Buondì.
As mentioned in Friday’s article, this morning I’ve published a new C1/2-level Italian ‘easy reader’.
It’s Il vulcano and tells…
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.
(The child, not the author…)
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 at soundcloud.com)
- .epub format ebook also available (ask at the time of your order!)
- 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)
- Your e-book will be e-mailed to you within 24 hours of purchase
Il vulcano will sell at our usual ebook price of £7.99 from next Monday on, but get it this week for just £5.99 and you’ll save 25% (and I’ll earn back what it cost me to publish…)
N.b. If you have a Kobo (or similar) ebook reader, or an app on your phone or tablet that reads ebooks, then you’ll be pleased to hear that this new one is ALSO available in .epub format, which means you can read it in bed, etc.
If you’d like to give that a try, buy the .pdf version as normal but specify in the ‘Notes’ section on the order form that you’d ALSO like the .epub file. I’ll then send you both at no extra charge.
Or if you forget, just email me.
Buy ‘Il vulcano’ | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) | Browse catalog
P.S.
Saturday’s EasyItalianNews.com bulletin is here.
It’s last week’s news by now, but free listening practice is free listening practice.
You can NEVER get enough of it, is my opinion.
As I write this, I’m listening to the weather forecast on Sveriges Radio P1 ( https://sverigesradio.se/ ) and I’m getting most of it, as I did with the news that preceeded it.
Not much more than a year ago I was just starting out with the simplified news program they do for immigrants (of which there are many…)
Daily practice with simplified material for a year (call it 150-200 hours in total), while gradually introducing ‘authentic’ material, has had exactly the effect you would expect.
I was barely here:
I can understand phrases and the
highest frequency vocabulary
related to areas of most
immediate personal relevance
(e.g. very basic personal and
family information, shopping,
local area, employment). I can
catch the main point in short,
clear, simple messages and
announcements.
And now I’m proudly here:
I can understand the main points of
clear standard speech on familiar
matters regularly encountered in work,
school, leisure, etc. I can understand
the main point of many radio or TV
programmes on current affairs or
topics of personal or professional
interest when the delivery is
relatively slow and clear.
And have my sights fixed on here:
I can understand extended speech and
lectures and follow even complex lines
of argument provided the topic is
reasonably familiar. I can understand
most TV news and current affairs
programmes. I can understand the
majority of films in standard dialect.
(Source: Self-assessment Grid (CEFR) )
Practice, as they say, makes perfect. Or at least a great deal more able.
A mercoledì.