Lute vs News in Slow French

Lute is a standalone web application installed on your computer for learning languages through reading. Users import or create texts, read them, and save definitions and associations that build a personal dictionary. The application lets users define languages and dictionaries, edit texts, and create single-word or multi-word terms while reading. Parent terms can share definitions with child terms, and sample sentences can include related terms. Readers can add images to words and use hotkeys to set statuses such as New, Learning, Well-known, or Ignore, including bulk updates. Lute supports 66 languages; its manual lists more than 50 predefined languages with sample stories and dictionaries, though some need plugins. Languages can use multiple term and sentence dictionaries, displayed embedded or in pop-up views. Lute can export terms to Anki note types, and AnkiConnect enables communication with Anki. Supported content includes text, TXT, EPUB, web pages, and book audio. Installation options are pip, Docker, or source code; Android use through Termux is also documented. Lute is free, uses the MIT license, and runs locally so users control their data.

News in Slow French teaches listening comprehension to beginner through advanced French learners with audio, transcripts and explanations. Weekly news episodes are available at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, with more than a dozen original stories added across those levels each week. Other formats include dialogues, articles, commentary, original series and courses. Study tools include beginner and grammar courses, idiomatic expressions, interactive transcripts, quizzes, pronunciation practice and vocabulary flashcards. Rooms offers live conversation practice and workshops. The mobile app supports customized playlists for offline listening, and Alexa commands can play episodes, rewind, skip and navigate segments. Each lesson includes a free portion of audio and transcript, with sample content across levels. A 7-day trial of Full Access is available to first-time subscribers; billing starts when it ends unless canceled. Audio Only costs $6.90 a month and includes audio and Rooms, without transcripts, lessons or quizzes. Full Access costs $22.90 a month and includes audio, transcripts with contextual translations, Rooms, lessons, quizzes and all levels and resources. The service runs on Android, iOS and web.