Our favorite language-learning apps (and a pocket translator)

Here are a few other services and apps that can work well as additional tools for your language learning efforts, though some that I don’t like as much as the options above.

language reactor (Free): This smart Chrome extension works with YouTube and Netflix to give you subtitles for everything you watch in two languages, so you can see your native language and the language you’re trying to learn. You can also highlight words to see the translation, review all subtitles, and get more examples of their usage.

Monday ($10 per month): A colorful app offering short lessons organized into modules on different topics, Mondly is easy to use and offers many useful words and phrases with competitive gamification. Highlights include a chatbot, regular quizzes and challenges, and a leaderboard. Unfortunately, it makes little effort to explain grammar rules, and the app feels a bit messy and clunky.

Rosetta stone ($12 per month): These immersive language programs offer small lessons, and the focus is on listening and speaking without explanations or translations. The content is accessible and curated, and you can participate in online tutorial sessions through the app. It’s a bit dry and formal, voice recognition is hit-and-miss, and it lacks the style and gamification of many competitors. Still, it obviously works well for a lot of people.

lyrical ($8 per month): Can you learn a language through music? Lirica is a fun app that uses popular songs and videos to teach you Spanish, English or German. It breaks down song lyrics to teach you vocabulary and grammar with practical explanations of colloquial language. It’s a bit fancy and best used to complement other learning approaches, but it’s nice.