  The learning of a new language remains to this date a cognitive task that
requires considerable diligence and willpower, recent advances and tools
notwithstanding. In this paper, we propose Broccoli, a new paradigm aimed at
reducing the required effort by seamlessly embedding vocabulary learning into
users' everyday information diets. This is achieved by inconspicuously
switching chosen words encountered by the user for their translation in the
target language. Thus, by seeing words in context, the user can assimilate new
vocabulary without much conscious effort. We validate our approach in a careful
user study, finding that the efficacy of the lightweight Broccoli approach is
competitive with traditional, memorization-based vocabulary learning. The low
cognitive overhead is manifested in a pronounced decrease in learners' usage of
mnemonic learning strategies, as compared to traditional learning. Finally, we
establish that language patterns in typical information diets are compatible
with spaced-repetition strategies, thus enabling an efficient use of the
Broccoli paradigm. Overall, our work establishes the feasibility of a novel and
powerful "install-and-forget" approach for embedded language acquisition.
