LearnItalianPod

40. The Fox and The Crow (Culture Shot)

June 28th, 2009

• PDF Transcript - Dialogue - Expansion - Glossary - Quiz

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Longtime VIP Member Patricia from Boston sent us a terrific email. She writes: “One of the fondest memories I have of my recent trip to Italy is the discovery of some great Italian tales written by an ancient author called Fedro. It all happened one night, by absolute chance, as I heard my Italian friend Luisa reading two fables to her children, before they went to sleep. Such a fascinating moment… and a great idea for a Culture Shot, right Jane & Massimo?”

Absolutely, Patricia! So, let’s feature a terrific, super famous, ancient Italian tale: “La Volpe e Il Corvo” (The Fox and the Crow). On the grammar section, we’ll be reviewing the hypothetical constructions, and we’ll learn and practice some more useful Italian sentences. Enjoy!

[LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to download Audio & PDF Transcript of the super popular, “must-memorize”, regular 1st conjugation Italian verb “Parlare” (To to speak, to talk).

Culture Shot - Episode Nr.40

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• Difficulty Level Culture Shot
• Tags: culture, fables
• 1 Comment

39. Two Letters, Single Sound (Culture Shot)

May 17th, 2009

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Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Our dear friend and longtime VIP subscriber Carlo, who is from England but lives in Rome, says: “I have got to tell you, Jane and Massimo… some of the sounds of the Italian language, like “GL”, “GN”, or “SC”, are so difficult to pronounce correctly. Please make an episode about it, I need to get this right!”

Excellent idea, Carlo! So, let’s practice the pronunciation of some of the difficult sounds of the Italian language, like “GL”, “GN”, and “SC”. And yes, we are going to practice these sounds with the help of some good old tongue twisters! - Oh, by the way, all of these tongue twisters are used in Italian schools to teach Italian to Italian kids, so… they work!

[VIP Members Only Extra Bonuses!] Login to the Learning Center to download an audio file containing every letter of the Italian alphabet together with pronunciation instructions and a sample word for each letter, with the addition of blank spaces after each word instance so you can repeat over and over. That’s the ultimate way to learn how to pronounce Italian the right way.

Culture Shot - Episode Nr.39

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• Difficulty Level Culture Shot
• Tags: pronunciation
• No Comments

38. The Pizza Vending Machine (Culture Shot)

May 10th, 2009

• PDF Transcript - Dialogue - Expansion - Glossary - Quiz

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com - Our dear friend and longtime VIP subscriber Lisa from Chicago sent us a fantastic piece of news about an invention made in Italy which, if it works, is going to change forever one of the icon of the Italian food: la pizza! That’s the “pizza vending machine” - a machine that doesn’t just sell pizza, but is actually a mini pizzeria that kneads the dough, spreads the toppings and bakes a personal pizza in just three minutes as you watch through a little window!

So, let’s dedicate this Culture Shot to this incredible and revolutionary new piece of “Made in Italy”, and let’s learn and practice a few must-know Italian food names together with some common and useful Italian idiomatic expressions. Enjoy!

[VIP Members Only Extra Bonuses!] Login to the Learning Center to download Audio & PDF Transcript of the “must-know” irregular verb “Dire” (To Say, To Tell).

Culture Shot - Episode Nr.38

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• Difficulty Level Culture Shot
• Tags: business, food
• 3 Comments

37. Aprile Dolce Dormire (Culture Shot)

April 19th, 2009

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Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com - Jane was talking the other day to her sister Lucia who lives in Italy and she was telling her how sleepy she was feeling right in the middle of the day. Her sister said: “Jane, ricordati, Aprile dolce dormire… (Jane, remember, April sweet sleeping…)”. - And Jane suddenly remembered when, as a little girl, she had to learn a cute tongue twister used in school to learn and memorize the names of the months. So, come join us in learning and practicing this terrific tongue-twister that is sure to make your Italian better!

[VIP Members Only Extra Bonuses!] Login to the Learning Center to download Audio & PDF Transcript of the “must-know” irregular verb “Stare” (To Stay) and a comprehensive review (with extra audio!) of “Italian Altered Nouns” with rules of usage, so you will learn how to form diminutives, “vezzeggiativi”, augmentatives and pejoratives.

Culture Shot - Episode Nr.37

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• Difficulty Level Culture Shot
• Tags: tongue twisters
• 1 Comment

36. The Day of The Fools (Culture Shot)

March 29th, 2009

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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

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• Difficulty Level Culture Shot
• Tags: fun, traditions
• 4 Comments

35. The Yellow Mimosa (Culture Shot)

March 15th, 2009

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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

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• Difficulty Level Culture Shot
• Tags: traditions
• 2 Comments