This week’s half-price, easy reader ‘eBook of the Week’ is the B1/2 (intermediate/upper-intermediate) -level L’imperatore e i giochi.

What’s it about?

‘The philosopher’, Marco Aurelio (121 – 180 CE), was the last of the ‘Five Good Emperors’ who ruled during the Pax Romana, an age of relative peace and stability.

Join him and his son as they head off to the Colosseum for an afternoon of ‘entertainment’ – watching gladiators fight to the death.

The boy can’t wait! But his father is less than enthusiastic…

• .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
• .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
• 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 low-intermediate level and above
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

Check out the Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) to verify that the level is or is not appropriate, and that you know how to open the file on the device you intend to use it on.

Normally £7.99, L’imperatore e i giochi is half price this week, so just £3.99!

ALSO THIS WEEK, to go with the history-themed ‘eBook of the Week’ offer, we’re discounting the other TEN ebooks in our ‘history/historical’ section 25%. View them all here.

N.b. Both of these offers end on Sunday night.

L’imperatore e i giochi, just £3.99! | Free Sample Chapter | History-themed ebooks – 25%! | Catalog

How do I access my ebook?

When your order is ‘completed’, 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 those who request them.

P.S.

Tuesday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news was published this morning – subscribers will have already received their free copy via email. If you didn’t, why don’t you subscribe, too? It’s free!

Enter your email on this page and you’ll receive three Easy Italian News bulletins each and every week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

There’s absolutely no obligation to pay anything. And you can easily unsubscribe if you don’t find the materials useful, or are no longer learning Italian.

This week’s half-price, easy reader ‘eBook of the Week’ is the B1 (intermediate) -level Zio Ciro e la pizza.

Join Angela as she helps her Neapolitan uncle prepare pizzas for a special lunch, while learning the fascinating history of Napoli’s most famous dish!

This ebook is suitable for students at more or less any level, as it’s relatively short and simple.

But check out the Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) to see for yourself, that way you’ll know what to expect, and how to open the file on the device you intend to use it on.

Normally £7.99, ‘Zio Ciro e la pizza is half price this week, so just £3.99!

For that, you get:

• .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
• .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
• 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 any level
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

Buy ‘Zio Ciro e la pizza, just £3.99! | Free Sample Chapter | Or browse our Catalog

How do I access my ebook?

When your order is ‘completed’, 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 those who request them.

P.S.

Tuesday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news was published a few hours ago – subscribers will have already received their free copy via email. If you didn’t, why don’t you  subscribe, too? It’s free!

Enter your email on this page to receive three Easy Italian News bulletins each and every week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

There’s absolutely no obligation to pay anything. And you can easily unsubscribe if you don’t find the materials useful or are no longer learning Italian.

This week we’ve published the second ‘easy Italian reader’ ebook in our new Italian diaspora series. To add to January’s La diaspora italiana – Italiani in Scozia, there’s now La diaspora italiana – Italiani in Spagna (coming up in a few months we’ll have Australia and the USA, don’t worry!)

A ‘diaspora’ is a population that lives somewhere different from their original home, or that of their forebears. Since the late nineteenth century, millions of Italians have emigrated in search of better prospects. By 1980 it was estimated that twenty-five million Italians had made their home outside of Italy, in countries all over the world…

From the Roman empire to the European Union, read about Italians who have made their homes in a land which isn’t so dissimilar to their own: Spain! Get an insider’s view of the cultural ties, the similarities, but also the differences between these two peninsulas, situated at opposite ends of the Mediterranean Sea (the author is an Italian teacher, based in Madrid!)

Find out more about La diaspora italiana – Italiani in Spagna in our online shop and/or check out the Free Sample Chapter (.pdf), to verify the length, level and format of the ebook.

The level of this one is B2 (upper-intermediate), which means it should be suitable for students at intermediate level and above.

As always, at the top of Chapter 1 in the free sample chapter download (.pdf) there’s a link to the online audio. The audio version of the entire story is available to listen to, FREE, even if you don’t buy the ebook (though having the full text will make understanding the story easier.)

This first week only,  La diaspora italiana – Italiani in Spagna is 25% off – so just £5.99 rather than the usual ‘easy reader’ price of £7.99!

• .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
• .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
• 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 intermediate level and above
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

How do I access my ebook?

When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment is confirmed), 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.

Buy La diaspora italiana – Italiani in Spagna, just £5.99! | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) | Catalog

This week’s half-price, easy reader ‘eBook of the Week’ is the A1/A2 (elementary/pre-intermediate) level Il giocoliere.

A student has her purse stolen on a crowded bus in Bologna. It contains little of value, except a photograph which is precious to her…

This ebook is suitable for students at more or less any level, as it’s very short and simple. But check out the Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) to see for yourself, that way you’ll know what to expect, and how to open the file on the device you intend to use it on.

Normally £7.99, Il giocoliere is half price this week, so just £3.99!

For that, you get:

• .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
• .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
• 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 any level
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

Buy Il giocoliere, just £3.99! | Free Sample Chapter | Or browse our Catalog

How do I access my ebook?

When your order is ‘completed’, 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 those who request them.

P.S.

Tuesday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news has just been published – subscribers will have just received their free copy via email. If you didn’t, why not subscribe, too? It’s free!

Just enter your email on this page and we’ll send you three Easy Italian News bulletins each and every week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

There’s absolutely no obligation, and you can easily unsubscribe if you don’t find the materials useful.

EasyReaders.org is publishing a new ‘World Literature’ series of ITALIAN ebooks this year, and the first title is ‘I racconti di Canterbury‘.

Chaucer? In Italian? Well, Italian kids do masses of English literature at school, mostly in translation I’m sure, so why shouldn’t you?

Besides, until Sunday 7th of February it’s discounted 25% compared to the usual ‘easy reader’ price, so just £5.99 rather than £7.99.

Find out more about I racconti di Canterbury  in our online shop. Check out the Free Sample Chapter (.pdf), to verify the length, level and format of the ebook.

This one is B2/C1 (upper-intermediate/advanced), which means it should be suitable for confident readers from a level or two lower, say B1 and above, but not really for beginners.

• .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
• .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
• 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 intermediate level and above
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

Huff, you exclaim, I’d rather read something in ITALIAN!

Actually, we anticipated that.

So, to go with the launch of the World Literature series, we’ve also discounting all six titles in our Italian literature series of ‘easy reader’ ebooks.

Which are easier, too! Below are the titles in level order (the prices shown are already discounted by 15%):

Le avventure di Pinocchio (A1/2), £6.79, FREE sample (.pdf)
I Malavoglia (B1), £6.79, FREE sample (.pdf)
La coscienza di Zeno (B1), £6.79, FREE sample (.pdf)
I promessi sposi (B1/2), £6.79, FREE sample (.pdf)
Decameron (B1/2), £6.79, FREE sample (.pdf)
Uno, nessuno e centomila (B2), £6.79, FREE sample (.pdf)

Personally, I particularly liked I Malavoglia,  La coscienza di Zeno,  and Decameron, two of which I read during the first lockdown in 2020. Or maybe it was the second… Seems like a long time ago, now!

If you’re up for a challenge, you can find the originals of all of these texts for free on the internet.

For learners of Italian, though, our ‘easy readers’ are both useful reading/listening practice AND a good introduction to the stories. Enough to give you a flavor, anyhow.

Buy I racconti di Canterbury just £5.99! | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) | Italian literature series – 15% | Catalog

How do I access my ebook?

When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment is confirmed), 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.

P.S.

Tuesday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news (text + online audio) is ready for you, over at EasyItalianNews.com.

The ‘front page’ story is about Italy’s ‘new’ President of the Republic…

Read/listen now!

This week’s half-price, easy reader ‘eBook of the Week’ is the A1/A2 (elementary/pre-intermediate) level Cena con delitto.

Join us in the questura (police station). A husband and wife have witnessed a murder in a restaurant. Can the police commissioner find out the truth?

The story is suitable for students at more or less any level, as it’s very simple and short. But do take a look at the Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) to see that for yourself, and verify that you know how to open the file on the device you intend to use it on.

Normally £7.99, Cena con delitto is half price this week, so just £3.99!

For that, you get:

• .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
• .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
• 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 any level
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

Buy Cena con delitto, just £3.99! | Free Sample Chapter | Or browse our Catalog

How do I access my ebook?

When your order is ‘completed’, 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 those who request them.

P.S.

Tuesday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news is ready for you to read/listen to.

Subscribers will have just received a copy of the latest bulletin via email. If you didn’t get it, why not subscribe? That’s free too!

Enter your email on this page to get three Easy Italian News bulletins each and every week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with absolutely no obligation – you can easily remove your email address from the list at any time.

And here we are with 2022’s first new, ‘easy Italian reader’ publication, the beginning of a series on the Italian diaspora, La diaspora italiana – Italiani in Scozia.

A ‘diaspora’ is a population that lives somewhere different from their original home, or that of their forebears. Since the late nineteenth century, millions of Italians have emigrated in search of better prospects. By 1980 it was estimated that twenty-five million Italians had made their home outside of Italy, in countries all over the world…

From the Roman empire to the European Union, find out more about the Italians who made their homes in a land which couldn’t be more different from their own. A place of great natural beauty, though with a challenging climate and strange food, a destination that offered them the economic opportunities and stability not found at home, amongst a local population who were welcoming, if at first difficult to communicate with due to the sometimes incomprehensible local accent – Scotland!

Find out more about La diaspora italiana – Italiani in Scozia  in our online shop and/or check out the Free Sample Chapter (.pdf), to verify the length, level and format of the ebook.

The level of this one is B2/C1 (upper-intermediate), which means it should be suitable for confident readers from a level or two lower, say B1 and above.

As always, at the top of Chapter 1 in the free sample chapter download (.pdf) there’s a link to the online audio. The audio version of the entire story is available to listen to, FREE, even if you don’t buy the ebook (though having the full text will make understanding the story easier.)

This first week only, La diaspora italiana – Italiani in Scozia is 25% off – so just £5.99 rather than the usual ‘easy reader’ price of £7.99!

• .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
• .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
• 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 intermediate level and above
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

How do I access my ebook?

When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment is confirmed), 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.

Buy La diaspora italiana – Italiani in Scozia, just £5.99! | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) | Catalog

Don’t forget – the 2022 January Sale ends tonight, Sunday 9th January.

Coupon code …

January-Sale-2022

… is currently valid on EVERYTHING in  our TWO online stores, EasyReaders.org (ebooks for learning languages, ‘easy readers’, ‘parallel texts’) and NativeSpeakerTeachers.com (one-to-one lessons) …

but expires tonight!

Ten thirty-minute online lessons with a native speaker teacher (Italian, French, Spanish, German…) would normally cost you £180

But with the coupon code?

Just £144 (£14.40 a lesson).

And the ebook ‘easy readers’ (simplified texts + audio) or ‘parallel texts’ (simplified texts + translations), which are ideal for supplementing a more traditional language course, normally cost £7.99.

But are just £6.39 each with the coupon code.

For a few more hours, at least…

Stock up on the lesson credits and study materials you need now, while there’s still time!

EasyReaders.org (ebooks) | NativeSpeakerTeachers.com (lessons)

Don’t forget, the coupon code to save 20% on the published prices is:

January-Sale-2022

Paste it carefully into the box in your cart, where it says, Coupon Code. Then presss the Apply Coupon button. Finally scroll down to check that your order total has been discounted by 20%, before proceeding.

EasyReaders.org (ebooks) | NativeSpeakerTeachers.com (lessons)

(The next sale won’t be until the spring…)

A quick reminder about our 2022 January Sale, which will end at midnight on Sunday 9th of January.

Save 20% on EVERYTHING in our TWO online stores, EasyReaders.org (ebooks for learning languages, ‘easy readers’, ‘parallel texts’) and NativeSpeakerTeachers.com (one-to-one lessons), by using this coupon code:

January-Sale-2022

Ten thirty-minute online lessons with a native speaker teacher (Italian, French, Spanish, German…) would normally cost you £180 (just £18 a lesson).

But with the above coupon code, that figure is reduced to just £144! (£14.40 a lesson.)

That’s like getting two free lessons!

Ebook ‘easy readers’ (simplified texts + audio) or ‘parallel texts’ (simplified texts + translation), either of which are ideal for supplementing a more traditional language course, normally sell at £7.99.

But with the coupon code, you could add five ebooks to your cart and the twenty percent saving means you’ll only pay for four!

So how exactly do you save money on your language-learning?

Start by making your selection of one-to-one online lesson options and ebooks from EasyReaders.org (ebooks for learning languages, ‘easy readers’, ‘parallel texts’) and/or NativeSpeakerTeachers.com (one-to-one lessons).

Next, go to your shopping cart and paste in coupon code January-Sale-2022 (where it says ‘Apply coupon’), which will reduce the cart total by 20%. Press the ‘Apply coupon’ button and scroll down to check that the CART TOTAL (not the individual item price) really is discounted by 20%.

Remember: the coupon code is only valid for three more days, until midnight on Sunday 9th January.

Stock up today on the online lesson credits, easy readers, parallel texts and grammar workbooks that you’ll need to make progress with your chosen foreign language in 2022!

Here’s that coupon code once more:

January-Sale-2022

Use it in either or both of our online stores:

EasyReaders.org (ebooks) | NativeSpeakerTeachers.com (lessons)

Last Tuesday we announced that our January Sale has begun. Find out more here.

So today, as part of our 2022 January Sale promotion, I’m going to give you my top ebook picks for beginner, intermediate, and advanced-learners of Italian – I hope there’ll be something here that grabs you!

When I say ‘my top picks’, what I mean is the ebooks that I have enjoyed the most (I read them all, multiple times, during the editing and publishing process).

My criteria is just that: enjoyment. Why?

Because as a language-learner myself, I find that if there’s a story that engages me (whether it’s a news article, or fiction, like our ‘easy readers’), I’ll keep turning the page.

And if I can’t (metaphorically) put an ebook down, my reading comprehension skills improve, and with them my knowledge of vocabulary, and my confidence with the grammar of the language I’m learning.

As any teacher (or student) knows, boredom is the enemy! So a writer that knows how to craft a text so that it pulls you in and won’t let go, even if it’s ‘just’ language-study material, is indeed a useful ally!

Don’t forget, the January Sale is on! To get 20% off everything in your shopping cart, copy/paste the coupon code, which is:

January-Sale-2022

Bene, let’s get to it. I’m on the Catalog page of our online shop, starting a little way down, where it says ‘Italian Easy Readers‘ (if you’re learning another language, you’ll need to scroll down the Catalog page and make your own selections, sorry!)

So we have seventeen easy reader ebooks for A1 and A2 students, six at A1 (the lowest level), eight at the ‘half-level’ A1/2, and three at A2 (the harder ones). If you’re not sure which level is right for you, use the Free Sample links and take a look. You should be able to get the gist of the story with only occasional use of a dictionary.

N.b. This article was written a year ago. Since then we’ve published other ebooks, so the selection at your level is probably even more ample than described below. Our Catalog page is always up-to-date, so includes the most recent titles, and free sample chapters!

So honestly? I enjoyed all seventeen. but I’ve been strict with myself and whittled the total down to just two at each level, concentrating on the ones I liked the MOST – the stories that made me actually care about the characters, and about what happened to them next!

(These are extracts from our Catalog page, so you can also see the price, the available formats, and a link to the free sample chapter for each title…)

A1

Colpo di forbici (A1) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)
Rosa la cuoca disastrosa (A1) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)

A1/2

Il giocoliere (A1/2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)
L’ascensore (A1/2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)

A2

Cielo libero (A2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)
L’amore ai tempi del supermercato (A2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)

What if those were too easy for you? Nessun problema. For ‘intermediate’ learners we have loads and loads of materials – twenty-two separate titles!

The hard part was choosing between them, but again, I’ve been strict and narrowed it down to two stories at each half level…

A2/B1

2 giugno 1946 (A2/B1) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)
Il campo di papaveri (A2/B1) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)

B1

Caccia all’autografo (B1) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)
Dante, gatto vagante (B1) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)

B1/B2

L’imperatore e i giochi (B1/2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)
Segreti e polpette (B1/2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)

B2

Natale a sorpresa (B2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)
Le italiane (B2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)

Hope there was something there that called out “Read me!”

But if you looked at the sample chapters and they were STILL to simple for you, firstly, well done for reading Italian for such confidence, and secondly, brace yourself now for the hard stuff!

B2/C1

Prometeo e la guerra dei titani (B2/C1) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi)
Il bar (B2/C1) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi)

C1

La commediante (C1) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi)
I racconti della vestale (C1) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi)

C1/C2

Anselmo e l’omicidio di Giovanni Borgia (C1/2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)
Il vulcano (C1/2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)

C2

La Via Francigena (C2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)
La carriera – dietro le quinte del Palio di Siena (C2) £7.99 Download FREE sample (.pdf, .epub, .mobi/Kindle)

Bene. Hope you found lots that will keep you reading in and listening to Italian in 2022!

The prices marked above are the usual, year-round prices but with the January Sale promotion (which ends on Sunday 9th January 2022) everything in our TWO online stores (EasyReaders.org for ebooks, NativeSpeakerTeachers.com for online lesson credits) is 20% cheaper!

Copy and paste the coupon code January-Sale-2022 into your shopping cart in either store, then scroll down to check the cart total has been reduced by 20%.

Make your selections today!

EasyReaders.org (now only ebooks) | NativeSpeakerTeachers.com (online lessons)

P.S.

Check out the ‘easy reader’ ebook MULTIPACKS, which get you a three-for-two deal, or better.

AND the 20% discount!

Assuming you remember to use the coupon code, that is…

January-Sale-2022