OVERVIEW
Lingua.ly is free, online learning platform (launched in August 2013) that allows you to collect new words from across the web with Lingua.ly's smart dictionary. Once you've installed the browser extension (see here for Chrome), you just double click on any word in your browser window to get a definition, hear it pronounced, and save it as a flashcard, which you can then use for practice on the Lingua.ly web app, or one of its mobile apps. The Lingua.ly web app also features a selection of articles from the international press which you can search for by topic (Arts, Business, Education, etc.). You can create flashcards using words from these articles too. They also have a blog with useful information and articles about language learning.
VERDICT
Lingua.ly is a fantastic tool for improving reading and vocabulary skills based on your own areas of interest. I would recommend it to any language learner (not just English). The only improvement I can suggest would be to add some different activities for practising the flashcards (à la Quizlet).
ALSO SEE
• Lingua.ly, Which Turns The Internet Into A Language Textbook, Raises $1M (TechCrunch)
• Lingua.ly is launching (Lingua.ly blog)
• Featured Startup Pitch: Language learning app Lingua.ly is built to create digital immersion through users’ mobile devices (StartUp Beat)