If you’ll be working or studying in Bologna this fall, you might be interested to know that the dates are now up for our Italian evening classes.

Taking two evening lessons per week is a great way to improve your Italian, while making new friends to practice with!

But what about if you’re not in Bologna?

Never say never!

Take a look at our Italian courses page to find out more about standard or intensive Italian courses, or personalised individual lessons.

And if you really, really can’t get away from home, the family, the career, or all three?

Well, there’s always the option of online Italian lessons!

Try the one-to-one experience, via Skype, from the comfort of your home or office!

For more information about learning Italian at, or with, Madrelingua Italian Language School:

Bologna | Italian Courses | Prices | FAQ | How To Book | Contact Us

If you’ve studied Italian at Madrelingua at some point in the past, you’ll know it can be a struggle to keep up the Italian you’ve learnt.

Once you’re home again, back to the normal routine, your interest in Italian may end up taking second place to life’s other demands…

Ditto for anyone planning to come and learn with us this year.

You’ll not want to invest your time studying Italian, only to have your new skills start to fade away once your course is finished.

One solution is to develop the habit of reading in Italian!

Even just a few minutes a day with an Italian text can make a massive difference in the medium/long term, by keeping the language ‘alive’ in your head.

Reading helps consolidate the grammar and vocabulary you’ve studied, while giving you the chance to develop what you know further.

And if you choose the right KIND of text, it can be almost effortless.

That said, many people lack confidence reading in Italian, and so just don’t do it, thus missing out on the benefits.

Well, here’s something that might help get you started!

A week ago some new FREE ebooks were added to the Italian, French, Spanish and German departments at EasyReaders.Org.

In the Italian section they have a simplified ‘easy reader’ that’s IDEAL for beginners or those who have never read anything in Italian before.

It even has online audio, so you can work on your listening skills!

There’s also an Italian/English ‘parallel text’, which means that you get an original Italian story (written by the sister of one of our former teachers, incidentally) along with an English translation.

In a parallel text each line is numbered, so you can compare the Italian with the English translation.

This is perfect for those who like to analyse the structure of the language.

Also for anyone who just hates looking up new words in a dictionary!

Both ‘easy reader’ and ‘parallel text’, as I said, are completely free.

There’s absolutely no charge or obligation, and you don’t have to input payment details, or other sensitive information.

Just your name and email.

The process of downloading these free ebooks is very, very simple.

I’ve included full instructions below, if you’d like to give it a go.

And do, please, mention these free ebooks to anyone you know who might be interested in learning Italian (or French, Spanish or German) so that they can get reading, too!

How to get your free ebooks

1. Visit EasyReaders.Org and select the language category or categories that interest you:

• Italian https://easyreaders.org/product-category/italian/
• French https://easyreaders.org/product-category/french/
• Spanish https://easyreaders.org/product-category/spanish/
• German https://easyreaders.org/product-category/german/

2. Normally the ebooks at the top left of the page are the free ones. There should be a ‘SALE’ flash…

For example, in the Italian department there are two:

https://easyreaders.org/product/il-ristorante/ (this is a beginner-level easy reader – very short and simple, with audio!)

and

https://easyreaders.org/product/italianenglish-parallel-text-la-sorpresa-a1/ (this is an Italian/English parallel text, no audio but you get a translation so you can compare the two versions.)

3. Click on the ebook cover images in the shop to find out more.

If you want to download one or both, click the ‘Add to cart’ button.

4. If you want ALL of the free ebooks (French, Spanish and German too), that’s seven in total.

Find them, click the cover images, then the ‘add to cart’ button, repeating until you have the lot!

There’s no need to do seven separate orders for each one.

5. Next, view your shopping cart:

https://easyreaders.org/cart/

(or there’s a dark blue button at the top right of the screen that’ll take you right there…)

6. In the cart, SCROLL DOWN until you see the ‘Proceed to checkout’ button, which is large and orange so it’s hard to miss. Click it.

7. Once you reach the checkout page, the only obligatory fields are ‘Name’, ‘Surname’ and ‘Email’. The rest is optional.

8. If you plan to return occasionally, to see what’s new, I’d suggest checking the ‘create an account’ button, which you’ll find right below the ‘Phone’ section in the form.

That’ll save your information so you’d be able to log in and get your downloads were you to lose the email with the download links (about which, more below.)

9. Filled in the form? Now scroll down and look for the big orange button with ‘Place order’ on it.

Assuming you’ve only selected the free ebooks, there’s no payment stage.

If you’re also buying something, you’ll see payment options such as Paypal and Amazon.

10. What if you’ve selected something, then changed your mind?

No worries! Just go back to the cart https://easyreaders.org/cart/ and click the RED X next to the product you no longer desire.

That’ll delete it.

Then repeat from stage 6, above.

11. Where were we? Oh yes, no. 9. We were in the checkout and clicking on the big orange ‘Place order’ button.

12. Having clicked that one, you’ll be shown the next page and see the message:

“Thank you. Your order has been received.”

13. At which point check your email account for an email from EasyReaders.Org.

The subject line will be something like:

Your EasyReaders order from August 24, 2017 is complete

14. It’s THAT email which contains your download link (or links.)

There’ll be a download link for each of the free products.

Any paid for ebooks are sent separately, but the free ones are automatic.

15. Click the download link in the email you received.

The .pdf file containing the ebook should download to your device.

Repeat that process for each link/ebook.

Normally the downloads will be saved in your ‘Downloads’ file.

(If you don’t know where that is, ask a teenager!)

15. IMPORTANT: The download link is valid for three downloads only and expires after seven days.

Which means you should save a copy of the .pdf some place where you’ll be able to find it when you want to study or revise.

Once you’ve got your free ebooks, read them, and had time to form an opinion, why not give something back, by leaving a review?

There are instructions on how to do this here:

https://easyreaders.org/how-to-review-easy-readers-and-parallel-texts/

Reviews need to be left on the correct ‘product page’, which you can find by visiting the shop and using the ‘search’ box.

For example, here are the links for the two free Italian ebooks.

Click them to read what others have written and to add your own comments:

https://easyreaders.org/product/il-ristorante/#reviews (the easy reader)

https://easyreaders.org/product/italianenglish-parallel-text-la-sorpresa-a1/#reviews (the parallel text)

If you find any of this difficult, just write to the guys at the online shop and ask for help.

Also, please help them spread the word…

Maybe you’re a teacher, and could tell your students?

Or perhaps you attend an Italian class, and think the others in the group would be interested?

You may even have kids or grandkids studying a modern European language. Let’s try and get them reading!

Here are the links to all four language categories, again:

Italian https://easyreaders.org/product-category/italian/

French https://easyreaders.org/product-category/french/

Spanish https://easyreaders.org/product-category/spanish/

German https://easyreaders.org/product-category/german/

Lots of you have been asking what the new Madrelingua school premises look like.

Apologies for not having got to this earlier, but it’s been a busy time!

Below are some pics for you, with captions.

If they don’t show up on your smartphone or tablet, click here to read this article and see the photos on the school’s website.

And of course, you’re more than welcome anytime.

Just drop in to see us and have a look around!

The new address is Via Altabella, 11, Bologna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s it for today.

Hope to see you all soon in Bologna!

School website | Contact us

Via San Giorgio is an attractive street in the center of Bologna.

It features some of the city’s characteristic porticoes, various historical buildings, and of course, one of Bologna’s best Italian language schools!

But it’s very quiet.

Little traffic and few people pass by.

And so, in a few weeks, we’ll be waving farewell to our home of the last twelve years.

We’ll miss it, but the new place will be better.

We’ll be a few minutes walk closer to Piazza Maggiore, at Via Altabella, 11 (behind the Apple store!)

The new school building looks out onto the rear of Bologna Cathedral.

And it’s just a few metres from one of Bologna’s less famous but tallest towers, the twelfth century Torre degli Azzoguidi.

Inside, the classrooms have painted ceilings – one of them being reminiscent of a renaissance lady’s boudoir!

There’s also modern air-conditioning, which we will all appreciate during the hotter summer months.

Can’t wait to show you the photos, once we’re safely moved in!

Look out for those in a month or so, when we have everything prettied up.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

We’re moving on May 30th. From June 1st we will no longer have the keys to the ‘old’ school building.

Courses beginning in June will therefore take place in the ‘new’ building.

So if you’re one of our many returning students, and find yourself walking the familiar route to Via San Giorgio, do a double take and head back over to Via Indipendenza.

Turn right, up towards Piazza Maggiore, then left by the cathedral (opposite Zara, if shopping is your thing than churches.)

We’ll see you there!

Hope you had/are having a very enjoyable Christmas Day.

This is just a quick, last-minute reminder that the 20% discount offer on 2017 Italian courses in Bologna ends in just a few hours.

At midnight Italian time.

That’s 9 a.m. on Boxing Day in Sydney, Australia but 11 p.m. this evening in London, 6 in the afternoon in New York, 3 p.m. on the U.S. west coast, and so on.

Wherever you are, it’s soon.

To take advantage of the year’s biggest savings, click here

You have been reminded.

Get it done.

Then, no more emails for a while!

Buon Natale!

P.S.

Make 2017 the year you get serious about learning Italian…

Go here to get your 20% discount!

Contact us | Prices | Italian Courses | How To Book | FAQ

Stefi and Daniel, along with all of the teachers and support staff at Madrelingua Italian Language School, join to wish you, your family and your community:

‘Auguri di Buon Natale!’

We hope to see you at our school in Bologna in 2017, in particular all our old friends, but also many, many new faces!

‘Mille grazie’ to the many people who’ve already taken advantage of our ‘best offer of the year’ to save 20% on their next course.

The offer ends at midnight tonight (25th Dec.), so it’s still not too late to secure this great discount on your 2017 Italian course.

• Save a fifth on any group Italian course, of any length, starting in 2017!
• No need to decide the dates now – just let us know the period you want to study when you’ve decided
• LAST DAY to get your 20% discount by paying a deposit of just €120
• No more to pay until the first day of your course

CLICK THIS LINK NOW – it takes just seconds to pay your course deposit with a credit card or Paypal account.

Lock in your discount before the offer expires at midnight tonight. Go here to pay your €120 deposit.

Questions? Need more info?

Full details of this offer are here: OK – tell me how to save 20% on my Italian course!

Stefi and I will be eating lunch with her extended (Italian) family in a cousin’s restaurant (just like last year, and the year before!)

These things tend to go on all afternoon.

But thanks to the wonders of smartphones, she’ll still be able to answer any questions you might have.

Contact her any time up until midnight tonight on: info@madrelinguaitalian.com

Or go here, now, to complete your deposit payment.

Contact us | Prices | Italian Courses | How To Book | FAQ

There are just thirty-six hours left to take advantage of the ‘best offer of the year’!

So, in case you’ve been too busy to read your emails, here’s a summary of what you’re missing:

• save 20% on your next Italian course at our school in Bologna
• the discount is good for any GROUP course (not for individual lessons)
• you can start your Italian course on any date in 2017
• your saving applies to courses of any length – the longer you study, the more you save!
• you DON’T need to decide the dates, or the length of your course, right now
• just let us know once you’ve made your plans – no rush
• secure your 20% discount by sending a deposit, via Paypal or bank transfer, by midnight on Dec. 25th!

And here’s the summary summary:

• take two minutes to pay a small deposit by midnight on Christmas Day & save €€ on your 2017 Italian course!

As the kids say, this is a no-brainer.

But you’re probably pretty busy right now, right?

So here are step-by-step instructions on exactly what you have to do.

It’s a low-stress process that’ll take just minutes, promise.

Ready to go?

1. Click this link to visit our ‘How to book your Italian course’ page
2. If you’re not sure when in 2017 you’ll be coming, skip the booking form and go directly here
3. Click ‘Add to Cart’, then ‘Proceed to Checkout’
4. Fill in the form with your details
5. Choose your payment method – the ‘Paypal’ option includes credit card payments
6. That’s it – see you in Bologna in 2017!

P.S.

We have real people ready to help you, or answer your questions about our Italian courses.

Just e-mail Stefi on info@madrelinguaitalian.com – she’ll sort you out with whatever help you need!

Even on Christmas Day. Try us!

Save 20% Now!

Contact us | Prices | Italian Courses | How To Book | FAQ

The ‘best offer of the year’ on 2017 Italian courses at our school in Bologna, Italy ends in 48 hours.

A two-week Italian course, which normally costs EUR 437, is just EUR 350 with the 20% discount.

What’s EUR 350 in real money?

• USD 456
• GBP 372
• CAD 615
• AUD 632

Naturally you’ll have to add in the cost of accommodation (not much) and your flight (depends where you start from..)

But when all is said and done, you could be giving your Italian a major boost, and enjoying a great holiday in Bologna (home of Europe’s oldest university) for relatively little.

And to confirm your discount, all that’s required is a deposit of EUR 120!

By midnight on Christmas Day.

No need to decide the dates of your course yet – just let us know when you know…

But don’t miss this chance to lock in your 20% discount.

Pay the EUR 120 deposit NOW to confirm your 20% discount.

More information on this offer.

Contact us | Prices | Italian Courses | How To Book | FAQ

Have you saved 20% your 2017 Italian course, yet?

If so, you might want to take a look at this classic article from 2014:

What should I expect on my first day at your Italian school?

If not, well perhaps there are still some questions in your mind…

Our FAQ should deal with a lot of them.

Read the Frequently Asked Questions

Check out also these thirty-six reviews from former students (scroll down the page and click the ‘Reviews’ tab.)

Our Tripadvisor page is also worth a look.

And if you STILL have doubts?

Well, why not email, phone or even visit us?

Our reception staff (Stefi and Natalia) both speak excellent English.

They’ll be happy to take your call and/or respond to questions in an email.

Contact us

All questions answered?

All doubts resolved?

Then it’s time to…

Save 20% on your 2017 Italian course!

A bunch of Italian-learners from around the world have already saved €€€ with this week’s ‘Best Offer of the Year’ promotion!

Full details can be found in Monday’s article:

Best Offer On 2017 Italian Courses – Starts Today!

The deadline to take advantage of this promotion is midnight on Dec. 25th, but why wait?

Get it done today, while you think about it.

It’ll take just a minute or two!

No need, even, to decide when, or for how long, you’ll be studying. Let us know the dates once you’ve finalised your plans.

Lock in your saving with a small deposit, and you’re done!

Save 20% on your 2017 Italian Course

A domani!

Contact us | Prices | Italian Courses | How To Book | FAQ

I know that you’re interested in learning Italian, or you wouldn’t be reading this.

But are you one of those annoying people who seem to find foreign languages easy?

Or do you have to work at it, like the rest of us?

A year ago, as part of the ‘save 20% on your 2016′ Italian course’ campaign (doesn’t time fly?), I published an article on this very topic.

I won’t repeat myself, but if you weren’t with us 12 months back, or skipped the article in your haste to save 20%, do go take a look:

Ever wished for the super power of learning languages?

Anway, here’s another question for you.

Remember being a baby?

Probably not, huh?

I’m wondering why the baby that you once were wanted to learn to crawl, and then to walk.

It probably wasn’t just for the sake of it.

I’m betting you did it so you’d be able to manouvre yourself rapidly around the house.

And so grab that fascintating stuff you shouldn’t really have been handling – the cat’s dinner, ashes from the grate, and so on.

It’s the same with languages.

You need to have the possibility of learning, but also the motivation.

Usually that means having people around you who are using the language you want to learn to communicate with each other.

The motivation not to be excluded is a powerful one.

Once you have motive and opportunity, as they say on the detective shows, the rest tends to follow.

Which brings us to the point.

If you really want to learn Italian, or build the skills you already have, you’re going to want to visit Italy.

Otherwise, what would be the point?

Ideally, you’ll make friends, buy a house to do up, or fall in love with someone who only speaks Italian.

But in the absence of capital to invest or romantic opportunities to pursue, why not spend some time at our language school in Bologna?

You’ll meet people to interact with in Italian, while at the same time developing your ability to express yourself and to understand others.

To get off your baby butt and start taking your first steps with Italian, all you have to do is to pay a modest deposit on a 2017 Italian course!

And if you do it by midnight on Dec. 25th, you’ll save 20% on our regular prices.

Full details of the ongoing offer can be found in Monday’s article:

Best Offer On 2017 Italian Courses – Starts Today!

But here’s the stuff you really need to know:

• Pay the ‘Winter Offer – 20%’ course deposit (just €120 instead of the usual €150)
• You’ll save 20%, not just on the deposit but on the whole cost of your course
• The offer applies to group courses only, not to individual or online lessons
• Your course can be of any length: the longer you study, the more you learn
• No need to decide the dates now. Let us know later, when you’ve made your plans!
• Offer ends at midnight on Dec 25th 2017

And here’s the link to click to ensure you’ll know more Italian in 2017 than you did in 2016:

Save 20% on your 2017 Italian course

A domani!

Contact us | Prices | Italian Courses | How To Book | FAQ