Hi from Italy:)

Alessia · Post by **Alessia** » December 28th, 2005, 11:15 am

What a nice idea!
i love read books in english and to have a chance to listen to a native speaker who's reading them, well, it's way cool and good to improve my pronunciation in this language.
I'd like to volunteer, but I don't know if anybody would be interested to listen to italian books...
if anybody is, please let me know how I can help and it will be a pleasure for me to "lend"my voice:)
ciao ciao[color=violet][/color]

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » December 28th, 2005, 12:12 pm

Hi Alessia

Welcome to LibriVox! We would certainly be interested in having some Italian books or shorter works recorded for us! We already have projects running in German and French, and have a Spanish one coming up. Actually, I think that person wanted to read in Italian, too - perhaps you could join forces and read it together? I think it was Dante...

But we also have lots of non-English native speakers who read in English - we don't mind foreign accents! Whatever you feel comfortable with.

Why don't you browse around to see what's going on, ask any questions you may have, perhaps suggest a book (Italian or otherwise) in Next Books!

Great to have you here! :)

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » December 28th, 2005, 12:14 pm

Here it is - it was Dante Alighieri! http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=494

LibraryLady · Post by **LibraryLady** » December 28th, 2005, 1:14 pm

Welcome Alessia! Readings in Italian would be great; Gesine is the foreign language expert around here so I defer to her for all further recommendations.

GordMackenzie · Post by **GordMackenzie** » December 29th, 2005, 11:17 am

Alessia wrote: I'd like to volunteer, but I don't know if anybody would be interested to listen to italian books...

Alessia, there is actually an Italian "Librivox" that was started a few months ago. I'm not sure what there status is, but I think you can find out more here:

http://www.downloadblog.it/post/763/progetto-librivox-libri-di-pubblico-dominio-in-italiano

But there are foreign language projects starting here too ... and for something to start with, you might want to check out the "Readers Wanted" forum. A user there is hoping an Italian speaker would be willing to read a few lines from Dante's Inferno as introduction to a poem by T.S. Eliot:

http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=565

Alessia · Post by **Alessia** » December 29th, 2005, 1:47 pm

hi again:)
thanks for the replies and for the good suggestion, I thought about reading "La Divina Commedia", but then I thought that maybe no one was willing to listen to it...
thanks to GordMackanzie for the link about the T.S. Elliot introduction,I'm gonna check it

And many thanks to Gesine ( now that i know you're the foreign language expert I'm going to ask your help and advise all the time) and to the LibraryLady.
As for reading books in English,well,I'd love to do that...but just you can stand my "spaghetti English accent";)
ciaoooo

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » December 29th, 2005, 1:52 pm

Hi Alessia,

Fire away with questions, I'll try my best to answer them.

La Divina Commedia - you think nobody would listen to it? Are you kidding? Even those of us not able to speak Italian would listen to it just for the thrill of it! :)

Spaghetti English: we love it. But as I said, whatever you like!

The Dante introduction has already been done to someone else, I'm afraid... got to be quick around here! :)

kayray · Post by **kayray** » December 29th, 2005, 2:32 pm

Alessia wrote: As for reading books in English,well,I'd love to do that...but just you can stand my "spaghetti English accent";)
ciaoooo

I've just added a bit to our FAQ:

What if English is not my native language -- may I volunteer to read in English anyway? (Or, for English speakers: May I read in another language?)
Yes! Part of what makes listening to a librivox book so enjoyable is the wide variety of voices, dialects, and accents you'll hear. You're welcome to volunteer to read anything you feel comfortable with. Try children's literature or short poetry if you're hesitant about your skill in another language. Ask for help with pronunciation if you need it, but remember we're not aiming for perfection.

So, Alessia, bring on the "spaghetti english" :)

Kara

LibraryLady · Post by **LibraryLady** » December 29th, 2005, 5:29 pm

Yes, more accents please! That's one of my favorite things about this place!

Alessia · Post by **Alessia** » December 30th, 2005, 11:51 am

so thanks for the the encouragement:)
you'll listen to my accent soon, some says it's cute:)
Anyway, I'm really eager to start, but...I checked the recording tips in the FAQ and ,to be honest, I don't think I'm able to record anything using my new ibook

I tried to use garageband, and to search on the net to find a tutorial, but I can't understand how it works...
I'm more than embarassed, but I really want to volunteer...could someone help me with this, please?
bare with me

I full of will, but I'm short of computer knowledge:(
thanks for the patience

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » December 30th, 2005, 11:57 am

Alessia, of course you can record with your iBook... don't panic... I'm writing a guide for GarageBand as we speak, it's really quite easy... but it has some limitations, for instance you can only record batches of 30 minutes (that will be really annoying when you'll want to read for HOURS doing your Dante, which we're all dying to hear ;))

You may wish to download Audacity - it's very easy and many people use it, so lots of support, and there's already a user guide in the Recording section.

Do you have an external microphone, or a headset?

I'll hurry up with that GarageBand guide, should have finished it ages ago, anyway... glad you're asking! :)

Post some questions in the Recording forum, and don't give up!

PS I'm sure your accent is cute! :)

kayray · Post by **kayray** » December 30th, 2005, 12:08 pm

If your iBook has the little pinhole mic (on the right edge of the LCD) you can use that, if you put your mouth quite close and amplify the finished file. I recorded my first sections of "Psmith" that way. Not ideal, but possible if you're eager to get started :) Try a little test file and see how it sounds.

Yes, try Audacity or Garage Band and yell if you need help!

Kara

vee · Post by **vee** » December 30th, 2005, 1:09 pm

If I get a chance maybe I'll go through all the posts again and start making a chart of volunteers on a map. It'd by kindof neat to see all the little dots spread through out the world. I wonder if we can get any of the researchers at McMurdo to join so we can get volunteers on every continent.

Alessia · Post by **Alessia** » December 30th, 2005, 3:14 pm

Wow! you are wonderful!

thanks a lot for the tips kayray, thisis my first notebook and also my first mac, so I still have a lot to "discover";)
Gesine,you're too kind!:)
You're work will be a sort treasure to me and I'm going to pay you back with my best reading of Dante's masterpiece

As for the idea to make a chart of volunteers on a map I find it very nice:)
now i have to leave for Turin and join some friends of mine to celebrate the new year,but I'll let you know about my progress about the reading recording and the use of audacity on monday.
happy new year to you all!!!
it will be great to begin the 2006 working with you!
ciaooooo

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » December 31st, 2005, 11:24 am

Hi Alessia

Hope you're in Turin and celebrating by now! :)

GarageBand Beginners' Guide in Recording now: http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=593

I tried to be thorough... but if there are questions, please just ask.