FAQ
General
It's easy as 1-2-3!
1. Step One
Download the official Prismatext app for your iOS or Android device.
2. Step Two
Sign in to the app with the SAME email you used to purchase your titles from our shelf.
*Note: you must use the same email you used to purchase from our site, otherwise you will not see your purchased titles.
3. Step Three
Start Reading!
Your purchased titles (and any future purchases) will automatically be added to your bookshelf on our mobile app.
Troubleshooting
One: Have you already downloaded our mobile app?
*Our mobile app e-reader is currently the only way you can access purchased titles. Don't worry, it has all the bells and whistles you expect in a high quality e-reader (And has tons of great features like Audio Pronunciation and Density Variants, give it a shot!)
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Two: Did you make sure to sign into the app with the SAME email that you used to purchase your title on our website?
*You must use the same email for app sign-in as you did for purchase on our website, otherwise we won't be able to link your accounts!
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Three: Neither of the above options worked?
- Then please shoot us a note at [email protected] and we will respond ASAP!
Absolutely! Prismatext books are the perfect way for beginners (A1/A2) to study vocabulary. They are also effective for intermediate learners (B1/B2) looking to brush up.
Prismatext books use a technique called diglot weave to aid in memory retention of new vocabulary. The diglot weave technique, also known as blended language and sandwich stories, has a number of academic studies that verify its efficacy. See our overview here.
Prismatext books use inline translations, rather than being adjacent or interlinear. One sentence may contain both the source language and its target language. In certain circles, books like this are known as “sandwich stories,” but until now they’ve been associated (mostly) with children’s books.
Our current language offering is: Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.
We are adding new languages all the time, so check back often. And let us know if there's one you really want to try!
If you are unhappy for any reason or want a refund, please shoot us a quick note at: [email protected]
We will get it sorted out straight away!
Prismatext Methodology
Nope! The Prismatext blending process follows some very strict rules, and it uses a proprietary method to identify the words and phrases that will provide the most utility to learners.
We teach you the most useful words, so you're only spending time learning words you'll use often.
They sure do! Right now, gendered nouns, singular and plural states, and descriptors (adjectives, quantities, determiners, etc.) are our main areas of focus.
As we improve our process and introduce more languages, you’ll start seeing direct/indirect object relationships, verb conjugations, cases, particles, and more.
Each Prismatext book introduces new words gradually. New translations appear as old ones become more familiar. You’ll never be swimming in dozens of unknown translations at once.
And here's a little secret: each book contains hundreds more than 250 translated words, but those are just the ones on which we focus extra hard. We want to be able to show those words off in a variety of iterations and phrases, so you could very well push 500 unique words with each book!
Prismatext utilizes a number of technologies and workflows for each book. Machine learning and manual reviews play equally important roles, and we are improving all the time so please send us any feedback!
Yes you can!
When reading in the Prismatext App, click the 'Prism' icon in the top right to switch between density levels. You can increase or decrease the amount of new words introduced to suit your preferred pace - it's all up to you!
Prismatext uses a technique popularized by Robbins Burling called the diglot weave technique.
This technique, which “weaves” (or “blends”) foreign words into sentences written in the learner’s native language, is ideal for learning a second language. It is best for new or intermediate learners and aids in the retention of individual words and short phrases.
Dr. Burling received his undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1950 and his Ph.D in Anthropology from Harvard University in 1958. In 1968, Robbins penned a paper entitled Some Outlandish Proposals For The Teaching Of Foreign Languages. In it, he outlined several new ways for learning a second language, one of which was the diglot weave technique used today by Prismatext.
Since 1968, many studies have been performed by academics into the efficacy of this technique. On every possible measure, the diglot weave technique consistently outperforms traditional “practice and drill” methods used in classrooms, text books, and flashcards.
Some Outlandish Proposals For The Teaching Of Foreign Languages, by Robbins Burling (1968)