These apps, podcasts help you learn a new language

Babbel is free to try, but it's a subscription-based app that costs $12.95 a month for each language. The rate drops to $6.95 a month if you commit to 12 months. • ROSETTA STONE. More

than 25 years old, Rosetta Stone may be one of the oldest digital platforms for learning a language. Choose from one of two dozen languages — or opt for unlimited languages instead — and try

out the software for free for three days, whether it's on an Android or Apple smartphone or tablet or a Mac or Windows computer. You learn words, grammar and pronunciation nuances with

an immersion-style approach, so you're not just translating a new language into your native tongue but also reasoning in it, the developers say. Along with downloadable audio lessons,

offline learning, stories and a phrasebook for travelers, Rosetta Stone is offering unlimited live group coaching with a human instructor for free until June 30, 2020. After the trial

period, Rosetta Stone prices start at $11.99 a month, with a three-month commitment for one language, or $7.99 a month for unlimited languages if purchased annually. A onetime lifetime

subscription fee of $199 gives you access to unlimited languages. • GOOGLE TRANSLATE. More of an instant translation tool than a language learning platform, the free Google Translate was

updated and expanded recently to 103 languages for text translation. If you want offline support that doesn't require a cellular data connection, 59 languages are available that you can

download before traveling. But Google Translate has other ways to translate one language into another. You can use the smartphone's microphone for speech translation. Speak English

into your device and it will verbally tell a person something in the language you designate. Plus it supports translation of handwriting, bilingual conversations, a quick-access phrasebook

and even an augmented-reality feature. You can translate text in images instantly, in as many as 38 languages, by pointing your phone's camera at a sign, menu or photo. CoffeeBreak

PODCASTS LET YOU LISTEN, MULTITASK Listening to podcasts has become a popular way to learn another language. They're free to subscribe to, and you can do other activities while

listening, like strolling around the neighborhood. Consider this the evolution of ordering cassette tapes to learn a language. When you subscribe, a new episode conveniently appears on your

device, whenever it's available. Search your favorite podcast platform — iTunes already loaded on Apple products; Google Play Music or Google Podcasts for Android devices; Pocket Casts

for both platforms; or Overcast for Apple devices, among many — and include the language you want to learn, such as Spanish or Japanese.