English · English

Learn English by reading the news

meum lingua is an iPhone app that rewrites real news articles as 2-minute reads in English, at your level from A1 to C2. Tap any word to see what it means, and the words you look up come back for practice until they stick.

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Demo

One story, three levels

The same story in English at A2, B1 and B2, written by the AI pipeline the app uses for real articles. Tap a highlighted word to see what it means. Word explanations here are in Spanish; in the app they're in your own language.

Demo · AI-generated fictional article — not real news

A2 · Elementary

Small daily habits make a new language stick

Language teachers say: take the language out of the lesson and into your day.

Many people learn a language sustantivoidiomaLengua que una persona aprende o usa, tema central del texto. in neat blocks. A lesson in the evening, an app on the train, a course on Saturday. Then the lesson ends, and the language disappears until the next one.

Teachers often give the same simple advice. Use the language in small, ordinary moments. Write your shopping list in it. Say the price of your coffee before you pay. Read one short news story with your breakfast. None of this takes extra time.

Everyday use helps in three ways. You meet the same useful words again and again. The words are tied to real situations, so they are easier to remember verborecordarTener algo en la memoria; las palabras son fáciles de recordar.. And it builds confidence sustantivoconfianzaSensación de sentirse seguro al usar el idioma.. The language stops feeling like school and starts feeling useful.

Maria, a nurse sustantivoenfermeraProfesión de Maria: trabaja cuidando a pacientes., moved abroad adverbioen el extranjeroEn otro país, lejos del país de origen de Maria. for work last year. Every morning she greet verbosaludóDijo hola a alguien al encontrarlo, en pasado. her neighbour sustantivovecinosPersonas que viven cerca de la casa de Maria. and the bus driver in their language. "At first I said only two words," she says. "After three months they were telling me about their families."

Mistakes are fine. People react, help and repeat the right word. What matters is doing a little every day instead of a lot once a week.

A good way to begin is to pick one moment you already have, like your morning coffee. Ten minutes is enough. Slowly, the language will follow you into the rest of your day.

All key words in this version (7)
language
idioma — Lengua que una persona aprende o usa, tema central del texto.
remember
recordar — Tener algo en la memoria; las palabras son fáciles de recordar.
confidence
confianza — Sensación de sentirse seguro al usar el idioma.
nurse
enfermera — Profesión de Maria: trabaja cuidando a pacientes.
abroad
en el extranjero — En otro país, lejos del país de origen de Maria.
greeted
saludó — Dijo hola a alguien al encontrarlo, en pasado.
neighbours
vecinos — Personas que viven cerca de la casa de Maria.

Check your understanding

  1. What do teachers often advise?

    1. To use the language in small everyday moments
    2. To buy expensive apps
    3. To study only on Saturdays
    4. To learn only grammar rules
    Show answer

    A · To use the language in small everyday moments

    El texto dice que los profesores aconsejan usar el idioma en pequeños momentos cotidianos.

  2. What happened to Maria after three months?

    1. Her neighbours told her about their families
    2. She started a new job
    3. She stopped greeting people
    4. She moved back home
    Show answer

    A · Her neighbours told her about their families

    Después de tres meses, sus vecinos le hablaban de sus familias.

  3. According to the article, what matters most?

    1. Studying for hours once a week
    2. Never making mistakes
    3. Using only apps
    4. Doing a little every day
    Show answer

    D · Doing a little every day

    El texto dice que importa hacer un poco cada día en lugar de mucho una vez por semana.

B1 · Intermediate

Small daily habits make a new language stick

Language teachers say the best way to learn is to use a new language in ordinary moments of your day.

Many people learn a language in neat adjectiveordenadoSignifica organizado o en bloques bien separados, en este contexto sobre cómo se aprende en bloques ordenados. blocks: a lesson in the evening, an app on the train, a course on Saturday. But when the lesson ends, the language often disappears until the next one.

Teachers give a simple piece of advice nounconsejoRecomendación que alguien da para ayudar a hacer algo mejor.: take the language out of the lesson and into your day. Write your shopping list in it. Switch your phone to it for a week. Say the price of your coffee out loud before you pay. None of this takes extra time, because you were going to do these things anyway.

Everyday use helps in three ways. You meet the same useful words again and again, and this moves them into long-term memory nounmemoria a largo plazoLa parte de la memoria donde se guardan las cosas durante mucho tiempo.. The words are also tied to real situations, so they are easier to remember. And it builds confidence nounconfianza en uno mismoSensación de sentirse seguro al usar el idioma., so the language feels like something you can actually use.

Maria, a nurse who moved abroad for work last year, started by greeting her neighbour nounvecinosPersonas que viven cerca de tu casa; en inglés británico se escribe con 'u'. and the bus driver every morning. "At first I said only two words," she says. "After three months, they were telling me about their families."

Experts say your habit nounhábitoUna costumbre que se repite con regularidad, como estudiar un poco cada día. do not need to be perfect. A mistake in a real conversation is often more useful than a perfect exercise, because people react and help you. What matters is doing a little every day.

A good way to begin is to choose one moment you already have, such as your morning coffee or your commute nountrayecto diario al trabajoEl viaje diario entre casa y el lugar de trabajo o estudio., and give it to the new language. Ten minutes is enough.

All key words in this version (7)
neat
ordenado — Significa organizado o en bloques bien separados, en este contexto sobre cómo se aprende en bloques ordenados.
advice
consejo — Recomendación que alguien da para ayudar a hacer algo mejor.
long-term memory
memoria a largo plazo — La parte de la memoria donde se guardan las cosas durante mucho tiempo.
confidence
confianza en uno mismo — Sensación de sentirse seguro al usar el idioma.
neighbours
vecinos — Personas que viven cerca de tu casa; en inglés británico se escribe con 'u'.
habit
hábito — Una costumbre que se repite con regularidad, como estudiar un poco cada día.
commute
trayecto diario al trabajo — El viaje diario entre casa y el lugar de trabajo o estudio.

Check your understanding

  1. Why does the article say the language often disappears after a lesson?

    1. Because the apps stop working
    2. Because the lessons are too long
    3. Because people do not use the language outside the lesson
    4. Because teachers do not give advice
    Show answer

    C · Because people do not use the language outside the lesson

    El texto dice que, cuando termina la clase, el idioma suele desaparecer hasta la siguiente, porque no se usa fuera de ella.

  2. According to the article, what is one benefit of everyday use?

    1. It removes the need for mistakes
    2. It makes lessons cheaper
    3. It builds confidence
    4. It takes less time than sleeping
    Show answer

    C · It builds confidence

    El artículo indica que el uso diario genera confianza, para que el idioma se sienta algo que realmente se puede usar.

  3. What does Maria do to practise the language?

    1. She switches her phone to English for a week
    2. She takes a course on Saturday
    3. She greets her neighbours and the bus driver
    4. She writes her shopping list in English
    Show answer

    C · She greets her neighbours and the bus driver

    Maria empezó saludando cada mañana a sus vecinos y al conductor del autobús.

B2 · Upper intermediate

Small daily habits make a new language stick

Language teachers say the best way to learn is to bring a new language into everyday life, not just into lessons.

Many people learn a language in neat adjectiveordenadoAquí significa organizado o bien separado, en bloques claros. blocks: a lesson nounclaseEs una sesión de aprendizaje con un profesor o en un curso. in the evening, an app on the train, a course on Saturday. But when the lesson ends, the language often disappears until the next one. Teachers give a simple piece of advice nounconsejoEs una recomendación que dan los profesores para aprender mejor.: take the language out of the lesson and into your day.

The idea is to use the new language in small, ordinary moments. You can write your shopping list in it, switch your phone to it for a week, or read one short news story with your breakfast. None of this takes extra time, because you were going to do these things anyway.

Everyday use helps in three ways. First, you meet the same useful words again and again, and this moves them into long-term memory nounmemoriaAquí se refiere a la memoria a largo plazo, donde se guardan las palabras.. Second, the words are tie verbvinculadasSignifica que las palabras están relacionadas con situaciones reales. to real situations, so they are easier to remember when you need them. Third, it builds confidence nounconfianzaEs la seguridad en uno mismo al usar el idioma., so the language stops feeling like a school subject.

Maria, a nurse who moved abroad adverben el extranjeroIndica que alguien vive o va a vivir en otro país. for work last year, started by greeting her neighbour nounvecinosSon las personas que viven cerca de tu casa. and the bus driver in their language every morning. "At first I said only two words," she says. "After a month I could ask how their weekend was. After three months they were telling me about their families."

The habit nounhábitosSon acciones que repites con regularidad en tu rutina. do not need to be perfect. A mistake nounerrorEs algo incorrecto que se dice o se hace al hablar. in a real conversation is often more useful than a perfect exercise, because people react verbreaccionarSignifica responder a lo que alguien dice o hace., help and repeat the right word. What matters is doing a little every day instead of a lot once a week.

A good way to begin is to pick one moment you already have, such as your morning coffee, your commute nountrayecto diario al trabajoEs el viaje diario entre casa y el trabajo o los estudios. or the evening news, and give it to the new language. Ten minutes is enough. Slowly, the language will follow you into the rest of the day.

All key words in this version (12)
neat
ordenado — Aquí significa organizado o bien separado, en bloques claros.
lesson
clase — Es una sesión de aprendizaje con un profesor o en un curso.
advice
consejo — Es una recomendación que dan los profesores para aprender mejor.
memory
memoria — Aquí se refiere a la memoria a largo plazo, donde se guardan las palabras.
tied
vinculadas — Significa que las palabras están relacionadas con situaciones reales.
confidence
confianza — Es la seguridad en uno mismo al usar el idioma.
abroad
en el extranjero — Indica que alguien vive o va a vivir en otro país.
neighbours
vecinos — Son las personas que viven cerca de tu casa.
habits
hábitos — Son acciones que repites con regularidad en tu rutina.
mistake
error — Es algo incorrecto que se dice o se hace al hablar.
react
reaccionar — Significa responder a lo que alguien dice o hace.
commute
trayecto diario al trabajo — Es el viaje diario entre casa y el trabajo o los estudios.

Check your understanding

  1. According to the article, when does the language often disappear?

    1. During the weekend
    2. When the lesson ends
    3. When the teacher is absent
    4. When the app is closed
    Show answer

    B · When the lesson ends

    Según el texto, el idioma suele desaparecer cuando termina la clase.

  2. What does Maria do every morning?

    1. She writes a shopping list
    2. She studies with an app on the train
    3. She reads the news on her phone
    4. She greets her neighbours and the bus driver
    Show answer

    D · She greets her neighbours and the bus driver

    María saluda cada mañana a sus vecinos y al conductor del autobús en su idioma.

  3. Why are mistakes useful, according to the text?

    1. Because they make exercises harder
    2. Because teachers give better marks
    3. Because they save time during the lesson
    4. Because people react, help and repeat the right word
    Show answer

    D · Because people react, help and repeat the right word

    El texto dice que los errores son útiles porque la gente reacciona, ayuda y repite la palabra correcta.

In the app, these are real articles from newspapers you choose. This demo is an AI-written fictional article, so we can show it here without republishing anyone's journalism.

Newspapers you can read in English

13 of the app's 139 newspapers and broadcasters publish in English. Free sources work straight away; for paywalled ones you connect a subscription you already have, and the articles are fetched on your iPhone with your own login.

  • BBC News free
  • The Guardian free
  • Financial Times
  • The Economist
  • The New York Times
  • The Wall Street Journal
  • The Atlantic partly paywalled
  • NPR free
  • Al Jazeera English free
  • South China Morning Post partly paywalled
  • Nikkei Asia
  • DW English free
  • France 24 (English) free

You can also read the other 126, from English, French, Japanese and more, rewritten in English.

How meum lingua helps

  • Real news at your level. Stories from 130+ newspapers and broadcasters, rewritten in English from A1 to C2 as reads of about two minutes. The rewriting is done by AI and can contain mistakes, so the original article is always one tap away.
  • Every word explained. Tap or long-press any word for an explanation in your own language.
  • Words that stick. The words you look up come back in spaced-repetition practice: meaning, listening, fill the gap, word order, typing and single-word pronunciation.
  • A habit, not a chore. A 2-minute writing journal with AI corrections, a daily goal and streaks, and friends to keep you going.
  • Your subscriptions work too. Connect papers you already pay for; their articles are fetched on your iPhone with your own login.

Not sure about your level? The app has a 2-minute level check.

Questions about learning English

Can I read English news as a beginner?

Yes. Every story is rewritten at your CEFR level, from A1 (beginner) to C2. At A1 and A2 the sentences are short and the words are common ones; the A2 version of the demo above shows what that looks like. Not sure about your level? The app has a 2-minute level check.

Which newspapers can I read in English?

In English: BBC News, The Guardian, Financial Times, The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and 7 more. Stories from all 139 newspapers and broadcasters in the app can also be rewritten in English. Free sources work straight away; for paywalled ones you connect a subscription you already have, and the articles are fetched on your iPhone with your own login.

Which language are the word explanations in?

Word explanations here are in Spanish; in the app they're in your own language. The demo on this page has to use one language for everyone, so we picked Spanish.

What does meum lingua cost?

You can start free with 3 articles a day (with ads from the second day). Pro is CHF 12.90 a month or CHF 89.90 a year, with a 7-day free trial in the App Store, and the Family plan is CHF 130 a year for up to 5 people. New accounts get 3 days of Pro free. meum lingua runs on iPhone (iOS 17 or later) and is in beta on TestFlight right now.

Read the news in English

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