Category: News

In the fall we began publishing a new series of ‘easy reader’ ebooks based on famous Italian operas.

The first was a simplified text + audio version of Nabucco, one of composer Verdi’s most famous operas. Next we did Puccini’s romantic classic, Turandot, then another Puccini weepy, La Bohème, returning to Verdi for the final two publications of 2022, Rigoletto and La traviata.

Now the festive period is behind us, we restart, with yet more Verdi, the spectacular Aida, and as always, this first week it’s 25% discounted (offer ends Sunday 29th January 2023).

Giuseppe Verdi’s musical exploration of love, jealousy, patriotism and divided-loyalties is here simplifed for learners of Italian (with quotes from the actual libretto!)

Aida, daughter of Amonasro, King of Ethiopia, was captured and is now slave to the Egyptian princess, Amneris, who is unaware of her true identity. Both women are princesses, and both have feelings for handsome soldier Radamès. When Aida’s father leads an Ethiopian military expedition against Egypt, Radames takes command of the defence…

Written to celebrate the opening of the Suez canal, Aida was first performed in 1871 and has been a favorite of opera goers ever since!

Why not begin with our ‘easy reader’ ebook before seeking out a recording of the opera on Youtube? It’ll help! Or just use this original Italian reading/listening practice material to add a little variety to your study program.

Liven up your language studies with this interesting skills practice material, while learning about Italian culture at the same time!

• .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
• 7 chapters (based on the act structure of the opera) to read and listen to
• Comprehension questions to check your understanding
• Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
• Suitable for students at pre-intermediate level or above
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

This being the first week, Aida is 25% discounted, so just £5.99 rather than the usual ‘easy reader’ ebook price of £7.99.

Do check out the FREE sample chapter (.pdf) before you buy a copy, though. That way, you’ll know whether the level is suitable and that the format works on the device you intend to use it on.

Buy Aida just £5.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | Opera ebooks | Catalog

How do I access my ebook?

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

Remember, download your copy by Sunday 29th January and you’ll save 25%, compared to the usual ‘easy reader’ price of £7.99, so pay just £5.99!

P.S.

Don’t forget to read/listen to Tuesday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news (text + online audio), which was just published.

Subscribers get each thrice-weekly bulletin sent directly to their email inboxes, which is also FREE.

EasyItalianNews.com is free for anyone to use (and subscribe to, if they choose) because it’s funded by donations from students who know it is helping them improve their Italian reading and listening skills.

Support EasyItalianNews.com!

This week, EasyReaders.org has two half-price eBook offers, both from our Classic Italian Movies series.

Fantozzi (B2)

Ragionier Fantozzi, Ugo is an Italian everyman, though not a very happy one!

Ugo is ambivalent, to say the least, about his job and his family. He dares to hope for more from both his professional and personal lives, though never seems surprised when his ambitions are thwarted!

The 1971 book was a million-seller. And mention the 1975 film, on which our ‘easy reader’ is based, to any Italian to get them happily talking you through their favourite scenes.

For a rather different insight into Italian life and attitudes, don’t miss the unforgettable cultural meme that is Fantozzi!

• .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
• 9 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)

Buy Fantozzi (B2) just £3.99!

Il secondo tragico Fantozzi (B2)

Ragionier Fantozzi, Ugo is the Italian everyman: abused by his employer, unhappy at home, and so occasionally tempted to rebel – in the hope of a better future…

“Of course! Everyone knows Fantozzi”, declared this copywriter’s Italian wife, on entering the kitchen to find out what he was laughing out loud about.

The 1971 book was a million-seller and was followed by several unforgettable movies, from which this second volume of mishaps has been selected (find the other here: Fantozzi)

• .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)

 Buy Il secondo tragico Fantozzi (B2),  just £3.99!

Besides the two half-price ebooks, also this week there’s a 20% coupon code, valid for all the other ebooks in the Classic Italian Movies series, fifteen titles in total! The coupon code is: 20%OffMovieEasyReaders

Copy/paste it carefully into your cart, press the ‘Apply coupon’ button, and it should reduce the cart total by deducting 20% from the price of any applicable items, which are all the ebooks in the movie series, except the nine-ebook bundle (which is already discounted 50%) and the two half-price eBook of the Week offers.

Fantozzi | Il secondo tragico Fantozzi | Classic Italian Movie ebooks | Catalog

How do I access my ebook?

When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment), 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, where available, cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them. There’s a space to do that on the order form – where it says Additional information, Order notes (optional). If you forget, or if you have problems downloading the .pdf, don’t worry! Email us at the address on the website and we’ll help. Also, why not check out our FAQ?

P.S.

Don’t forget to use coupon code 20%OffMovieEasyReaders if you decide to buy any of the Classic Italian Movie ebooks…

Don’t forget – the 2023 January Sale ends tonight, January 6th 2023.

Coupon code January-Sale-2023 is still valid on EVERYTHING in our online store, EasyReaders.org, which specialises in ebooks for learning foreign languages, in particular Italian, but also French, Spanish, German, and some other languages.

Browse the Catalog now! There you’ll find FREE sample chapters for just about everything, so you can get an idea of the level and format of the material, and decide what may work best to keep you learning in 2023.

For example,’Easy reader’ ebooks, which are simplified texts and accompanying online audio, at 12 different levels!

Or ‘parallel text’ ebooks (simplified texts + translations) at different levels – the language you’re learning along with a line-by-line translation into English.

Depending on the way you prefer to learn, either could be ideal for supplementing a more traditional language course, or just for self-study.

These materials normally cost £7.99, but until midnight tonight you can use coupon code January-Sale-2023 to reduce that by 20%, to just £6.39.

Stock up on the study materials you need today, before the 2023 January Sale ends. The next similar promotion won’t be until the end of March…

EasyReaders.org

Don’t forget, the coupon code to save 20% on the published prices is January-Sale-2023.

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 – it’s the order total that is discounted, not the item price which you see on your screen, though that amounts to the same thing.

Ebooks for learning Italian/French/Spanish/German

P.S.

Coupon code January-Sale-2023 is also good for a 20% discount at our online lessons store, NativeSpeakerTeachers.com, but only until midnight on January 6th 2023!

Last Tuesday we announced that our 2023 January Sale had begun. Find out more here.

So today, as part of this 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 2023 January Sale is on! To get 20% off everything in your shopping cart, copy/paste the coupon code, which is:

January-Sale-2023

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 couple of years 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 2023!

The prices marked above are the usual, year-round prices but with the 2023 January Sale promotion (which ends on Friday 6th January 2023) 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-2023 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 (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-2023

Everyone learning a foreign language is familiar with the concept of ‘level’.

Some materials are just too hard for where you’re currently at, others might seem just right, whereas the texts you worked on months ago will now, hopefully, feel easy.

We all know that it can be difficult (impossible!) to understand films and so on in the languages we’re learning, or to read an authentic article, say from a newspaper, which is written for educated native-speaker readers.

And yet, clearly, listening to the language as it is really used, and reading articles written in it, are important long-term goals, even if they seem unachievable for the moment.

Plus, it seems likely that the more we read and listen, the more meaningful our studies will be, the more new words we’ll pick up, and the more we’ll feel familiar with the grammar and structures of the languages we’re learning.

Reading and listening to the language you’re studying are unarguably good ways to speed your progress, and in any case, training yourself to listen and to read effectively in the new language is obviously going to be necessary at some point.

But authentic materials are HARD! Often too hard.

The solution to this quandry?

‘Graded’ texts, that is to say materials written by language teachers for learners like you, and designated as suitable for those who have reached or are above a particular level.

The CEFR level system uses six level bands, which are (from easiest to hardest): A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2.

Assume that students at the C levels should be reading and listening to authentic (real-life) texts and audio without too much difficulty. The graded materials at those levels, then, will approximate texts written for native-speakers.

People at the intermediate stage (the B levels) are not yet ready for ‘real’ or ‘nearly real’ listening and reading, but still need to build their skills in anticipation. So the graded materials will be an in-between step, aimed at challenging students to develop their skills further.

The easiest materials (at A1 and A2 levels) are designed to be unintimidating, which means short chapters and simple or simpler grammar and vocabulary. Their purpose is to encourage learners to get into the HABIT of reading and listening to the language they’re learning as early on in the process as possible.

The more reading & listening you do early on, the easier everything that follows will be. You’ll already be used to, for example, guessing meaning from context in a text, or getting the gist of the spoken language even when you can’t pick out every word.

Graded materials are useful at every language-learning level, but their real power can be seen when they are incorporated as an integral part of our studies right from Day 1 with a new language.

The difference between a learner who regularly reads and listens to graded materials, and one who never or rarely spends time on anything other than grammar and vocabulary exercises, is plain to see, if for no other reason than that a student who has no fear of reading and listening (because she is using materials that have been specifically written for her level, remember) comes across as being more confident and more autonomous.

How to find graded materials for your level? Our Catalog page lists materials by type and in level order, which should help.

But importantly, there’s always a free sample chapter, which you should absolutely look at before deciding to buy a particular title.

Have a look at the first few lines, the first paragraph, the first page, even the whole of the first chapter. Can you manage to figure out what’s going on in the story without too much effort, without constantly reaching for the dictionary?

If not, step down a level, try another free sample chapter, keep looking until you find something that you’re comfortable with. Don’t forget to check out the free online audio, if there is one. Usually the link is at the top of the first chapter…

Then, if the story grabs you, go ahead and buy a copy! Read a chapter a day, perhaps. There are usually eight short chapters, so in not much more than a week, you’ll be done.

At which point, you could check out other titles at the same level, or look at free sample chapters for the next level (or half-level) up, to see if you’re ready for something a little more challenging.

Aim to establish a reading/listening HABIT. Move up to the next level only when you’re comfortable, no need to rush,

Gradually, month by month, your reading/listening skills will improve, as will your knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary of the language you’re learning.

With graded materials, such as ‘easy readers’ and ‘parallel texts’, you’ll master the language you’re studying step-by-step, almost without realising it!

P.S.

Don’t forget the 2023 January Sale is running this week, and next!

Save a fifth on graded material for learning Italian, Spanish, French, and German.

Everything in our online store, EasyReaders.org, is 20% cheaper until midnight on Friday 6th January 2023.

But only if you remember to use this coupon code:

January-Sale-2023

Make your selection from our range of ebooks, which have been especially written to keep you interested and making progress.

Apply coupon code January-Sale-2023 in your shopping cart to reduce the cart total by 20%!

Stock up on online easy readers, parallel texts and grammar workbooks – at an unbeatable price!

EasyReaders.org

Here’s that coupon code again:

January-Sale-2023

Don’t forget to use it when you order, to save 20% on the price of everything in your cart!

P.P.S.

Our sister store, NativeSpeakerTeachers.com, is also running a January Sale promotion – on one-to-one Italian/French/Spanish/German lessons, online with native speaker teachers.

They’re just the thing if you need conversation practice, help with grammar, or just some guidance on how or what to study.

Coupon code January-Sale-2023 will work there, too, so saving you 20% on the advertised prices of one-to-one online lessons.

The EasyReaders.org 2023 January Sale has begun!

Which means that students of Italian, Spanish, French or German can save 20% on ebooks to supplement or guide their language learning.

Everything in our ebooks store, EasyReaders.org, is a fifth cheaper (if you remember to use the coupon code January-Sale-2023 ).

Check out, for instance, the Italian easy readers, parallel texts, and self-study workbooks.

Ebooks for students of French, Spanish and German can be found in our Catalog, where everything is organised by language, type, and level!

Pop 5 ebooks into your shopping cart (reading and listening practice is essential), yet pay for just four of them!

Use the following coupon code to save 20% on your orders, for as long as the promotion lasts, with no minimum or maximum spend:

January-Sale-2023

First make your selection from our range of ebooks, which have been especially written to keep you interested and so making progress!

Then go to your shopping cart and apply coupon code January-Sale-2023 to reduce the cart total by 20%.

Scroll down to verify that the cart total has been reduced by 20% BEFORE proceeding with your payment…

The coupon code is good until midnight on Friday 6th January 2023.

You can use it as often as you wish until then, with no minimum or maximum spend.

Restrictions? Small print?

Coupon code January-Sale-2023 can’t be used together with any other coupon code you may already have.

Besides that, no.

The next sale won’t be until the week before Easter, so a long way off!

Do find some time to stock up on the easy readers, parallel texts and grammar workbooks you’ll need to improve the language you’re learning in 2023 –  at an unbeatable price!

Browse our Catalog now!

P.S.

Coupon code January-Sale-2023 is also good for a 20% discount on one-to-one lessons purchased from our sister store, NativeSpeakerTeachers.com.

Next week we’re having our 2023 January Sale, which means that everything at our ebook store EasyReaders.org can be had a fifth cheaper than usual!

On Tuesday 27th December we’ll be emailing a coupon code so students of Italian, Spanish, French and German can save 20% on ebooks for learning foreign languages, such as graded easy readers, parallel texts, and grammar workbooks!

Reading and listening practice is essential to building and maintaining comprehension skills, so take the chance next week to pop 5 ebooks into your shopping cart, yet pay for just four of them!

Watch out for the email with the coupon code on Tuesday 27th December!

In the meantime, why not browse our Catalog page, where you’ll find materials for learning Italian, French, Spanish, German, and certain other languages, organised by type and level.

The Catalog page also has links to free samples for all the languages and for virtually all of the ebook titles. Download a few at different levels and read/listen  to them – it’s a good way to verify your reading/listening comprehension level in the language or languages you’re studying!

Our ebooks are .pdf by default (everyone is familiar with those), but for some types of text we also offer other formats that are compatible with Kindles and other ebook readers, .epub for instance. Both the Catalog page and the product information pages for each individual ebook should make it clear which format or formats are available, and how to get them!

Ebook store | Catalog | FAQ 

No longer interested?

All bulk emails we send (including this one) contain an unsubscribe link, usually at the bottom. Scroll down to find it, click the link and select ‘unsubscribe’. That will permanently remove your email address from our ebooks mailing list.

Christmas is coming, then New Year, so this week we have not one but two seasonal half-price ‘Ebooks of the Week’ for you!

The first is Natale a sorpresa, and the level is B2.

Matteo’s supposed to be writing a book – he has a deadline coming up – but he’s suffering terribly from writers’ block. All he can do is stare at a blank computer screen. He’s recently out of a relationship, which hasn’t helped…

Worse, it’s December and Christmas is coming! Normally Matteo spends the festive season with his family, but this year they’re visiting relatives in Australia. So it looks as if he’ll be celebrating alone.

Then he has an idea. He’ll call his best friend Filippo, who’ll surely be able to help! Perhaps they can spend Christmas at Filippo’s place in the mountains, or take a trip somewhere…

• .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 or above
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

Buy Natale a sorpresa, just £3.99! | Free sample chapter (.pdf) | Catalog

Then there’s  Giallo a Capodanno, level B2/C1, which is slightly harder.

“Sbrigati Alida, o arriveremo in ritardo alla festa di Capodanno!” ripete nervosamente Martina alla sua compagna di stanza. Alida sta sdraiata sul letto con un libro di Agatha Christie fra le mani. Si toglie pigramente gli occhiali da lettura e guarda fuori dalla finestra: “Nevica ancora, che incubo!”

It’s New Year 1970 and Martina’s all dressed up for the party, determined to enjoy it! But her roommate, Alida is more cynical:

“Ascolta: siamo bloccati dalla neve in un collegio in cui viviamo tutto l’anno. Dei duecento alunni che frequentano la scuola, solo sette (sette, porca miseria!) hanno dei genitori che non li vogliono tra i piedi nemmeno durante le feste. E noi siamo tra questi sette. Quindi puoi anche vestirti come Marilyn Monroe… ma rimani una disgraziata!”

Alida would rather read detective thrillers than pretend to have fun with just six fellow students. But who knows? Perhaps something interesting will happen?

• .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 upper-intermediate level or above
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

Buy Giallo a Capodanno, just £3.99! | Free sample chapter (.pdf) | Catalog

How do I access my ebooks?

When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment), 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, where available, cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them. There’s a space to do that on the order form – where it says Additional information, Order notes (optional). If you forget, or if you have problems downloading the .pdf, don’t worry! Email us at the address on the website and we’ll help. Also, why not check out our FAQ?

P.S.

Don’t forget to read/listen to Tuesday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news (text + online audio), which was published this morning.

Why not subscribe? That way you’ll receive each thrice-weekly bulletin via email. Subscribing is also FREE.

This fall we’ve been busy publishing ‘easy reader’ ebooks based on famous Italian operas.

The first was a simplified text + audio version of Nabucco, one of composer Verdi’s most famous operas. Next we did Puccini’s romantic classic, Turandot, then another Puccini weepy, La Bohème, and back to Verdi, and his Rigoletto.

This week, yet more Verdi, this time ‘La traviata‘, and as always, the first week it’s 25% discounted (offer ends Sunday 11th December 2022).

Liven up your language studies with this interesting skills practice material, while learning about Italian culture at the same time!

Beautiful Violetta enjoys a busy life of friends, parties and luxuries, thanks to the support of a rich, older man. She sees no need for true love, at least until she receives bad news from her doctor, and is introduced to Alfredo…

Why not begin with our ‘easy reader’ ebook before seeking out a recording of the opera on Youtube? It’ll help! Or just use this original Italian reading/listening practice material to add a little variety to your study program.

• .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 (based on the act structure of the opera) to read and listen to
• Comprehension questions to check your understanding
• Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
• Suitable for students at pre-intermediate level or above
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

Remember, download your copy by Sunday 22th December and to save 25%, compared to the usual ‘easy reader’ price of £7.99, so just £5.99!

Buy ‘La traviata‘, just £5.99 | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) | Opera | Catalog

How do I access my ebooks?

When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment), 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, where available, cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them. There’s a space to do that on the order form – where it says Additional information, Order notes (optional). If you forget, or if you have problems downloading the .pdf, don’t worry! Email us at the address on the website and we’ll help. Also, why not check out our FAQ?

P.S.

Don’t forget to read/listen to Tuesday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news (text + online audio), which was published just a few hours ago.

Subscribers get each thrice-weekly bulletin sent directly to their email inboxes, which is also FREE.

When we’re not publishing and promoting new ebook titles for students of Italian (and other languages), we like to do the occasional ‘Half-price Ebook of the Week’ offer.

Just £3.99 for an ebook that normally sells for £7.99 is excellent value, especially as you can ask for additional versions which are suitable for use on Kindles and other ebook readers, at no extra charge.

The problem with offering one ebook title, though, is level. We use six levels and six half-levels to give an indication of the ease or difficulty of our texts, so that’s quite a range!

Take a look at our online Catalog and try comparing the texts in the FREE sample chapters at different levels, say A1 (the easiest) versus C2 (the hardest). They’re totally different, and it’s that which makes it difficult to select a single ‘Half-price Ebook of the Week’ that will have wide appeal, no matter where people currently are with their language studies.

So we’re experimenting with a different format of promotion, the idea being to offer a coupon code that’s equivalent to a 50% reduction in price on any ‘easy reader’ ebook, and let the potential customers pick one out for themselves.

Last week’s new publication, ‘Rigoletto‘, for instance, is no longer discounted 25% and so sells at our usual ‘easy reader’ price of £7.99.

Were we to offer it as a ‘Half-price Ebook of the Week’ at some point (we usually wait a few years after publication before doing so), then half-price would be £3.99. The difference is £4.

To offer everyone the chance of a half-price ‘easy reader’ at their particular levels, I therefore need to create a ‘one use’ coupon for that amount, £4.

Here it is:

Save £4!

Browse our online Catalog, downloading sample chapters for anything that interests you, until you find one or more titles that will liven up your studies and provide valuable extra reading/listening practice.

Add them to your Cart, in the usual way.

Then copy and paste coupon code Save £4! into your cart (before proceeding with the payment, obviously…) and that’ll reduce the total of whatever’s in there by the promised £4.

Just buy one title, normal price £7.99 and (assuming you remember to use coupon code Save £4! ) the amount charged will be just £3.99.

N.b. This offer ends during the night of Dec. 3rd 2022. Please note that it is one discount, not one discount on each product. Also the technology is set up to be one use per customer, so if you mess up your order (say you choose the wrong payment option), then try again with a new order, the coupon won’t work the second time.

In which case, just email. I’ll fix it for you by deleting the messed-up order, and you’re good to try again, more carefully.

So, ready to pick out your own, personalised -50% BotW (Book of the Week) from our Catalog page?

Don’t forget to take a look at the free sample chapters before you decide what to spend your £4 discount on!

Don’t know where to start? Then try exploring these categories:

Easy readers | History/historical | Literature | Cinema | Opera | Italian-English parallel texts

But also:

French | Spanish | German | Portuguese | Turkish | Swedish

How do I access my ebooks?

When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment), 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, where available, cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them. There’s a space to do that on the order form – where it says Additional information, Order notes (optional). If you forget, or if you have problems downloading the .pdf, don’t worry! Email us at the address on the website and we’ll help. Also, why not check out our FAQ?

P.S.

Have you listened to Tuesday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news (text + online audio), which was published this morning?

That valuable resource for students of Italian is FREE because its bills are (mostly) paid with contributions from readers.

Thanks to everyone who helped the ‘easy news’ team out with their donations during their appeal last week. The appeal has ended, but if you missed it, it’s never to late to support the website with your donation.