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For couples and households

One story, two languages

When two people share a home but not a first language, reading the same book usually means one of you reads in a language that is not your own. A parallel text lets each of you read in yours, side by side, and still talk about the same page.

Each in your own language, on the same page

A parallel text puts a story and its translation next to each other, paragraph by paragraph. Usually that is a tool for learners. For a couple it is something simpler: you read the left column, your partner reads the right one, and you arrive at the end of the chapter together.

Nothing gets lost in a retelling. When one of you laughs at a line, the other can find the same line across the page, in their own words, and see whether it lands the same way.

Stories to start with

Short modern stories written for the library, about everyday life, work, neighbours and family. Each is published in at least 9 languages, and any two of them can be read side by side: open a story and choose your pair. These are shown in German with English beside them.

The library also has classic short stories by writers such as O. Henry, Chekhov and Maupassant, in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Ways to read together

A story a week

Pick one short story on Sunday, read it separately during the week, each in your language, and talk about it at the weekend. The ending means something different in every language, and you will find out where.

Read aloud, and swap

One of you reads a paragraph aloud in their language, the other follows the translation, then you swap. It is a gentle way to hear your partner’s language without being tested on it.

Learn each other’s language

If one of you is learning the other’s language, read on the learning side and keep your own as a safety net. Your partner becomes the best dictionary in the house. The reading method guide has the details.

With the rest of the family

The same story works for grandparents who read only one of your languages, and for children growing up with both. See stories for bilingual families.

Choosing a book you both enjoy

  • Start short. A story you can both finish in an evening leaves time to talk about it.
  • Choose a story neither of you knows. Finding out the ending together is half the fun.
  • Or a book from one of your childhoods. Reading a partner’s favourite in your own language is a way into where they come from.

Any book, in both your languages

Have a novel you both want to read? Upload the EPUB or a text-based PDF to DuoText, choose the second language from 68, and every paragraph comes back paired with its translation, for the browser, a Kindle or Kobo, or paper. A free preview shows the opening pages first, and there are 50 free pages when you sign up.

Questions

Do we both need to be learning a language?

No. Each of you can simply read in the language you are most at home in. The two columns line up paragraph by paragraph, so you are always at the same point of the story and can stop to talk about it.

Can we read it on two devices?

Yes. Open the same story on two phones, tablets or e-readers, each set to your own side, or share one screen with both columns. The library stories are free and need no account.

What if our two languages are not in the library?

Every library story comes in several languages, and each can be read beside any other. For a book you own, you can choose from 68 languages.