If you love watching Netflix series and videos on YouTube to learn English, then you need to download the Language Reactor extension!

Before we start talking more about Language Reactor, if you enjoy using apps to practise your English, then you need to check out our blog post on five of the best apps for improving your English speaking skills.

 

What is Language Reactor?

 

Language Reactor is a free Google Chrome extension that makes learning vocabulary as well as practising your listening and pronunciation skills much more effective and engaging.

Here are some quick facts about the extension:

 

  • It’s only available for Google Chrome (but Firefox and Edge are coming soon!).

  • You can only use it on PCs and laptops. It’s currently unavailable on mobiles, tablets and televisions.

  • It’s completely free to download and use, however, there is a paid upgraded version.

 

How to use Language Reactor to learn English

 

Let’s talk about some of the amazing things that this powerful extension can do and how you can use Language Reactor to improve your English.

 

  • Watch with two sets of subtitles: Language Reactor can display two sets of subtitles at the same time, so you’ll be able to see how entire phrases, idioms, and expressions are translated into another language.

  • Instant translations: Instantly see the translations of words by hovering over them.

  • Listen, pause and repeat: Practise listening and shadowing by turning on the automatic pausing feature. It will then pause the video after every phrase.

  • Learn vocabulary for your level: Select your level of English and Language Reactor will highlight vocabulary for that particular level.

  • Read online texts aloud: Highlight any text online that you would like to listen to and Language Reactor will read it aloud so you can hear the pronunciation. You can also see a full translation of the text as well as the definitions of words.

  • Save your new vocabulary: In the paid plan, you can unlock a feature which enables you to save the words you have learnt, so all your vocabulary will be in one place to review at any time. As an alternative, you could save your vocabulary in a spaced repetition flashcard app, such as Anki.
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How to download Language Reactor (for free!)

 

Let’s take a look at how to download Language Reactor:

1. Make sure you are using Google Chrome.

2. Open Google Chrome and download Language Reactor by clicking here.

3. Head to your Chrome ‘manage extensions’ setting and make sure Language Reactor is turned on.

4. Load a YouTube or Netflix video and enjoy!

5. (Optional step) while watching a video, click on the Language Reactor logo in the bottom left-hand corner to open the settings. You can then change them to what you would like the extension to do.

 

How does Language Reactor work?

 

Now that you have the extension installed, it’s time to start using it!

Let’s take a look at how to use Language Reactor with Netflix, YouTube and online texts.

Using Language Reactor with Netflix

Language Reactor gives you the option to watch with two sets of subtitles. You could put these in English and your native language.

You can also skip to specific phrases in the episode by using the subtitles shown on the right-hand side.

Using Language Reactor to learn English | Oxford House Barcelona
 

When you click on a word, you can see the translation, hear its pronunciation and also see the word used in different sentences. These will all help you remember the vocabulary much better!

Using Language Reactor to learn English | Oxford House Barcelona
 

Let’s now take a look at the bottom panel.

On the left you can see some arrows to skip or replay a phrase. On the right you can turn on AP (Automatic Pause), so it will stop the video after each phrase.

Using Language Reactor to learn English | Oxford House Barcelona
 

If you find that this looks a little bulky, don’t worry, you can change the settings so the subtitles have a transparent background.

Using Language Reactor to learn English | Oxford House Barcelona
 

Using Language Reactor with YouTube

Language Reactor can add subtitles to YouTube videos which don’t already have them.

They can also set it to display two sets of subtitles, so you can see the translation in your native language.

Using Language Reactor to learn English | Oxford House Barcelona
 

Just like with Netflix, you can hover your cursor over any new words to get a quick translation. You can also click on them to hear the pronunciation and read example sentences.

Using Language Reactor to read and translate texts online

You can listen to articles being read aloud to help you improve your listening and pronunciation skills. To do this, just highlight the text, right-click then click ‘Read in Language Reactor’.

Using Language Reactor to learn English | Oxford House Barcelona
 

This will then display the text in a new tab in Language Reactor where you will see a full translation of the text.

You can highlight new words to see their translations, listen to their pronunciations, and read them in different example sentences.

Using Language Reactor to learn English | Oxford House Barcelona
 

AI (Artificially Intelligent) translators are becoming increasingly popular in language learning. If you’d like to read more about them, then check out our blog post.

What else can you do to improve your English?

While language learning apps are a fantastic way to help improve your English skills, using them alongside taking English classes with experienced and qualified English teachers will help you improve much faster!

You can take a look at our English courses here.

 

Glossary for Language Learners

 

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Extension (n): a small software programme that is embedded into your computer’s browser.

Hover (v): to put the cursor on a computer screen somewhere without clicking./p>

Aloud (adv): to ‘read aloud’ means to say it so people can hear it.

Skip (v): to pass something and move onto the next part.

Panel (n): a surface (or area on a screen) where the controls are seen.

Bulky (adj): taking up a lot of space.

Tab (n): a page in a web browser.

Key

n = noun

v = verb

adv = adverb

adj = adjective

Improve your English with Oxford House Barcelona

Interested in taking an English course at Oxford House Barcelona? Check the English Courses we can offer you or contact us for more information.

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