No time to read this? Why not find something to study instead? A1 – Beginner/Elementary | A2 – Pre-Intermediate | B1 – Intermediate | B2 – Upper-Intermediate | C1 – Advanced | C2 – Proficiency | What’s my level? | Italian level test
+++
Buondì.
Here’s the usual reminder that on Monday I published three more episodes of this year’s FREE Summer Series.
Click that link to find them, then scroll right down to the bottom of the page. The grey non-links are the yet-to-be-published episodes, the red ones are live and ready for you to read/listen to. They’re free.
OK, so if you’ve ever had to change email address, you’ll know what a pain it is, even before I start to tell you.
You need to add the new one and delete the old one in your social media accounts, bank and other apps, and so on, and so forth.
Not to mention those devilish new 2FA (two factor authentication) thingies, you know, the extremely irritating systems that ask you to confirm that you really are you.
Our toilet now sends me an SMS with a confirmation link before I’m allowed to sit down on it in the morning, after cleaning my teeth, before taxiing Bug to the petting zoo.
Claiming to have left my smartphone in the bedroom, or to have lost the password to my email account doesn’t change its mind. I could, after all, be an imposter, intent on no good. The lid stays firmly shut.
Now multiply the hassle of changing your email account by about a thousand, because I have spent the last two months doing it for four companies, managing the people who work in them to do theirs, and replacing old address with new address for all the various corporate functions, so banks, payment processors, suppliers, taxes, accountants, marketing services, WEBSITES WITHOUT END, all the bits and pieces that make the websites work…
Arrgh! It’s taken me nearly two months, working full time, Bug-permitting.
(For those of you new around here, Bug is an engaging but rather heavy, young animal – think a plump yet very bouncy puppy or cub, take your pick – who’s been living with us for nearly a year now, and requires regular feeds and constant supervision – day and night.)
Anyway, the project isn’t done yet, but I’m nearly, nearly there. I hope. One of the final jobs was to go through my files of passwords (one for each of six or seven companies, and one for me) and delete anything that I’d previously decided not to bother to change on the grounds of redundancy.
For instance, the French and Spanish newspaper websites that I used to have a subscription to, before I discovered that my local library would let me read them for free.
And, of course the owl, Duolingo, “The world’s best way to learn Italian”, according to the snippet that Google showed me for their result, when I searched just now for ‘learn italian’.
The best way to learn Italian it may be, but I never tried, as the owl was not even an egg a quarter of a century ago when I could have benefitted from its help.
I did, though, run through their French course, with the idea of reactivating my schoolboy notions of that language. Also Turkish, which I knew well once and was happy to brush up on. And Spanish, in an idle moment before the pandemic destroyed our Iberian travel plans.
Most of all though, I used their course when I needed a kick in the butt regarding my Swedish.
Now, like a lot of what I do, learning Swedish was originally a smart marketing idea. Back in 2016 our ebooks store was new, and I was looking for ways to flog ebook ‘graded’ or ‘easy’ readers, which no one apart from me seemed to appreciate as a fantastic tool for learning a language.
In short, I wrote this:
Why I want to get you reading in Italian
And then – drum roll – this, in which I VOLUNTEERED TO LEARN A LANGUAGE BY READING, to show you plebs how it’s done:
It’s time to add a new element to your Italian study plan
Club members were invited to write in with their votes, so choosing which of our ‘easy reader’ languages I should learn by reading our own content.
So they did, and they chose Swedish, my mother-in-law’s language.
I can’t say I was delighted, but a challenge is a challenge. I had a point to prove, and ebooks to sell.
So I began, and wrote about it in the next article:
How I started learning a language using only an easy reader
That was at the beginning of December 2016. By Christmas, I was stuck, frustrated, and rather embarrassed. For which reason, during the Christmas holidays I did Duolingo’s Swedish course.
Frankly, I thought it was rubbish. But what the owl is very, very good at is keeping you engaged. Their app is addictive in a way that much language-learning material never has been.
To cut a long story shorter, I finished the course but couldn’t speak a word. Not a single word.
So I quit for a while. Months, probably.
Then later, maybe towards the summer of 2017, I got a text book off my daughter (her grandma had paid for her to go to Stockholm and do an actual course) and I worked though the whole of that (A1/A2 level).
That was much more familiar, and much better designed. But by the end of it, I STILL COULDN’T SAY A WORD.
Which is how I ended up doing online conversations with Swedes who knew absolutely zero about teaching but were happy to chat, and mostly very patient with me.
Which sort-of worked, so feeling better, I started reading Swedish again, and also found some online listening sources. Sweden had recently been invaded by Syrian refugees, so their government was spending cash on the problem. Lucky me!
And there you have it: from reading and listening, via the owl and an old-school style text book, back to reading and listening. In under a year.
Eight years later I don’t read much in Swedish, but I listen to it nearly every day, and often other languages too.
Ciao ciao, little owl. I’d rather listen to the radio.
N.b. If anyone wants to respond to this article, please don’t email. Leave a comment, instead, that way everyone can read what you write.
To do that, click here, scroll to the bottom of the page on our website, and fill in the comments form. Your email address is required but will not be published.
Comments are welcome but won’t be visible immediately, as I have to ‘moderate’ them, to weed out the automated stuff. All genuine comments will, however, be published. It just might take a few hours, or even until the next day, if things are quiet.
Alla prossima settimana!
eBook Easy Reader of the Week, ‘La commediante’ (C1), £4.99
This week’s half-price eBook ‘easy reader’ is the C1 (advanced) – level ‘La commediante’, an enjoyable, original story that will keep you turning the pages, and so help improve your Italian reading/listening comprehension skills!
Nel 1500 nasce in Italia un nuovo modo di fare teatro. Si tratta della “Commedia dell’arte”, un tipo di teatro popolare che prende vita nelle piazze.
Le rappresentazioni non si basavano su un copione ben definito ma, piuttosto, su un “canovaccio” ovvero una traccia generica della storia. Toccava poi agli attori improvvisare le battute.
Le “arti” erano le corporazioni dei lavoratori di uno stesso settore. C’era dunque anche una “arte” degli attori. Fino al 1564 le compagnie di attori erano composte di dieci uomini…
Lucrezia is a young prostitute, whose real passion is show business! And because a troupe of players is in town, the local priest is going to have to wait a little longer to see her. Instead of working this afternoon, she’ll get dressed and go down to the piazza to see the show (for the third time!)
- .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
- 8 chapters to read and listen to
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
- Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Remember, this week ‘La commediante’ is 50% discounted, so just £4.99 rather than the usual ‘easy reader’ ebook price of £9.99!
Buy ‘La commediante’ just £4.99! | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) | History/historical Italian ebooks | Catalog
Find more ebooks, organised by level, then type: A1 | A1/A2 | A2 | A2/B1 | B1 | B1/B2 | B2 | B2/C1 | C1 | C1/C2 | C2
How do I access my ebook?
When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment), a download link will be automatically emailed to you. It’s valid for 7 days and 3 download attempts so please save a copy of the .pdf ebook in a safe place. Other versions of the ebook, where available, cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them. There’s a space to do that on the order form – where it says Additional information, Order notes (optional). If you forget, or if you have problems downloading the .pdf, don’t worry! Email us at the address on the website and we’ll help. Also, why not check out our FAQ?
P.S.
Don’t forget to find time today to read/listen to Tuesday’s bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news, which was published yesterday morning.
The regular FREE text + audio bulletins are a great way to consolidate the grammar and vocabulary you’ve studied, as well as being fun and motivating!
To get three text + audio bulletins of ‘easy’ news emailed to you each week, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, subscribe (it really is FREE) by entering your email address on this page and clicking the confirmation link that will be sent to you.
And/or check out their website to get started improving your Italian immediately!
+++
OnlineItalianClub.com | EasyItalianNews.com | Shop (ebooks) | Shop (online lessons)
April Munday says
How ironic that you wrote about changing email addresses, as I’m in the middle of doing that. I will unsubscribe from your list with my current address and resubscribe with the new one.
Zsuzsanna Snarey says
I really appreciate your easy reading books with the SoundCloud voiceovers. Sometimes it is read very quickly which is also helpful. I feel that it is the most enjoyable and the best way to learn Italian.
I have never tried Duolingo but I was persuaded to download Busuu which is also addictive and has not helped me to speak. The best way would be to stay with a family in Italy, failing that sign up for one to one lessons on Zoom or Skype.
Marie Salisbury says
Can you tell us exactly what Bug is? For a moment I thought Bug was an owl. But the description you gave doesn’t match. Can’t guess what it could be that still needs feeding around the clock at almost a year old.
Thanks for your newsletters.
Daniel says
The Owl is the symbol of Duolingo, which I wrote about.
Bug’s species is something I keep deliberately vague, even misleading. There’s a clue for you.
Or check out any public park in search of small animals that still need constant care…
Lynne F says
Hi Daniel, I like other regulars enjoy the updates about Bug as we did with Roomie, It’s lovely to hear he is making progress.
I too have said “Ciao Ciao ” to the owl, As a starting point it served a purpose in providing a basic vocabulary but very quickly I saw the limitations and moved on. Reading, listening and conversing with Italians via Skype have improved my Italian immensely.
Episodes 10-15 of the latest history series have been very interesting although realising that this is my living history, born in the 50′.s I remember the tiny screen on a rented black and white TV, 2 channels, limited broadcasting hours with the national anthem being played at close down as the screen went black with a small white dot in the middle, and not forgetting the “self-repair” technique when the picture kept slipping of giving the TV a hefty thump on the top! I Can’t believe we are almost halfway through this series, looking forward to the rest of the episodes.
Daniel says
It’s always nice to hear from you, Lynne!
My earliest memories were from the ‘seventies, and my earliest memories of Italy from the late ‘nineties, so this series is filling in lots of gaps for me, stuff that Italians take for granted but which I found impossible to understand – because I didn’t know the background.
For instance, I’m an Italian employer, which is absolutely horrible in Italy where employers (except the big, powerful, connected ones…) get squeezed and abused at every turn. But I’ll admit, next week’s episodes (which I read and listened to yesterday) rather put the whole ‘class war’ thing into context. And there are decades of upset still to come!
Danielle Fleming says
Hi Daniel
Ive just read your latest article. I have been a member for some years. I always see a lot of sense in what you write. I cannot say I read every article even though I dont delete them. I have been learning italian for too long now. I don’t want to give up but I simply don’t try hard enough.
I knowl reading is a very good way and most important speaking with native Italians. Thats my biggest failure as its not easy. I dont do it often enough. Duo lingo has it’s place but I find too frustrating unless you want to be word perfect. I just want to communicate.
I do read/ listen to ” easy italian news ” I don’t do enough exercises and I speak italian on occasions.
Thank you for keeping me involved. You make a lot of good points about learning. To be honest if I want to improve I need to move to Italy !!
Daniel says
Ciao Danielle,
“don’t try hard enough”
“my biggest failure”
“not often enough”
“don’t do enough exercises”
Why not take a moment to celebrate how well you’ve done so far? I always, always tell students to look back at how much of the mountain they’ve climbed, rather than fixing their gazes on the still-distant summit…
And who says you need to do more, or better?
And – important point this – moving to Italy guarantees nothing! I’ve lived in Italy for over a quarter of a century, and am far from perfect.
If, as you say, yout “just want to communicate”, well then just communicate, and as long as you are communicating, then pat yourself on the back. Job well done!
Len Scacalossi says
Hello Daniel,
I’m responding to your Ciao Ciao little Owl email. I agree with your opinion on Duolingo, which is to say that although it does keep you engaged and is the ultimate cheerleader for you to continue learning, you can’t really learn the language (Italian for me) from them unless you arrive already knowing quite a bit. Since I have no one to speak Italian to, the only thing it does for me is allow me to speak on a daily basis with some cartoon Italian characters who, by the way, are sometimes very difficult to understand (phonetically).
I admit I need to know more about the resources you have available, other than just reading, which you admitted is not enough to learn a language (Swedish!)
Len Scacalossi
Daniel says
But reading and listening and speaking will do it, Len. Finding an Italian conversation partner online is easy and cheap…
Zsuzsanna Snarey says
This article appeared in the New York Times about Bologna. I wonder what you think about it
La signora Sala è una giornalista italiana. Ha scritto da Bologna, Italia.
EDITOR’S NOTE. We deleted the text that Zsuzsanna pasted here, as we don’t hold the copyright. But the original article in English is available here: My Beloved Italian City Has Turned Into Tourist Hell. Must We Really Travel Like This?
Daniel says
I glanced at it when it came out, Zsuzsanna, as it was all over people’s social media feeds. But I thought it was silly, actually.
It’s true that BO has got a lot more touristy, and true that lots of shops in the historic center have turned into joints selling overpriced snacks and drinks to visitors, but I certainly wouldn’t describe the city as tourist hell. Our Italian school ( https://madrelinguaitalian.com/ ) is smack bang in the middle of Bologna – we’re behind the Apple store, and everyone knows they always have the best locations – yet plenty of the original businesses survive.
Sure, there are tourists, but the city is also home to Italians, families with young kids, working people, pensioners, and lots of students from around Italy and all over the world. As well as being a big attraction for suburbanites and provincials like myself.
Tourism has its pros and cons, obviously, but while rents go up, and out-dated businesses fail, there’s work for the young and money to be made by enterprising locals.
Lynne F says
Hi Daniel,
I have just read the article Zsuzsanna mentioned, interesting. It is almost 5 years since my last trip to Bologna, time to return! I am sure some things will have changed. I found it a very vibrant city with an eclectic mix of people I came across tourists, students, Italians and Bolognesi. As you say there are pros and cons to tourism. Tourism can support the economy often in areas where there is little else. Whilst catering for tourists it is vital history, culture and environment are preserved Tortellini or tortellini in brodo in Bologna is a taste of heaven especially when you see it being hand-made by experts Not fried in a cone!
In my opinion, tourists have their part to play in this too and need to embrace the culture of the place they are visiting and not expect it to be Little England or Little anywhere else. and hopefully enjoy it.
Daniel says
All very true, Lynne.
One thing I didn’t mention before is that any city is so much more than just the tourist part. Personally I like to see how people actually live, travel on public transport, browse the aisles of supermarkets, and so on.
The best memories I have of trips I’ve taken tend not to be from seeing the sights. For instance seeing a woman processing sheepskins outside an apartment block in Istanbul, or having a beer while admiring the view of the London skyline in a converted parking garage cum community centre in an ethnic part of the city.
Lynne F says
Absolutely Daniel! It is great to see the famous sights in a city, which probably enticed us to visit in the first place but navigating the public transport system eating where the locals eat, exploring the local shops/ supermarket and trying out my Italian have all created wonderful memories, ones you won’t find in any tourist guide
Daniel says
As you say, trying out your Italian!