There’s nowt so queer as folk

Buondì.

It’s a national holiday here in Italy today, as it is in many places.

“La Festa dei lavoratori viene celebrata il 1º maggio di ogni anno in molti paesi del mondo, per ricordare tutte le lotte per i diritti dei lavoratori, originariamente nate per la riduzione della giornata lavorativa.” (Italian Wikipedia)

So if you’re a worker, take it easy.

Put your feet up.

Study Italian, or buy an ebook with the intention of doing so at some future moment when you’re less relaxed.

You could even read a poem (below).

Whatever.

I’m self-employed, though, and as far as I’m aware there’s no national holiday to celebrate our struggles.

For example, dealing with ‘customer service’ emails.

Here’s one from this morning that made my heart sink:

(no subject)
I just joined, but after looking at the site, I would like to cancel my subscription. It’s way above my level. Thank you. Please delete my membership.

So, first job of the day (after a long, deep sigh), a quick reply to point out that we have masses of A1 Beginner level materials for learning Italian.

And that if that’s not what’s needed, then every email sent out has an unsubscribe link at the bottom, which the person in question should please make use of and so save me having to do it.

(In case you were wondering, other levels are here.)

Which reminded me of the Northern-English expression:

There’s nowt so queer as folk (except for me and thee – and even thee’s a little queer.)

Thanks Norman.

Seriously though, how to design a website or app in such a way that:

a. it’s suitable for people with little to no experience of learning a language, let alone of using the website/app itself

b. it remains suitable, and flexible, as people gain experience with the medium and as their learning needs change

c. it takes into account people’s different needs and preferences, and how these might change over time

and finally

d. it’s not boring! And so will help keep users interested over the medium-to-long term, which is what it takes to learn a language

I’m sure it’s POSSIBLE, but as far as I’m aware, no one’s yet done it.

There are, after all, commercial imperatives, too.

Is the ideal language-learning website or app out there, but not yet included on our ‘Other Resources‘ page?

If you’ve found it, do tell so I can pass it on to helpless enquirers like the lady above.

(N.b. Save me a little time on this national day of rest for workers at least, and please don’t write to me about anything that’s ALREADY linked to on the ‘Other Resources‘ page. Check first, OK?)

Bene, now there are lots of P.S.s today so I’ll leave it at that.

Buon primo maggio!

A venerdì.

P.S.

Don’t forget this week’s half-price Book of the Week, Caccia all’autografo (Autograph Hunt), which tells the story of university student Alberto who’s worried he and his girlfriend (she’s at college too, but in a different city) might be drifting apart.

Now if he’d asked me, I’d have told him that there are plenty more fish in the sea.

And that scotch is very good for this type of problem.

But no, he reluctantly confides in his Sicilian grandfather, who has an idea!

Check the FREE SAMPLE CHAPTER (.pdf)

This ‘easy Italian reader’ is B1 (intermediate) level and normally sells for £7.99.

Get it this week, though, and you’ll have orginal material for improving your Italian for just £3.99!

Or pick out titles more suited to your level from our Catalog, where you’ll also find links to each and every free sample chapter!

FREE SAMPLE CHAPTER (.pdf) | Buy Caccia all’autografo | Easy Italian Reader Multipacks | Catalog

P.P.S.

Don’t forget to read/listen to Tuesday’s bulletin from EasyItalianNews.com, will you?

And there’ll be another tomorrow (Thursday) morning, Italian time.

And another on Saturday, and so on

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday…

And yes, I know I wrote the exact same thing on Monday.

The point is to help you, and people like you around the world who are hoping to one day speak and understand Italian, create a habit and maintain it for long enough that it’ll pay back for the time invested.

I’m probably flogging a dead horse, I know.

EasyItalianNews.com | Advice | Subscribe (free) | Donate | Thanks

P.P.P.S.

And talking of ‘flogging’, here’s another of the poet’s recent efforts:

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(The poem’s been moved to: https://onlinepoem.com/sexy-shop/ )