(Here’s an article from our archive, which we use each time we do a Free Trial Lesson Offer. Things will be back to normal next week, when the promotion is over.)
Buondì.
Time’s running out to book your free online Italian lesson via Skype or Zoom! This week’s offer ends on Sunday night, so jump to it!
Around 60 people have already signed up for a free online lesson, mostly for Italian, but also Spanish, and French.
We usually calculate that if we get 150 people to ‘buy’ the free lesson, people being people, only about two-thirds of them will actually end up taking it.
Assuming you have a reasonable Internet connection, and some time, why shouldn’t you be one of those?
To reply to a club member who wanted to take a free lesson but emailed the teacher with concerns:
I also have been thinking, following our discussion…. If you are being paid by the supplier for the lesson tomorrow then we should proceed. If you are doing the lesson for no charge, on the basis that if it is successful, then I would book further lessons, then I think it is fair that we cancel the lesson. Having looked at the cost (£20 / 30 minutes) I think I prefer to attend classes with multiple students which are a) more cost effective and b) more lively
1.) The teacher IS paid for trial lessons and the student is under no obligation to buy more. Right now we’re giving away free trials to people in Asia, South America, India and countries of the former Soviet Union, few of whom will become paying customers, as well as more frequently to students in Europe, North America, South Africa and Australasia (apologies if I’ve missed anyone!) It’s an opportunity for Lucia, our teaching manager, to ‘break in’ new teachers, plus a chance for us to give something back rather than just ‘wasting’ our marketing budget on Google advertising, as other online lesson providers do. I’m fine with that (and Google is rich enough in my opinion…)
2.) The cost of online lessons is only £20 if a student buys just one, which would be fairly pointless unless there was some urgent short-term need. They’re £180 if you buy 10, so £18.00 each, though that’s usually discounted even further – most regular students take advantage of the seasonal ‘save 20%’ offers and so pay £14.40 for their half-hour lessons, which works out at £28.80 an hour.
By comparison, a one-hour individual Italian lesson at a language school in the Italian city where I live costs around €40 (say £35). But a question: how much would you pay a trusted plumber, hair-stylist or car mechanic for their time? Just as much, I bet. More, probably.
3.) And yes, of course group classes are more cost-effective. But in a group you don’t get the teacher’s undivided attention and personalised feedback, or the chance to decide exactly how to spend the time, whether on just conversation (which is what I do in MY online language lessons), or to focus on something specific that you have issues with – a grammar point, preparation for an up-coming exam, or whatever.
Clearly, one-to-one online lessons are not suitable for anyone who has an extremely limited budget. But for those people, we provide masses of free material, so our conscience is clear! And for those, like me, who may not have the option to join an enjoyable, cheaper local class online lessons can be an effective alternative – there are no Swedish or Turkish classes in the city where I live, and I have family responsibilities in the evenings, so joining a Spanish or French evening class would be hard to arrange.
About cost – after work last night my wife and I stopped off for a quick drink on the way home, spending €9.50 for a pint (of beer) for me, a half for her, and a bag of cheese and onion crisps. We were at the bus stop shortly afterwards, dinner having been delayed just fifteen minutes or so. This afternoon, by comparison, I’ll be spending what I hope will be an enjoyable and useful thirty minutes on Skype with a Spanish teacher based in Mexico, for not very much more money.
And while, ideally, beer and crisps would be cheaper, I certainly don’t think the lesson need be. Plenty of us think that this type of language-learning opportunity is well-worth the cost, and an essential supplement to self-study with materials from the club website, or from another source.
Priorities, people, they’re yours to determine. Hence the trial lesson offer – try one free of charge, to see if it’s the sort of thing that you would find useful. What’s to lose? The teacher gets above the UK minimum wage for their time (Italy doesn’t have a minimum wage, so freelance rates can be low…) and, in any case, may not have other ways to pay their rent.
A student of ours wrote this:
Can I just say this in case it helps: I never looked back! Just over 2 years ago I had my first online Italian lesson. On the day, I wondered why on earth I’d decided to put myself through this. I was so hesitant, you would have thought it was my first day with the language! 2 years later, I’ve had to say goodbye to my teacher as she’s moving on – and how I will miss those weekly chats! Anyhow, I’m taking the opportunity to try out my Spanish, and I feel just as stupid when I open my mouth with my Spanish teacher as I did with Italian. The difference is, I KNOW it will make a difference. Thanks, Daniel, Lucia and co, for providing me with this service. I recommend it to everyone. Give it a go.
Here are the offer conditions again:
- This offer is good until Sunday 19/02/23
- We’ve got the capacity for around a hundred and fifty club members to do a trial lesson
- This offer is for NEW STUDENTS ONLY
- If you booked a free trial last time but didn’t take it – do try again!
- But if you’ve already done a free trial (we have a list), this is not for you
- Once you’ve done your lesson, our teaching management assistant will send you a 15% discount coupon, to use should you wish to continue…
Compare online lesson prices:
Online Italian lessons | Online Spanish lessons | Online French lessons
Book your free trial Italian/Spanish/French/German lesson before the offer ends on Sunday:
P.S. Don’t forget…
Here’s the usual Friday reminder to read/listen to Thursday’s bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news.
P.P.S. Only until Sunday, 5 half-price ebooks!
A final ‘don’t forget’ about this week’s half-price ebook offer, on five stories we published way back in 2019.
Any of the following five ebooks will cost you just £3.99, but only until Sunday 19th February 2023, when the offer ends.
The level of these is high, other than the first, which is intermediate. Check the free sample chapters before you buy!
Dante, gatto vagante (B1) 
Dante is a black and white cat who likes to roam his sestiere of Venice but proudly refuses to wear a collar. So when, one day, he fails to show up for his dinner, frantic owner Anna has no way to trace him. Where can he have got to?
- .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 any level
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
N.b. If you like this story, you may also enjoy Dante’s further adventure: ‘Dante, un’altra marachella‘.
Buy Dante, gatto vagante just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | Read reviews! | Catalog
Il vulcano (C1/2) 
Il fenomeno delle migrazioni è un tema importate e complesso, che facilmente scalda gli animi.
Nel 2014 in Italia sono arrivati circa tredicimila minori stranieri non accompagnati: ragazzi e ragazze, o bambini e bambine, minorenni, senza la cittadinanza europea, senza la protezione e la tutela dei loro genitori.
Questi minori vengono affidati a famiglie che vogliano e possano prendersene cura o a istituti protetti dove, grazie al sempre più importante aiuto dei volontari, i ragazzi possono trovare qualcuno che li segua nel loro percorso di crescita e che li aiuti a ricucire le loro ferite.
Quella che state per leggere qui di seguito è una storia vera.
The moving story of how the author, a language teacher, is asked to help a child who has crossed the dangerous Mediterranean Sea on a rubber boat with other migrants, having lost his mother somewhere along the route from his home country.
Now a new challenge awaits the boy – he speaks not a word of the Italian yet must soon start school. And, gradually, build a life in this new land.
- .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 advanced level
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Il vulcano just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | Read reviews! | Catalog
Il bar (B2/C1) 
Il signor Mario gira la chiave nella serratura e solleva la serranda del Bar Ateneo. Il locale si trova davanti all’Università Statale nel centro di Milano. Il proprietario del vecchio bar, puntuale come ogni mattina, apre la porta di legno scricchiolante, indossa il grembiule e si aggiusta gli occhiali da miope sul nasone aquilino. Poi si dirige svelto a infornare i cornetti e a preparare la macchina del caffè.
Quando ha finalmente le mani libere, Mario si avvicina al calendario per eliminare la pagina del mese appena trascorso: febbraio. Ha una breve esitazione e prende tempo massaggiandosi i corti ricci grigiastri che, nonostante i suoi cinquantotto anni, resistono sul capoccione a forma d’uovo. Un respiro profondo per farsi coraggio dicendo a se stesso:
“Anche quest’anno è arrivato il primo marzo. Stiamo a vedere che diavolo succede”.
- .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 upper-intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Il bar just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | Read reviews! | Catalog
Prometeo e la guerra dei titani (B2/C1) 
Un altro giovedì di gennaio al liceo classico Parini di Milano. E’ passato da poco mezzogiorno e alla quarta ora la 5C ha greco: la lezione sembra essere infinita…
But wait! What’s that the teacher’s saying?
“Sapete che secondo il mito greco nella notte dei tempi si combatte una terribile guerra tra immortali? L’obiettivo della guerra è il dominio dell’intero universo.”
- .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 upper-intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Prometeo e la guerra dei titani just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | Read reviews! | Catalog
Il mistero della quercia (B2/C1) 
Why does a village traffic accident, which resulted in no injuries besides some damage to a roadside oak tree, have everyone so worried?
Luisa, who’s spending a month with her grandparents, will keep asking questions until someone tells her what’s going on!
What is ‘Il mistero della quercia’?
- .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 upper-intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Il mistero della quercia just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | Read reviews! | Catalog
How do I access my ebooks?
When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment), download links will be automatically emailed to you. They’re valid for 7 days and 3 download attempts so please save a copy of the .pdf ebooks in a safe place. Other versions of the ebooks, 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 .pdfs, don’t worry! Email us at the address on the website and we’ll help. Also, why not check out our FAQ?
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