LearnItalianPod

Christmas is just a few days away, and, to get you into the holiday mood, what could be better than celebrating Santa Claus? But, as you will see, this is definitely not going to be a traditional celebration… In fact, we’re reporting an incredible piece of news from Italy: in Naples, they have arrested Santa Claus! – And so today, in a nice twisted way, we’re going to dedicate Culture Shot #50 to the icon of the holiday season, Babbo Natale! On the grammar section, we will review “how to ask questions” in Italian together with some of the most interesting words and expressions from the story. — Oh, and one more thing: if you are a LearnItalianPod VIP Member you will love today’s extra bonus, as it contains everything you need to know to celebrate this holiday season… like Italians do! [The Italian Holiday Season – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “The Italian Holiday Season“, containing everything you need to know to celebrate this holiday season… the Italian way! Practice this terrific extra bonus to learn how to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” in Italian plus many, many more useful words and sentences! Culture Shot – Episode Nr.50

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Episode #29 of the “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” is entitled “Look, It’s Snowing!”. It’s Sunday early in the morning in Milan. Outside it is cold, as it’s the middle of winter. Christmas is just around the corner. Lucia and Italo just woke up, and there’s a quiet and peaceful atmosphere in the house. All of a sudden, it begin to snow… the Holiday season is finally here! Let’s follow our friends Lucia and Italo as they enjoy a relaxing winter Sunday morning breakfast at their house and let’s learn a lot of informal and useful “everyday” Italian. On the grammar section, we will review and practice the “must-know” Italian pronominal verbs. Enjoy! [LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus: The Pronominal Verb “Andarsene”] Login to the Learning Center to download Audio & PDF Transcript of the “must-know” Italian pronominal verb “Andarsene” (to go away).

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. What happens when one fourth of the families living in a small Italian town of 50,000 people have the same last name and they can only be distinguished by their nicknames? Easy… a lot of confusion, as it becomes almost impossible to know who’s who; and confusion remains until those families find a way to actually make their nicknames become legal last names! This is not science fiction, and that’s exactly what happened a few days ago in the small Italian town of Chioggia, near Venice. – So we’re going to dedicate this Culture Shot to yet another really peculiar and interesting piece of Italian creativity. Enjoy! [Jobs & Professions in Italian – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “Jobs & Professions“, containing the Italian names of some of the most common jobs and professions, words like “impiegato, negoziante, postino, idraulico”, and many, many more! Culture Shot – Episode Nr.49

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Episode #28 of the “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” is entitled “I’m Left On Feet!”. Does it sound like nonsense? Well, let’s explain! – Italians use the famous expression “rimanere a piedi”, which in English can be translated as “to be left on feet”, to say that their car broke down and therefore they can only… walk! So today, let’s follow our friend Lucia as she calls ACI, the Italian roadside assistance, after her car suddenly stopped working, and let’s learn a lot of useful Italian that everyone can use in the unfortunate case of a car breakdown while in Italy. Enjoy! [Car & Motorbike – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “Car & Motorbike“, containing thirty-eight must-know “ready-to-use” words and sentences you can use on your next trip to Italy if renting a car or motorcycle, and when driving on the road, stopping at a gas station, and even if you ever need road assistance. Now that’s a useful extra bonus! Upper Intermediate – Episode Nr.28

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. When you think about a sea-bathing establishment right on the beach, you mentally picture men, women, and children all together enjoying their time outside. Not so if you enter the sea-bathing establishment “La Lanterna” in Trieste, Italy, where men and women cannot mingle together but are in fact separated by a wall! What’s even more incredible is that “i Triestini” (the citizens of Trieste) love their wall, and no one wants to hear about knocking it down: in fact, the sea-bathing establishment is one of the busiest establishments in the entire area. So, let’s dedicate this Culture Shot to a peculiar piece of Italian culture: “il bagno La Lanterna”. Enjoy! [The Imperfect Subjunctive – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “Il Congiuntivo Imperfetto”, containing the full conjugation of the imperfect subjunctive for the verbs “essere“, “avere“, “parlare“, “vendere“, and “dormire” (one sample verb for each of the three conjugations!) – That’s really the perfect tool you need to master the Italian imperfect subjunctive! Culture Shot – Episode Nr.48

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Episode #27 of the “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” is entitled “Brand or No Brand?”. When it comes to buying clothes, Italians are divided into two opposing categories: on one side those who refuse to buy anything that is not “branded” and on the opposite side those who do not care about names or brands but look for a good deal instead. And if people from the two categories are part of the same family, and are wife and husband… then an argument is in order! So, let’s follow our lovely couple Lucia and Italo as they’re planning to go shopping for clothing and let’s learn a lot of useful, informal, 100% “real” Italian, together with some new, interesting vocabulary. Enjoy! [Clothing in Italian – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “Clothing in Italian“, containing containing all of the “must-know” names of clothes, words like “cravatta, collana, camicia, pantofole”, and so on, so the next time you go shopping for clothes in Italy, you’re going to be 100% ready! Upper Intermediate – Episode Nr.27

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Chocolate has been considered “il cibo degli dei” (the food of the gods) since the beginning of time. Let’s face it: Italian or not, you will hardly find anyone that doesn’t like the taste of chocolate. But the good people from Perugia, Italy have taken the love of chocolate to the next level and every year they dedicate an entire week to this incredibly good food, by running “The European Fair of Chocolate!” So, let’s dedicate this Culture Shot to “the food of the gods”, and let’s see how Italians’ creativity can transform a great food into an incredible celebration of life. Enjoy! [Finger-Licking Italian Delights – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “Finger-Licking Italian Delights”, containing the names of the most common sweets of the Italian cuisine, words like “cannoli, confetti, spumone, zuppa inglese”, and many more. – And if this isn’t making you drooling for sweets, then we don’t know what will! Culture Shot – Episode Nr.47

Episode #26 of the “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” is entitled “Hi Grandma, It’s Me!”. Even if nowadays is not like it used to be, when the traditional Italian family (which included grandparents and grandchildren) lived all together in the same house, for Italians family still remains of fundamental importance. So, let’s take a little break from our couple Lucia and Italo and let’s celebrate the Italian family by following our Massimo as he makes a phone call and says hi to his grandma Giovanna. On the grammar section, we will review some of the most interesting expressions from the dialogue giving grammar rules and extra examples. Enjoy! [Family Members’ Names – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “Family Members’ Names“, containing all of the family members’ names, words like “zio, nipote, nuora, suocera”, and so on. Practice these, and become part of the “good old” big Italian family! Upper Intermediate – Episode Nr.26

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. If there’s one expression that perfectly describes Italian people imagination and creativity, that is “una ne fai, cento ne pensi” (one thing you do, one hundred things you come up with). A major Italian supermarket chain took the thinking to the extreme so, at this time of major economic crisis, they came up with the ultimate lottery prize… a job for a year! Considering Italy’s unemployment rates, this is definitely a desirable prize for someone unemployed, so no wonder the lottery is having a huge success! Let’s dedicate today’s Culture Shot to another unusual masterpiece of Italian creativity: “the job lottery”. Enjoy! [Children & Kids’ Talk – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “Children & Kids’ Talk“, containing some of the most popular sentences you need to know when traveling to Italy with children and kids. The bonus also contains a section called “Kids’ Talk” made of short sentences you can teach your kids so they can speak and communicate with other Italian kids! Culture Shot – Episode Nr.46

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Episode #25 of the “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” is entitled “I’m Not Here For Anyone”. It’s Wednesday morning in Milan. Lucia is home, and she’s getting ready for an important business meeting. There’s only one problem: a terrible headache is driving her crazy. So, let’s see how our friend Lucia deals with her chronic headache, and in doing so, let’s learn some of the most common Italian idiomatic expressions you’ll ever hear, together with a lot of useful, informal, 100% “real” Italian. On the grammar section, we will review some of the most interesting expressions from the dialogue giving grammar rules and extra examples. Enjoy! [LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus: The Verb “Innamorarsi”] Login to the Learning Center to download Audio & PDF Transcript of the “must-know” Italian reflexive verb “innamorarsi” (to fall in love). Upper Intermediate – Episode Nr.25

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Maybe you’ve already been to Italy once, you’ve seen the monuments, visited the major museums, and stayed in the historic city center and now you’re looking for something different… Maybe you really aren’t that much into cities and don’t like the traffic and the noise… Or maybe your goal is to take your Italian to the next level and you want to meet some Italians you can talk to… If all or part of the above is true, then there’s one word you need to hear… “agriturismo”. Agriturismo”, an Italian term for what we might call a “farm holiday” or “agricultural tourism”, is about experiencing rural Italian life and a slower-paced holiday. Sounds inviting, doesn’t it? So, let’s get “off the beaten path” and let’s dedicate today’s Culture Shot to a wonderful new way to experience Italy: the “agriturismo”. Enjoy! [Getting Around The House Vol. 2: The Living Room – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, an audio file and PDF transcript entitled “Getting Around The House, Vol. 2: The Living Room“, composed of an audio file and PDF transcript of some of the names of things you find in the living room (il soggiorno, il salotto) that you absolutely need to know if you ever travel to Italy! Culture Shot – Episode Nr.45

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Episode #24 of the “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” is entitled “I Lost My Wallet!”. There is nothing than can ruin a day more than losing a wallet, and the thought of all the time one has to waste to report the fact to the police, the bank, close all the accounts, and so on. So, let’s get very practical and let’s see how to deal with the unfortunate situation of losing a wallet in Italy. We sure hope this will never happen to you, but you know how they say, “better safe than sorry”. We’ll learn a lot of new, useful vocabulary, and on the grammar section, we will review some of the most interesting expressions from the dialogue giving grammar rules and extra examples. Enjoy! [LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to download Audio & PDF Transcript of the “must-know” Italian reflexive verb “Divertirsi” (to enjoy oneself, to have fun), and some of the most common and useful idiomatic expressions that use this important verb. Upper Intermediate – Episode Nr.24

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Episode #23 of the “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” is entitled “It’s Back To School Time!”. For millions of Italian students the first day of school is just around the corner. In Italy in fact school traditionally begins the second week of September. Let’s follow our friend Lucia as she makes sure her son Mattia has everything he needs to start school the right way. On the grammar section, we will review some of the most interesting expressions from the dialogue giving grammar rules and extra examples, and we’ll give an overview of the Italian school system. You’ll really find a lot of useful, informal, 100% “real” Italian on this episode, together with a lot of new vocabulary – so, let’s get to it right away! [LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to download Audio & PDF Transcript of the “must-know” Italian verb “Mettere” (to put, to place, to set, to stick on, to apply), and some of the most common and useful idiomatic expressions that use this important verb. Upper Intermediate – Episode Nr.23

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. VIP Member Lisa sent us one of the most entertaining email we’ve ever received. She says: “I read this article in the New York Times about an Italian bank keeping wheels of Parmesan cheese as collateral for bank loans to cheese makers. I was blown away by this but not really surprised because Italians are so resourceful! What a brilliant way to make loans available for cheese makers by allowing their aging cheese to guarantee their loans! I think this would make a great lesson as well as a cultural surprise for your listeners, Jane and Massimo!” You said it, Lisa, Italians can surely be resourceful, and what an example you brought up! So here it is, a Culture Shot about banks, loans, Parmesan cheese, and, most important, about the worldwide famous “arte di arrangiarsi italiana” (the Italian art of going with the flow). Enjoy! [Getting Around The House Vol. 1: The Kitchen & The Bedroom – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, an audio file and PDF transcript entitled “Getting Around The House, Vol. 1: The Kitchen and the Bedroom“, composed of an audio file and PDF transcript of some of the names of things you find in the kitchen and in the bedroom that you absolutely need to know if you ever travel to Italy! Culture Shot – Episode Nr.44

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. VIP Member Rachel from Miami, Florida, says: “When I was living in Italy a couple of years ago, there were quite a few times when I encountered difficult situations while walking on the street. For example, with men approaching me and trying to get my phone number, street vendors trying to sell me something I didn’t want, or people asking for money… ” “I never really knew how to deal with these kind of experiences in Italian, as if I tried to be polite, I think I always came off as being encouraging! I think a “How To Italian” episode on how to safely get out of these kind of situations, while being polite yet firm, would be a great idea for people getting ready to visit il Bel Paese!” Terrific suggestion, Rachel, grazie! So, here it is: “How To Deal With Street Annoyances”… the Italian way! [“The Parts of The Body” – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, an audio file and PDF transcript entitled “The Parts of the Body“, containing all of the “must-know” parts of the human body in Italian – and, even better, the PDF transcript contains a chart with a drawing of the human body which will allow you to see each body part while you listen to its name, so you can learn faster while having lots of fun! How To Italian – Episode Nr.30