Buondì.
Some instructions for language-learning (and for life). This is the short version, as I’m pushed for time.
In no particular order:
- if you don’t start, you won’t progress
- it takes a long time to learn a language, and for perhaps a quarter of it, you won’t be able to express yourself, or understand what others say. Get used to that
- there are no magic methods. Shortcuts exist for more informed/experienced learners, but the real trick is not to waste time doing the wrong things
- quitting also means you won’t progress
- time devoted to eliminating negative habits (social media) and creating positive ones (EasyItalianNews.com) is time well-spent
- read instructions / product descriptions / FAQs / try free samples, if available
- be nice when you email Customer Service with your problem. You might get better results, and won’t risk being reborn as a bug
A lunedì.
P.S.
In Wednesday’s article I mentioned the various free ebooks we offer.
Just to make clear what is, in my opinion, already clearly stated on the shop website (for example on the catalog page or on the product description pages for each individual ebook), EASY READER EBOOKS (text + audio) mostly also have a Kindle-compatible version, whereas PARALLEL TEXT EBOOKS don’t.
This is because of the special formatting required to compare the two language versions line by numbered line. That would be impossible on a Kindle or similar.
You wouldn’t believe the number of times I’ve explained that to people this week: “Why didn’t you send me the Kindle-compatible version of the parallel text ebook, too, as well as the easy reader?” “Um, because there isn’t one, sorry!”
And to clarify this part below (to be found on every product description page), which already seems fairly clear to me, but manages to get misunderstood in, oh, so many creative ways:
How do I access my ebook?
When your order is ‘completed’ (allow up to 24 hours), 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 (.mobi/Kindle-compatible, .epub) cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them.
What this actually means is:
– click the download link ONCE, view the ebook on your iPad or iPhone if you insist, but then SAVE A COPY on your device (“save a copy of the .pdf ebook in a safe place”). If you don’t know how to do that, ask a child
– you then still have two further attempts if you need them, for example if you can’t find a handy child to show you how to save a copy of the .pdf ebook that you’re looking at. Or if you have some fancy firewall on your device (not likely), in which case open the email again, on a different device, ideally something that isn’t Apple, click the download link a second time and save a copy (where’s that child?)
– after you have clicked the same link three times (perhaps not having understood the ‘save a copy’ part), on the fourth and subsequent occasions, you will get an error message. This is intentional (“It’s valid for 7 days and 3 download attempts”), as the whole point of a download links is that you should actually DOWNLOAD the file and SAVE it, after which the link becomes redundant, see? Leaving the link valid for an indefinite time rather defeats the point of offering downloads at all…
– and yes, I know that your download was only the .pdf version of the ebook, even though you added a note asking for the Kindle-compatible version. So there’s no need to write me an email to complain about that, at what for me is 3 a.m. in the morning. When I wake up, I will review the orders, see your typed note, and email the Kindle-compatible version to you, as promised (“will be emailed to people who request them”)