Buondì.
Thanks to everyone who bought a copy of last week’s newly-published easy Italian reader ebook, Zio Ciro e la pizza (B1). If you’ve read/are reading it, don’t forget to leave a review, will you?
There’s a page in the shop which shows you exactly how to do that. Step-by-step instructions, with pictures! Many thanks to Patricia, who’s already written one (read her review), as well as to everyone else who has helped us out in this way recently. It’s much appreciated.
So anyway, this week’s half-price ‘eBook of the Week’, in keeping with the new policy of trying to vary the levels, is a really easy one!
In fact, not only is Yue a Bologna suitable for beginner and elementary-level students, it’s actually about being a beginner, and all the uncertainty and limitations that comes with that, hopefully temporary, situation!
I can certainly empathise with poor Yue, as I had my first online Spanish lesson on Friday afternoon. It went well, but it’s always a shock being back at the start again and not being able to say even the simplest things! Still, more about that later this week…
Yue, a talented young Japanese from a rural community in Hokkaido, wins a one-year scholarship to study opera at the ‘Conservatorio’ in Bologna, home to Europe’s oldest university.
But the thought of leaving her parents and brother for a whole year disturbs her.
And, before studying at the ‘Conservatorio’, she’ll first have to learn Italian…
Good luck with that, kid. Italian is easy if you’re Spanish, French, Portuguese or Brazilian, but hard for the rest of us.
The Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) should give you an idea of the level, length and format of the material.
And if you’re not elementary? Well why not listen to the story anyway? All eight chapters are available to listen to online, as often as you like, absolutely free. If you’re an intermediate or advanced student, why not try a chapter or two as a dictation?
Below is the link to the audio for the story, which is also to be found in the free sample chapter. It should work on smartphones and tablets, too. And no, before anyone asks, we make the audio available online but, for various reasons, don’t provide a download option: https://soundcloud.com/onlineitalianclub/sets/yue-a-bologna
A mercoledì, allora!
Yue a Bologna – just £3.99! | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) | Catalog
P.S.
And here’s the usual reminder about Saturday’s edition of EasyItalianNews.com, which is also free to listen to. But with EasyItalianNews.com you get the text, too. And if you’re a subscriber, you can download the audio for each bulletin to listen to offline (right click on the audio link in the email that subscribers get with each new edition and choose ‘save as’.)
If you haven’t tried this method of studying, or gave it a go a while back but for whatever reason didn’t make a habit of it, you’re missing out on some excellent, free learning-opportunities! Take a look!
Over five thousand people have now subscribed to get each thrice-weekly edition via email as soon as it’s published. Subscribing is also free.
Subscribe (it’s easy to unsubscribe if you stop learning Italian…)