Our Mission

Graded English was created to solve one of the most frustrating barriers in language education: the intermediate plateau.

Traditional learners often find themselves caught between two extremes: simplistic children's stories that fail to engage an adult mind, and authentic native-level publications that require stopping every other sentence to look up unfamiliar words. Constant dictionary lookups interrupt narrative rhythm, exhaust working memory, and turn what should be an immersive experience into a tedious chore.

According to linguistics researcher Dr. Stephen Krashen's Comprehensible Input Hypothesis, language acquisition happens most effectively when learners understand messages slightly beyond their current level (i + 1) in a low-anxiety environment. Graded English provides high-interest non-fiction stories calibrated across four graduated difficulty levels, allowing you to read with sustained momentum and natural comprehension.

The CEFR Reading Levels

Every story in our catalog is written and adapted across four recognized tiers of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR):

This structure allows you to start at a comfortable level, understand the central ideas, and easily toggle upward to challenge your grammar and vocabulary.

Integrated Learning Tools

Graded English pairs reading with research-backed language acquisition features:

• Synchronized Audio Narration: Human-paced narration with real-time sentence tracking that bridges the gap between written orthography and spoken pronunciation.
• Instant Word Lookup & IPA: Click or tap any word in the text to see its contextual definition, part of speech, CEFR level, and International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) pronunciation.
• Personal Word Bank & Spaced Repetition: Save words while reading to review them later through flashcards, spelling practice, and recall assessments.
• Reading Comprehension Checks: Short post-reading quizzes that reinforce main ideas, inference, and vocabulary in context.

Curated Non-Fiction Library

Our library spans more than 400 original, multi-level texts across eight subject disciplines:

• Science & Nature: Astronomy, genetics, climate, neuroscience, and biodiversity.
• History: Turning points in world history, ancient civilizations, and social movements.
• Technology: Computing, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and robotics.
• Biography: The lives and contributions of notable scientists, writers, and leaders.
• Business & Economics: Global markets, trade networks, and modern industry.
• Sports & Fitness: Athletic physiology, training science, and iconic sports moments.
• Art & Architecture: Major visual movements, design philosophy, and cultural landmarks.
• Culture & Society: Sociology, language evolution, and world traditions.

Open & Independent

Graded English is completely free to read, without banner advertisements or tracking cookies. It is built as a reliable, accessible educational tool for learners, students, and educators around the world.

1. Overview

Graded English does not use third-party advertising cookies, cross-site tracking pixels, or marketing trackers. We prioritize visitor privacy and utilize modern, client-side web storage (primarily localStorage and the Cache API) strictly to deliver essential site functionality and save your educational progress.

2. How We Use Browser Storage

Instead of traditional cookies, we use local browser storage strictly for essential platform functionality:

• Preferences: Remembering your visual reading choices (such as Light, Sepia, or Dark theme, typeface, and font size).
• Learning Progress: Storing your saved vocabulary words, comprehension quiz scores, and daily reading streaks directly on your device.
• Account Session: Keeping you securely signed in if you choose to create an account to synchronize your progress across devices.
• Offline Cache: Enabling the app to load quickly and support offline reading through standard browser caching.

3. Privacy-Friendly Analytics

We use a self-hosted instance of Umami Analytics to measure general visitor numbers and popular articles. Umami is completely cookieless, does not collect personal information, does not track visitors across different websites, and is fully compliant with GDPR and ePrivacy regulations.

4. Managing and Clearing Your Data

Because your learning data is stored locally in your browser, you have complete control over it:

• In-App Reset: You can reset all local storage at any time by going to Settings and selecting "Reset Local Data".
• Browser Settings: You can clear website storage at any time through your browser's privacy or history settings (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, etc.).

5. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy, please contact us at privacy@gradedenglish.com or via our Contact Form.

1. Data Controller

This Privacy Policy applies to the services provided by Graded English (gradedenglish.com). For inquiries regarding data protection and your privacy rights, contact us at privacy@gradedenglish.com.

2. Information We Process

We strictly apply the principle of data minimization under Article 5(1)(c) of the GDPR:

Guest Mode (Default)

You can access, read, and listen to all 400+ articles without registering an account. In guest mode, we collect no personal data (no names, email addresses, or payment details). All saved vocabulary and reading progress remain strictly on your physical device via local browser storage.

Registered Accounts (Optional)

If you choose to create an account to synchronize your learning progress across devices, we collect:

• Account Credentials: A valid email address and a cryptographically hashed password (using bcrypt/argon2; plaintext passwords are never stored or accessible).
• Synchronized Learning Data: Your saved vocabulary list, quiz scores, and reading streaks.
• Optional Profile Info: An optional display name or avatar.

Server Diagnostics

When you request pages or audio, standard technical transmission records (IP address, request URI, timestamp, and user-agent) are processed transiently by our web server solely for network security, rate-limiting, and DDoS mitigation.

Privacy-Friendly Analytics

We measure aggregate platform traffic using a self-hosted, cookieless analytics tool (Umami). It does not collect personal data, does not track across websites, and anonymizes IP addresses.

3. Legal Bases for Processing

Under GDPR Article 6, we process personal data based on:

• Performance of a Contract: To manage registered user accounts and provide cloud synchronization.
• Legitimate Interests: To maintain website security, prevent abuse, and ensure server stability.
• Consent: When you voluntarily reach out via our contact form.

4. Third-Party Service Providers

We do not sell, rent, monetize, or trade your personal data with third parties, advertisers, or data brokers. We only rely on technical infrastructure providers strictly necessary to deliver the service:

• Server Hosting: Our web server, database, and analytics run on dedicated servers located in Germany (European Union) under strict GDPR data protection standards.
• Transactional Email: System emails (such as password reset links and account verification) are delivered securely via Resend over encrypted HTTPS.

5. Data Security

All communication between your device and Graded English is encrypted using TLS 1.3 with automated certificate management and HSTS. Passwords are salted and hashed using modern cryptographic standards, and infrastructure services run in isolated container environments.

6. Data Retention and Deletion

We retain personal information only for as long as your account remains active. You can delete your account and all associated cloud data at any time from your Profile / Settings screen, or by emailing privacy@gradedenglish.com. Upon deletion, your data is permanently removed from the active database.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR and CCPA), you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate information.
• Request the permanent deletion of your account and personal data.
• Export your saved vocabulary and learning data (via CSV/JSON).
• Object to or restrict the processing of your data.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@gradedenglish.com. We respond to verified requests within 30 days.

8. Children's Privacy

Graded English is intended for general audiences and language learners. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under 16 in the EU). If an account was created by a child without parental consent, we will promptly delete it upon notification.

9. Contact Information

For questions regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact privacy@gradedenglish.com or use our Contact Form.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Graded English (gradedenglish.com), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you should discontinue using the platform.

2. Permitted Educational Use

Graded English is provided as an educational reading resource:

• Individual Study: You may read, listen to, and practice all reading materials for personal, non-commercial language learning. You may export vocabulary lists for personal study tools such as Anki.
• Classroom Instruction: Educators, teachers, and schools are welcome to use Graded English in non-commercial classroom settings and share links to articles or level hubs with students.

3. Intellectual Property and Restrictions

All reading texts, audio recordings, quiz questions, vocabulary definitions, and website software are the intellectual property of Graded English and protected by copyright law.

The following activities are strictly prohibited:

• Automated scraping, bulk downloading, or crawling of articles, audio files, or database entries without prior written consent.
• Ingesting, reproducing, or using Graded English content or audio to train commercial artificial intelligence models or create competing platforms.
• Attempting to disrupt, probe, or overburden server infrastructure through automated attacks, denial-of-service attempts, or bypassing security controls.

4. User Accounts

If you create an optional registered account, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activities that take place under your account. You agree to notify us immediately at support@gradedenglish.com if you suspect unauthorized access.

5. Disclaimer of Warranties and Limitation of Liability

Graded English is a supplementary language learning tool. We make no warranty that use of the service will guarantee specific scores on standardized proficiency exams (such as IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge exams).

The service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Graded English is not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from your use of the platform.

6. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that engage in automated scraping, abuse of platform infrastructure, or violation of these Terms.

7. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms from time to time. Any revisions will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of the platform indicates acceptance of the updated terms.

8. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at support@gradedenglish.com or via our Contact Form.