Bilingual audio books benefits : introduce students to books above their reading level

Introduce new vocabulary or difficult proper names or locales and bilingual audio books advantages : It’s definitely less frustrating to read without having to use a translation app or dictionary, and bilingual e-books (as opposed to just bilingual books) also have the added advantage of separate dictionary look-ups if you’re using an e-reader like a Kindle. For example, if you’re 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.

Going into new situations can be intimidating, particularly when you don’t understand what’s being said around you. Knowing more than one language can give your child a boost of confidence. Whether you travel or not, it will give them a better understanding of the world around them. And there’s always the added benefit that those who are bilingual will have an easier time picking up a third language.

The street epistemology teaches us how to do so. It consists partly in pushing the interlocutor to ask himself questions. The questions we ask ourselves do not meet the defensive stubbornness that questions asked by a third party meet. This audio guide is bilingual: that is, it presents itself as a language learning tool. The title indicates that it is a parody of the practical guides. A “serious” guide would not be concerned about helping the guru to build his enterprise. Because this bilingual audio book is often fun, offering it to a member-of-a-cult friend, or relative, is not perceived as a threat, or as a criticism of his choices. Read extra information at Bilingual books – How to create your cult.

If money is available for purchasing audiobooks, it is important for librarians and teachers to do their homework before buying. Single-author unabridged audiobooks tend to be the best, though some dramatizations (such as Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, read by the author with a cast of more than 40 British actors) can be excellent. There are many sources of audiobook reviews readily available online, including School Library Journal. [Note: The Association for Library Service for Children also publishes an annual Notable Children’s Recordings list.]

Why a Bilingual AudioBook? The BABook makes learning languages easy, pleasant and interesting. You listen to a sentence or a paragraph in a language, then you listen to the same sentence or paragraph in another language. You learn the easy way, listening to short novels of genres you like. According to the nivel of your students, you choose which language to give them to listen to first: if they are well advanced, play the language they are learning first, and the recording in their mother tongue allows them to check their understanding. For the beginners (or students who are moderately dedicated to their studies!) better to play their mother tongue first. Find more info at Language Learning.