Women don’t know anything about politics

Buondì.

I’m late again today, sorry!

It’s because I spent part of the morning listening to the news and weather forecast in Swedish (someone got shot, it’s snowing).

And the other part reading and listening to our newest Italian easy reader.

And then publishing it, over at our new shop.

This one is rather good, though I say it myself but shouldn’t.

So I’m going to push it hard, today.

The new ebook easy reader is called ‘2 giugno 1946‘, which is, of course, a date.

(If you have pictures enabled in your email, you should see the cover image up there ^^^ some place..)

Note that Italians use cardinal numbers for dates, not ordinal numbers like in English.

Anyway, here’s the blurb from the ebook product page:

Bologna, 2nd of June 1946. Italy is slowly recovering from the devastating effects of World War II. A referendum has been organised to decide whether the reborn state will be a republic or continue as a monarchy. And for the first time in history, Italian women can go to the polls! Newly-wed Marcella is so excited at the prospect she barely slept last night. But her husband, Antonio, is unconvinced…

The rather provocative title of today’s article is me paraphrasing Antonio, the husband.

Marcella is an independent type and enthusiastic about having the vote. Antonio is sceptical: women don’t know anything about politics, and anyway don’t have jobs, so why would they need to vote?

The level of this material is, in theory, A2/B1.

Grading reading and listening texts, though, can be quite hit or miss. Understanding is usually partial, in any case, even if you read/listen several times.

Moreover, what one person gets from a text is unlikely to be identical to what another manages to understand, irrespective of level. It depends a lot on how much experience the reader/listener has.

But not understanding everything doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try or that it isn’t doing you good!

Just to prove my point, I’m going to paste the free sample chapter here below, along with a link to the online audio for the WHOLE STORY, all eight chapters!

If you’re already into reading and listening in Italian, you should enjoy it.

And if you’re not, well why not?

There’s no better way to consolidate the grammar and vocabulary you’re studying.

And no more effective way to build both reading and listening skills, each of which is essential if you want to progress with the language.

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2 giugno 1946

Capitolo 1. Bologna, 2 giugno 1946

Listen to this story online: https://soundcloud.com/onlineitalianclub/sets/2-giugno-1946

È ancora l’alba a Bologna.

La città addormentata si sveglia pigramente: si aprono le prime finestre, qualche negozio alza la serranda, nelle case si diffonde, piano piano, il profumo del caffè.

Marcella è in piedi già da un pezzo. Non ha dormito molto. Oggi è un giorno speciale. Questa non è una domenica come tutte le altre.

Che bella giornata! Oggi sì che si cambia. Oggi sì che cambiamo l’Italia, che cambiamo la Storia! E tutto cambia anche grazie a me.

Poi, anche lei mette sul fuoco la macchinetta del caffè, quella che le ha regalato sua cugina Assunta, di Napoli. Taglia due fette di pane e apre le finestre della cucina: la luce del giorno deve entrare in casa e iniziare, senza fretta, a svegliare Antonio, che ancora dorme sereno.

È bella la luce della domenica: è luce di riposo, di famiglia, di ragù che cuoce per ore, di pasta fatta in casa.

E oggi quella luce è una luce diversa: è la luce del 2 giugno 1946, un giorno che rimarrà nella storia.

Glossario
alba: dawn
già da un pezzo: for a long time already
serranda: shutters
macchinetta del caffè: coffee machine

Esercizio
Vero o falso?
1. Marcella ha dormito più del solito.
2. La vicenda si svolge di sabato mattina.
3. Assunta, la cugina di Marcella, è di Milano.
4. Mentre Marcella prepara il caffè, Antonio dorme sereno.
5. Il 2 giugno 1946 è un giorno memorabile per la storia d’Italia.

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Useful?

I think so.

You can find the free sample chapter .pdf here.

It’s printable, so you can annotate it as you read/listen.

Or just download it so as to see what the actual ebook looks like and whether it will open on your device.

The remaining seven chapters can be purchased here at the special launch price of £5.99.

That’s 25% off the usual easy reader ebook price, and well worth it for the boost it’ll give to your Italian and your motivation!

Too easy? Too hard?

Check the catalogue page, where ebooks are listed by type and level, to find something more suitable.

There are free sample chapter links for more or less everything, so you can try before you buy.

Or just browse the shop – click on the product images that interest you to read the blurb for each ebook and to find the sample chapter link.

A mercoledì.

2 giugno 1946 | Free sample chapter (.pdf) | Catalogue | Browse the shop

P.S.

For those of you who ‘don’t want to buy anything, just interested in the free stuff, thanks very much’, go here and study for free.

But you’re missing out…