The launch marks a significant step in applying technology to the publishing sector, opening up new opportunities for Vietnamese readers to learn and develop language skills in a natural and sustainable way.
As international integration deepens, English has become an essential skill in education, employment and global communication. Yet many learners still struggle to maintain motivation when using traditional learning methods.
Reading, which immerses learners in natural linguistic contexts, is widely regarded as a sustainable path to improving comprehension and expanding vocabulary. With this in mind, Waka aims to transform English-language reading into a seamless, accessible and engaging learning experience—rather than a challenging task filled with barriers.
Guided by the vision “Read to understand – Understand to learn – Learn to grow”, Waka JSC developed the Parallel Reading–Translation feature to allow users to read and learn within a single interface. Readers can look up vocabulary instantly with a simple tap, listen to both British and American pronunciations, view illustrative examples and compare definitions drawn from reputable sources such as Oxford, Cambridge and Longman.
Context-aware technology helps generate natural, context-appropriate translations that better convey the tone and emotion of the text, overcoming the stiffness often associated with conventional machine translation. Users can also add notes, highlight passages and save vocabulary, quotes or ideas, creating a personalised “digital learning notebook”. Waka’s foreign-language book collection continues to expand, catering to diverse reading levels and interests.
Beyond offering e-books, Waka is also pioneering the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing to reinvent the reading experience. The integration of knowledge and technology turns every page into a lively lesson, enabling users to simultaneously develop reading, listening and translation skills—thereby enhancing foreign-language proficiency in an engaging and intuitive way.
At the 2025 Autumn Book Fair, Waka’s exhibition booth was honoured by a visit from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who personally experienced the new feature. The event underscored the growing importance of digital transformation in publishing and recognised the efforts of Vietnamese enterprises in leveraging technology to spread knowledge, promote reading culture and foster lifelong learning within the community.
Sharing the vision behind the project, Phung Thi Nhu Quynh, Waka’s representative, said: “We believe that every book is not only a repository of knowledge but also a bridge between languages and cultures. Through the parallel reading–translation feature, Waka hopes to make English-language reading an easy, enjoyable and effective habit for Vietnamese users, helping them develop their foreign-language skills naturally and sustainably.”
This new feature is also part of Waka’s long-term strategy to apply AI to reading and learning, expand its bilingual book collection and work towards building a comprehensive read–learn ecosystem for Vietnamese users. With its commitment to innovation and digital transformation, Waka is helping to bring knowledge closer to readers nationwide and contributing to the creation of a reading-oriented, learning society in the digital age.
