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🎧 Bonus Episode 05 – Vocabulary for our Interview with Professoressa Daniela Bartalesi-Graf
To Prepare for Interview Episode 01

Before you listen to our inspiring conversation with Professoressa Daniela Bartalesi-Graf, take a moment to explore the key vocabulary you'll hear throughout the interview. This bonus episode gives you a head start with words and expressions grouped into five practical categories:

🌟 Highlights:
✔️ Academic language from higher education and online learning
✔️ Study strategies, learning tips, and self-reflection tools
✔️ Expressions for oral communication and language use
✔️ Grammar terms and sentence-building insights
✔️ Cultural references and regional sayings from across Italy

🎯 Practice Makes Progress:
Each word is introduced in context, followed by active recall exercises and a mini quiz to help you internalize meaning and usage. Whether you're curious about Italian dialects, mastering past participles, or feeling more confident in conversation, this episode has something for you.

📜 The full transcript (with grammar notes and vocabulary lists) is available at welearnitalian.buzzsprout.com

🎧 Let’s get ready to hear—and understand—more in the upcoming interview. Piano piano, passo dopo passo, si diventa più sicuri!

⏳ Chapter Markers:

0:00 Intro  
1:38 Category 1 – Academic & Educational Language  
5:37 Category 1 – Active Recall  
7:05 Category 1 – Mini Quiz  
8:29 Category 2 – Learning Strategies & Study Habits  
14:30 Category 2 – Active Recall  
16:17 Category 2 – Mini Quiz  
18:06 Category 3 – Language & Communication  
21:31 Category 3 – Active Recall  
22:55 Category 3 – Mini Quiz  
24:49 Category 4 – Grammar Awareness & Sentence Building  
30:10 Category 4 – Active Recall  
31:09 Category 4 – Mini Quiz  
32:04 Category 5 – Cultural & Regional Curiosities  
36:18 Category 5 – Active Recall  
37:51 Category 5 – Mini Quiz  
39:37 Wrap-up

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🎙 Podcast Episode Six: Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

In this episode, we dive into i verbi riflessivi—reflexive verbs that describe actions we do to or for ourselves. You’ll learn how to recognize them, how to conjugate them in the present tense and passato prossimo, and how to use them naturally in context.

With examples from Chapter One of our story, plus a few poetic detours (thanks to Antonio), this episode marks the end of the first chapter—and a major milestone in your Italian learning journey!

🌟 Highlights:

✔️ What makes a verb reflexive—and how to spot it in Italian.
 ✔️ Step-by-step conjugation of realizzarsi, chiedersi, and aprirsi in present and past tenses.
✔️ Examples from the story—and how reflexive verbs deepen meaning.
✔️ A final review with practice sentences and pronunciation support.
✔️ A preview of what’s coming next (hint: vocabulary, flashcards, and a very special guest!).

🎯 Practice Makes Perfect:
 Want to feel more confident before our upcoming interview?
 Be sure to check out Bonus Episode 04 – Vocabulary from our Interview with Professoressa Daniela Bartalesi-Graf.

📜 Need the transcript?
 If your podcast app doesn’t show it, visit welearnitalian.buzzsprout.com to read or download the full transcript.

⏳ Chapter Markers:
0:00 Introduction – What are reflexive verbs?
4:03 Examples of Reflexive Sentences
6:09 Reflexive Pronouns Explained
6:58 How to Recognize Reflexive Verbs
7:49 How to Form Reflexive Verbs (Steps)
9:10 Conjugating an -ARE Reflexive Verb: realizzarsi
11:07 Conjugating an -ERE Reflexive Verb: chiedersi
12:52 Conjugating an -IRE Reflexive Verb: aprirsi
14:22 Sample Reflexive Sentences for Practice
17:46 Reflexive Verbs in Passato Prossimo
19:20 Steps to Form Reflexive Verbs in Passato Prossimo
21:47 Conjugating realizzarsi in Passato Prossimo
24:03 Conjugating chiedersi in Passato Prossimo
25:19 Conjugating aprirsi in Passato Prossimo
26:36 Chapter 1, Part 4 – English/Italian Translation
31:45 Wrap-up + What’s Next

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🎧 Bonus Episode 04 – Passato Prossimo: Your Practice Power-Up! 🏋️‍♀️ – To Reinforce Episodes 04 and 05

It’s time to roll up your sleeves and flex those Italian grammar muscles! In this bonus episode, we dive deep into the passato prossimo with a full practice session designed to help you recognize regular and irregular past participles, choose the right auxiliary verb, and build confidence one sentence at a time.

🌟 Highlights:
✔️ Quick reviews of auxiliary verbs, participle endings, and essential grammar tips
✔️ Spotlight on irregular verb families: the dramatic -tto, the slick -so, and the refined -rto
✔️ Full conjugations and examples with avere and essere as main verbs
✔️ Three rounds of practice: transitive (avere), intransitive (essere), and a final mixed challenge
✔️ Bonus sayings, humor, and a link to an interactive quiz to reinforce what you’ve learned

🎯 Practice with Purpose:
This is your palestra personale—your grammar gym! Listen, respond out loud, and test yourself with real-time recall and sentence formation. And don’t worry—mistakes aren’t just okay, they’re proof you’re growing.

📜 Want to follow along? Check out the full transcript and episode quiz in the show notes.

🎧 Let’s keep building your Italian skills—piano piano—as we prepare to tackle reflexive verbs and the verbs of movement and change in upcoming episodes!

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Curious about what’s inside our bonus episodes? In this preview of Bonus Episode 04 – Passato Prossimo: Your Practice Power-Up!, you’ll get a taste of the interactive practice session designed to strengthen your Italian grammar muscles.

We’ll review how to form the passato prossimo, warm up with a mix of essere and avere conjugations, and even tackle the tricky è vs. e pronunciation point.

🎧 Want the full episode, including irregular verb families, essential examples, and a final quiz?  Click Support the Show in the episode notes to unlock this full bonus episode—plus all other premium content.

Grazie di cuore for learning piano piano with us!

⏳ CHAPTERS  
00:00 Intro  
01:08 Recap – Forming Passato Prossimo  
01:37 Quick Tip – “And” vs “Is” in Italian  
03:01 Mixed Practice – *Essere* & *Avere*  
06:44 How to Unlock the Full Bonus Episode

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🎙 Podcast Episode Five: Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

In this episode, we continue exploring the passato prossimo, focusing on how to recognize when to use it in a story—and how it shifts the action forward. Through Mariella’s memories and an unexpected visit from her friend Zina, we see how past events and new discoveries intertwine.

🌟 Highlights: 

✔️ How the passato prossimo creates movement and plot twists.
✔️ A review of your verb transformation assignment from Episode 4.
✔️ Practical tips on choosing between avere and essere as auxiliary verbs.
✔️ A lively moment with Antonio... and an unexpected guest!

🎯 Practice Makes Perfect:
Want even more hands-on practice?
We’ve created a special bonus episode—Episode 5A—where you can work through extra exercises on auxiliary verbs at your own pace.

📜 Care to follow along as you listen? Check out the transcript for this episode.

📚 Want more? Click the Support the Show link below to access bonus episodes! Bonus content includes vocabulary previews, recall exercises, mini quizzes, and interactive flashcards to reinforce what you’ve learned.

🎧 Take it slow, embrace the process, and immerse yourself in Italian—piano piano!

⏳ CHAPTERS  
00:00 Chapter 1 Part 3 – English Translation with Italian  
06:02 Introduction to Podcast  
07:29 Review Assignment 1 – Verb Transformations  
09:20 Review Assignment 2 – Passato Prossimo’s Effect on the Story  
11:02 Recap of Passato Prossimo – Part 1  
13:02 Practice Identifying Transitive Verbs  
18:57 Review Conjugation of *Essere*  
21:04 Formation of Past Participles with *Essere*  
26:47 Chapter 1 Part 4 – Italian Only  
31:08 Wrap Up

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🎧 Bonus Episode 03 Preview – Vocabulary for Surprises, Storms & New Directions

Vocabulary Boost for Chapter 1 Part 4 (introduced in Podcast Episode 5)

Curious about the vocabulary behind the final twists in Chapter 1? This special preview of our third bonus episode gives you early access to two thematic categories—Legal & Official Matters and Actions & Feelings—complete with contextual examples, active recall, and a playful mini quiz.

✨ Plus, enjoy a sneak peek of Antonio's theatrical flair… before he insists we save the rest for our supporters!

👉 Want the full episode with three complete categories, flashcards, and a poetic toast? Click Support the Show in the episode notes to unlock everything.

📜 Want to follow along while you listen? The full transcript includes grammar notes and vocabulary lists for extra support.

 If you don’t see the transcript for this episode on your podcast app, you can always find it on our Buzzsprout site: welearnitalian.buzzsprout.com

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🎙 Podcast Episode Four: Impariamo l’italiano piano piano - Un impegno quotidiano

In this episode, we take our first deep dive into the passato prossimo, the Italian past tense used for completed actions. Whether you’re still a novice in the realm of italian past tenses or if you've been practicing for a while, this tense helps you share past experiences with clarity and precision. 

🌟 Highlights:

✔️ What makes passato prossimo different from imperfetto? A snapshot vs. a looping video!
✔️ How to form passato prossimo using avere + the past participle.
✔️ Practical examples drawn from Mariella’s story as she takes the first steps toward a life-changing discovery.

🎯 Practice Makes Perfect:
Listen, pause, and say the Italian before I do! With structured exercises, you’ll get hands-on experience forming sentences and internalizing this key tense. Plus, an assignment awaits to help you actively mettere in pratica (put into practice) what you've learned.

📜 Care to follow along as you listen? Check out the transcript.

📚 Want more? Click the Support the Show link below to access bonus episodes! Bonus content includes upcoming vocabulary presented in context, recall exercises, mini quizzes, and interactive flashcards to reinforce what you’ve learned.

🎧 Take it slow, embrace the process, and immerse yourself in Italian—piano piano!

⏳ CHAPTERS  
00:00 Passato Prossimo Examples  
02:55 Examples with Italian Translation  
03:53 Episode Intro  
07:31 Formation of Passato Prossimo  
08:39 Conjugation of *Avere*  
13:17 Formation of the *Participio Passato*  
16:14 *Avere* or *Essere*?  
17:37 Vocabulary for Practice Exercise  
18:25 Practice Putting It All Together  
23:01 Assignment Explained  
26:35 First Playback of Part 3  
29:41 Second Playback of Part 3  
31:57 Wrap Up

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🎧 Bonus Episode 02 Preview – Vocabulary for Rainy Days and Heroic Tales
🌧️ A sneak peek at our second bonus episode – Vocabulary Boost for Chapter 1, Part 3 (coming in Episode 4)

Before stepping into the next part of our story, join us for this special preview of Bonus Episode 02—designed to help you absorb key Italian words and phrases before they appear in the narrative.

🧠 What’s Inside:
 ✔️ One complete vocabulary category: Missing Someone & Emotions
✔️ A slow and natural-speed Italian reading by Antonio
✔️ Active recall and a mini quiz to help you remember new words
✔️ A playful interruption from Antonio (of course)

🎁 Want more?
 The full bonus episode includes three additional vocabulary categories, interactive flashcards, and grammar tips available in the transcript. To access everything, click Support the Show in the episode notes.

🎙 Thanks for listening to this special preview. Ci sentiamo presto!

⏳ CHAPTERS  
00:00 Intro  
01:44 Category 1 – Missing Someone & Emotions – Contextual Intro  
04:44 Category 1 – Active Recall  
06:04 Category 1 – Mini Quiz  
08:27 How to Unlock the Full Bonus Episode

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🎧 Bonus Episode 02 – Vocabulary for Rainy Days and Heroic Tales – To Prepare for Episode 04

Before turning the page to the next chapter of our story, let’s pause to explore the vocabulary you’ll soon hear in action. In this bonus episode, we’ll review essential Italian words and phrases from Chapter 1, Part 3 of Le Pagine del Passato – La Biblioteca Antica.

🌟 Highlights:
✔️ Key vocabulary grouped into four meaningful categories: Emotions, Work Life, Storytelling, and Surprises
✔️ Active recall exercises to strengthen memory and pronunciation
✔️ A mini quiz for each category to test your ability to translate from English to Italian
✔️ Exclusive access to interactive vocabulary flashcards to support your learning outside the podcast

🎯 Practice Makes Progress:
This is your chance to get familiar with the language of heroic tales, emotional sighs, rainy scenes, and quiet reflections before they appear in Episode 04. Listen to vocabulary in context, repeat after me, and challenge yourself with interactive review.

📜 Want to follow along while you listen? Check out the transcript.

🎧 Let’s continue building your vocabulary—piano piano—so you can enjoy the story with more confidence and connection.

All content © 2025 Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

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🎙 Podcast Episode Three: Impariamo l’italiano piano piano - Un impegno quotidiano

In this episode, we continue our exploration of l’imperfetto as we follow Mariella’s journey through Florence. Through storytelling and guided practice, you’ll deepen your understanding of this essential past tense and see how it brings a narrative to life.

🕰 Highlights:
✔️ A quick recap of our story so far—Mariella’s dreams, her connection to the ancient library, and the influence of her grandmother.
✔️ A deeper look at l’imperfetto in action—how it describes background details, past habits, and ongoing actions.
✔️ A guided Italian-English translation of Chapter 1, Part 2 of Le Pagine del Passato.

🎯 Practice Makes Perfect:
Ready to put your skills to the test? We’ll work through key sentences together, identifying how l’imperfetto is used. Then, we’ll revisit your conjugation assignment from last episode—did you get all five verbs right?

📜 Want to follow along as you listen? Check out the transcript.
In this episode the transcript also includes a fill-in-the-blank quiz at the end!

📚 Want more? Click the Support the Show link below to access bonus episodes! Bonus content includes upcoming vocabulary presented in context, recall exercises, mini quizzes, and interactive flashcards to reinforce what you’ve learned.

🎧 Take it slow, embrace the process, and immerse yourself in Italian—piano piano!

⏳ CHAPTERS  
00:00 Introduction  
04:58 Part 2 – Italian with English Translation  
10:23 Assignment Answers – 3 Uses of Imperfetto  
19:10 Conjugation Exercise  
24:42 Replay of Chapter 1, Parts 1 and 2  
28:07 Wrap Up and Next Steps

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