Archive for March, 2009
36. The Day of The Fools (Culture Shot)
Level: Culture Shot
In Italy, as well as in the rest of the world, April 1st is traditionally a day of jokes, silliness, and pranks of any kind. The traditional Italian “Pesce d’Aprile” (April Fools’ in English) consists of someone attaching a paper cutout of a small fish to the rear shoulders of a friend or a family member with tape or glue. As we’re getting closer to April 1st, we’ve decided to dedicate this Culture Shot to some of the best April Fools’ pranks ever, with one condition: all pranks we’ve chosen are related in some ways to Italy and Italians! On the grammar section, something you’ll find very useful… a comprehensive review of the super important, must-know “Italian present perfect”. Let the fun begin!
Culture Shot – Episode Nr.36
14. How Did Your Day Go? (Upper Intermediate)
Level: Upper Intermediate
Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Episode #14 of the “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” is entitled “How did your day go?” – Lucia just came back home from work. Waiting for her at home is her son Mattia. Lucia asks her son how his day went, and sure enough, Mattia has some great news for his mother! So today we are going to hear a casual, informal conversation between a mother and a son. You’ll find one more time a lot of informal, “real” Italian here, the way it is spoken between Italians! In the grammar section, we will explain, review, and practice “impersonal constructions” which are so popular in Italian. Enjoy!
Upper Intermediate – Episode Nr.14
35. The Yellow Mimosa (Culture Shot)
Level: Culture Shot
Here is what our longtime VIP member and friend Barbara says: “I’m writing this email from Florence in Italy, where I’ve been living for a couple of months already, to study art. A few days ago, the 8th of March, I went out with my best Italian friend Maria, and as we walked down the street, three guys from my class said hi and they gave us this beautiful yellow flower, la “mimosa”. I’ve been told this is the way Italians celebrate ‘La Festa della Donna’ every 8th of March. How nice! – Then right away I thought: ‘What a great idea for a LearnItalianPod’s episode!’ – See, I always think of you, Jane & Massimo…” – How nice of you, Barbara, and what a great suggestion! So, let’s celebrate women from all over the world and let’s learn something nice about this beautiful yellow flower and what it represents. Enjoy!
Culture Shot – Episode Nr.35
13. Planning A Surprise (Upper Intermediate)
Level: Upper Intermediate
Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com! Episode #13 of the “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” is entitled “Planning A Surprise”. Lucia is planning a surprise party to celebrate her husband Italo’s birthday, and she decides to call Gianni, a friend of the family, to discuss what to do. We’ll hear a phone conversation between two friends: you’ll find a LOT of informal Italian here, the “real Italian”, the way it is spoken between Italians – so, listen up, as this can make the difference on your quest to master the Italian language. On the grammar section, we will learn how to use the partitive articles and the indefinite adjectives and pronouns. Enjoy!
Upper Intermediate – Episode Nr.13
12. At The Newsstand (Upper Intermediate)
Level: Upper Intermediate
Let’s do a little recap. In the first eleven episodes of this “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” we’ve followed our friend Italo during one of his days. Now, let’s go back in time, and let’s see what happened to his wife Lucia during the same day. In doing so, we’ll review and practice conversations on useful and practical subjects. Episode #12 of the “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” is entitled “At The Newsstand”. It’s early in the morning in Milan. Lucia leaves the house and like every morning, she stops at the newsstand around the corner to buy the newspaper. Let’s hear how it goes… On the grammar section, we’ll keep learning the hypothetical constructions – this time, the one called “no longer possible”. Enjoy!
Upper Intermediate – Episode Nr.12
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