get lost and waste lots of time without a map, and that’s what the reference resource can be for you.

Accessible Language Materials

First, the resource must be accessible. Obviously, they should be there for you to touch or open, but more importantly, they must be easy to understand. Second, the resource must be accessible in the sense that you should have it around. It should be there when you want it because the whole idea of a reference resource is you don't follow it as a course.

Dip in and out

Nobody ever learned a language by reading a dictionary. Instead of following reference resources as a course, you just have them around for when you have a question. At the start of language learning, I think reference resources are good to help you answer the question for yourself: Where am I going to look this up?

Many video courses fit right into the reference category. For example, the Fluent courses on German pronunciation and on grammar cross over between guiding and reference resources. My dream for my German courses is that somebody follows it, gains a lot from it the first time, but knows that they can dip in and watch every video individually.

Good examples of reference resources include

The three core reference resources you need are

• a good online or offline dictionary (read my in-depth dictionary tips)
• a good grammar resource (read more tips on effective grammar study)
• and a good pronunciation guide.

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So those are the three key categories of resources you should have somewhere in your personal language library. To re-cap:

1. Guiding Resources give your studies shape and help you know your progress. You want these to be structured.
2. Input Resources make language learning effective and enjoyable. You want these to be fun and right for your level.
3. Reference Resources are on hand when you have specific questions and need a quick answer. You want these to be easy to access and understand.

If you don't have these three areas covered on your (virtual or IRL) bookshelf, it's easy to feel lost when learning a new language, to miss things, and even to lose yourself and think you're better than you are or worse than you are.

4. Self-Teacher's Resources

Are you learning a language by yourself? You need one more: the self-teacher's resources, which are all about how to organise yourself. This category contains language learning blogs, podcasts, books to help you master the learning process.

The self-teacher's resources are awesome because they

1. keep you motivated and accountable
2. help you adopt great study techniques.

For a practical, action-focused take on this resource that will set you up for inevitable success, check out the Language Habit Toolkit, your language coach in a box.

What are your favourite resources? Want recommendations for a resource in your target language or feel you're lacking something?

No problem! Leave me a comment below or say hi in the Fluent Language Learners Facebook group.

Why is it so Hard to Find Pop Music in Other Languages?

I remember learning hundreds of new words as I was listening to my favourite bands, reading the CD liner notes to understand the lyrics. Music is an amazing language learning tool. It gets your pronunciation into gear, it motivates you to open your mouth and sing, and of course it's fun so you'll be engaging again and again!

Listen to Lindsay Williams and me in Creative Language Learning Podcast episode 57 to discover:

• Why does pop music matter for language learning?
• What influence does the industry have for which music gets made and which doesn't?
• Why is English such a convenient language for pop music?
• How should you incorporate pop music into your language learning routine...or should you?
• Where can language learners find music in their own target language?
• Who are our favourite artists in other languages?

Links from this Podcast Episode

• How to Use Spotify for Language Learning
• Quora: Why do non-English speaking countries listen primarily to English-sung songs instead of producing modern/pop songs in their own languages?
• Guardian: Behind the music: What it costs European acts to sing in their own languages

  In dance music it's generally more important how lyrics sound than what they actually mean. Artists with English as a second language can be less judgmental about what's deemed a cliche.

• 10 Great Songs That Topped US Charts But Weren’t Performed In English
• Foreign language songs that got to Number 1 in the UK
• The Hottest German Lesson in Town: Deutschland 83 and Major Tom (PLUS Free Lyric & Vocab Sheet
• How I Built This, an NPR Podcast
• Honest Reggaeton (not 100% SFW)

The Biggest Pop Genres That Succeed in Other Languages

Latino pop

Notable collaborations include Despacito with Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber, and Bailando with Enrique Iglesias, Sean Paul et al.

• Alt.Latino Podcast
• Residente by Residente), an album exploring the artist's international heritage

K-Pop

• New York Times Popcast
• KCON Music Festival)

European Music and Eurovision

Check out Stromae, KRO, Prince Pi, Indochine, Robyn (in English).

• Our European Day of Music Live Episode
• Lindsay's #songsaturday Playlist

And I am delighted to sign off with one of the amazing "Moskau" performance by Dschinghis Khan: