I get asked about tools a lot. Which apps should I use? What is worth paying for? Where do I start?
The answer is simpler than most people expect. You do not need many tools. You need a few good ones that cover sentence practice, reading, listening, watching, and real conversation. Here are the ones I recommend.
Flexling — Sentence Based Speaking Practice
Flexling is the tool I am currently most excited about, and it fills a gap most other tools do not address well, the space between understanding English and actually producing it.
You learn through complete sentences rather than isolated words, which means grammar, phrasing, and natural rhythm get absorbed alongside vocabulary rather than studied separately. The spaced repetition brings sentences back right when you are at risk of forgetting them, and the Shadowing mode lets you hear a sentence and say it aloud, hands free, which makes it genuinely easy to practise while walking or doing something else entirely.
You can also build your own sentences around your own life, ask the AI about anything confusing and turn the answer into new practice material, and choose between Australian, UK, US, or mixed English audio depending on what you want your ear to get used to.
If I had to recommend one tool to start with today, this would be it.
LingQ — Reading and Listening
LingQ is the tool that changed my own language learning, and it is the one I mention most on this blog.
At its core, LingQ lets you read and listen to any English content with vocabulary support built in. Import an article, a podcast transcript, a YouTube video, a chapter of a book, anything you find interesting, and read it with instant word lookup. Tap any word you do not know, the definition appears without leaving the page, and you keep reading. The flow never breaks.
Every word you encounter is tracked. Unknown words appear in blue. Words you have saved and are still learning appear in yellow. Known words appear as plain text. Over time the colours shift as your vocabulary grows, and your known words count climbs with every session, giving you visible, measurable proof that the input is working.
Most content comes with audio, so you can read and listen at the same time, which tends to produce deeper retention than either channel alone.
LingQ also has useful AI features, including context aware definitions, content simplification for material slightly above your level, a chatbot for questions about what you are reading, and transcription that turns any audio into readable text.
Lingopie — Learning English Through TV and Film
Lingopie is a streaming platform built for language learners, hosting a curated library of real TV shows, films, cartoons, music, and podcasts with interactive subtitles.
Every word in the subtitles is clickable. Tap a word, the video pauses, you see the definition, and it is saved for review later. The flashcards created use the actual scene from the show, so you are reviewing the word attached to a character, an emotion, and a moment rather than a bare definition.
There is a sentence loop feature for replaying tricky lines, adjustable playback speed for slowing things down, and a pronunciation tool for practising phrases aloud. Content is graded by level from A1 to C1, and a Chrome extension brings these same features to Netflix, turning the entire catalogue into interactive learning material.
If you are spending evenings watching shows anyway, Lingopie turns that time into genuine English acquisition without it ever feeling like study.
StoryLearning Conversations — Story Driven Listening
StoryLearning Conversations is a course built around story driven English listening at the intermediate level.
Twenty chapters of natural English dialogue with full transcripts, designed to be compelling enough to keep you listening while pitched at exactly the level where acquisition happens most effectively. If you are past the beginner stage and looking for structured listening material that feels like content rather than coursework, this fills that gap well.
Try StoryLearning Conversations here.
iTalki — Real Conversation With Real People
iTalki is where the input becomes output. It connects you with English conversation partners and tutors from around the world for one on one video sessions.
No gimmicks, no gamification, no AI pretending to be human. Just you and another person, talking in English. You browse profiles, find someone whose style and personality suit you, book a session, and have a real conversation. Teacher availability is displayed clearly, time zone conversion is handled automatically, payment runs through the platform, and reminders go out before sessions. The logistical layer that used to make arranging conversation practice feel like a project has been taken care of.
You can find a teacher on iTalki, or if you would like to work with me specifically, in warm, natural, pressure free sessions where the goal is real communication rather than grammar drilling, you can find my profile and book directly here.
Toggl — Track Your Listening Hours
Toggl is a free time tracking app. It is not designed for language learning, but it is one of the most useful tools a learner can have.
Create a project called English Listening. Start the timer when you put your headphones in. Stop it when you take them out. Watch the total accumulate over weeks and months.
On the days when progress feels invisible, your listening hours tell the truth. The number only goes up. A learner who can see they have accumulated three hundred hours of English listening has concrete, undeniable evidence that the work is real. Setting a yearly goal and tracking against it is one of the most effective motivational tools available, and it costs nothing.
Refold — The Method Behind the Method
Refold is a comprehensive guide to the immersion based approach to language learning. It lays out a roadmap from beginner to advanced, with detailed guidance on how to structure your input at every stage.
If you want a deeper understanding of the theory and structure behind the input method, Refold is one of the best resources available. It also has an immersion tracker for logging different types of input and watching your total immersion time build over time.
A Note on How I Use These
I do not recommend using all of these at once. Pick one or two that match where you are right now.
If you are ready to start getting your mouth moving on real sentences, Flexling. If you are focused on building your reading and listening foundation, LingQ. If you want to add TV and film to your input, Lingopie. If you are ready for real conversation, iTalki.
The tools serve the method. The method is simple: read, listen and speak. The tools just make it smoother.
If you have a question about your English, something you have been stuck on or curious about, let me know in the comments. I read every one, and I might turn your question into a future post.
Richard, English fluency coach in Auckland, New Zealand.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. I recommend these tools because I use them and believe in them. If a tool is not on this page, it is because I have not found it useful enough to recommend.