Free Graded Italian Readers

Forum aperto in Italiano (Open Forum in Italian)
1

Hello everyone,

Does anyone know where I can find free italian graded readers to import into LingQ? I am looking at the A2 to B1 level.

There are some books in the LingQ library but I noticed that after the first chapter you have to pay. I have also bought books like the Olly Richards stories on Kindle but can’t import them into LingQ.

I am looking for content in the LingQ supported formats:

image

Thanks!

1 Like
2

Free graded readers…
Well my opinion is that you can get what you need from using a combination of tools.

Wikipedia foundational topics (for example simple machines, wedges, ramps, pulleys, then go to rivers, mountains i.e: follow the typical curriculam of a kids encyclopedia).

youglish.com - go to the italian point, search a topic you need to cover. For example I wanted fairy tayles so I put in red riding hood in Italian.

Youtube - there are really great kids entertainment in Italian with importable subs. I have used it for example for “the midas touch” story. Literally thousands of vids like that. Some people say “don´t read kids stuff as it is too complicated” this is literally graded for kids of about 5-10 and is not that hard.
La sposa cadavere | The Corpse Bride in Italian | @ItalianFairyTales - YouTube

Then if I were you I´d find a kids italian news channel, in the UK we had something called news round which is good for beginner adults as well as kids. I am sure there is something like that for Italian.

3

Thank You for all the suggestions.

The Italian Fairy Tales site on Youtube was particularly useful. I see the videos don’t have CC subtitles, only auto-generated, so I was not able to import them using the LingQ importer extension on Chrome. However, I converted the youtube video to an MP3 file, clicked on the audio transcribe button, uploaded the MP3 file then let LingQ create the transcript from the audio.

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I see LingQ creates subtitles using AI Whisper so hopefully they are good quality.

Thanks again!

1 Like
4

If you search through through youglish they will always work.
This one works for me:
Cappuccetto Rosso fiaba - Storie per bambini in italiano - YouTube

5

Ah, you’re absolutely right.

I searched on YouGlish putting the name of the fable in Italian. I got 80 entries but searched through them to find the spoken story. Plus, the entries appear to have CC subtitles so i can import them directly using the LingQ extension importer on Chrome.

Thanks for the tips. I’ll definitely make use of them.

6

Great! just a shame it doesn´t have more languages but it is an awesome concept. Very useful for phrases you think seem odd like idioms and pattern grammar.

7

I have also bought books like the Olly Richards stories on Kindle but can’t import them into LingQ.

You can if you are willing to spend a few dollars. With this software the process is seamless of downloading and converting kindle books within seconds in your computer drive. For lifetime subscription they are offering a 20% off. This software was a game changer for me. I could download books from kindle and could convert them in any format within seconds. It requires less technical know-how.

Convert Kindle Books DM Free in any format

Step1: Download Kindle app for Desktop Version(latest version). Login in with your amazon account details. Click on the books you want to download.
Step2. Open your Epubor app at the same time. It will fetch your kindle books automatically. It will remove DM protected books within seconds and automatically save them in epub format. Also, you can convert them in other formats such as TXT, pdf etc

It takes mere 5 minutes to convert 50 ebooks in text format. This method is way fast than the caliber one. suggested by Peter here,

Epubor Video Tutorial

1 Like
8

After an hour of googling, I’m starting to realise that it’s difficult to find free A2- B1 level graded readers in Italian. I can find some of the old “classics” for free but they are at quite a high level and use some archaic language. There are children’s fairy tales which are helpful and I will use them. However, they tend to employ the passato remoto a lot and I am learning Italian for everyday conversation.

I did find the following resource of short stories that can be imported into LingQ in PDF format:

9

The best free A2/B1 graded reader I found was I Promessi Sposi by Andrea Petri. It’s a graded reader version of the Italian literature classic. Unfortunately, due to copyright reasons (as LingQ is a commercial company and the licence is only for non-commercial sharing), we can’t share it on LingQ, but you can import it privately. It is a bit tedious to import all the individual chapters and their respective audios, but it’s a great read. (Alternatively, the fastest of all ways would be to copy the entire text over without splitting it into chapters and just listen to the audio on a different media player and not on LingQ.)

After reading this, consider starting to venture into some easier native material, at least some of the time. It would be easier to start with single speaker YouTube channels, where they speak clearly and about subjects with lots of cognates with English, such as science.

Food science YouTuber Dario Bressanini

https://www.lingq.com/en/learn/it/web/library/course/1179162

What-if scenarios Cosa succederebbe se (note: what-if sentences require using the subjective imperfect tense, so have a quick skim of a grammar explanation)

https://www.lingq.com/en/learn/it/web/library/course/1199781

There is also some stuff I’ve shared on LingQ, which is for children or language learners:

Salvatore Racconta - a podcast for intermediate language learners about modern Italian history and culture
https://www.lingq.com/en/learn/it/web/library/course/1204979

Storia della Filosofia per Bambini
https://www.lingq.com/en/learn/it/web/library/course/1303437

As for other YouTube channels and Netflix movies, etc., here is a list of my favourite Italian content I’ve encountered so far in my learning of Italian:

https://www.lingq.com/en/learn/it/web/community/post/4997559

3 Likes
10

Thank You!

I’ve imported I Promessi Spossi into LingQ and I’m really enjoying the story. I just imported the whole text without audio today and I’ll read it this way. A few weeks ago I tried importing individual chapters with corresponding audio but it was so tedious that I gave up but I’ll stick with it now.

The Philosophy for Children videos look great. They are in my ideal range of 10 - 20% unknown words so I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from them.

All the best!

1 Like
11

Finding free Italian graded readers for import into LingQ in A2 to B1 levels can be a bit specific, but you can explore various resources:

  1. Project Gutenberg: Check if Project Gutenberg offers Italian graded readers. They provide a large collection of free ebooks that are often in the public domain.
  2. Librivox: Librivox provides free audiobooks of public domain works. While they might not have exactly what you’re looking for, it’s worth exploring.
  3. Italian Government Websites: Some Italian government or educational websites may offer free language learning resources. Check with institutions like the Italian Ministry of Education.
  4. Open Culture: Open Culture aggregates free cultural and educational media, including language learning resources. They might have Italian graded readers in the specified levels.
  5. Italian Learning Websites: Websites specifically designed for learning Italian may offer free graded readers. Check platforms like Learn Italian with Lucrezia or OnlineItalianClub.
  6. Check LingQ Community: LingQ often has a community where users share content. Check if there are shared resources within the LingQ platform.

Remember, always ensure that the materials you are accessing and using are legally available for free or are in the public domain to respect copyright laws. If you find ebooks in the EPUB or similar format, they should be compatible with LingQ. You might need to convert them to a suitable format if needed.