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🎤 Interview Episode One – A Conversation with Professoressa Daniela Bartalesi-Graf
Teaching, Learning & Staying Motivated—Piano Piano

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In this special interview episode, we sit down with Professoressa Daniela Bartalesi-Graf, a language educator at Wellesley College and the creator of one of the most respected Italian courses on EdX.

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Together, we explore:
 ✔️ The challenges and joys of teaching Italian both in person and online
 ✔️ How technology—including voice recognition and A.I.—is shaping language learning
 ✔️ Why B1 learners often feel stuck, and how to break through the plateau
 ✔️ Common mistakes to focus on (and which ones to ignore)
 ✔️ The power of proverbs, poetry, and speaking to yourself while walking!

📜 The full transcript is available at https://www.welearnitalianstepbystep.com

Whether you’re just getting started or learning Italian piano piano, Professoressa Daniela shares practical advice and encouragement for every stage of the journey.

📌 Don’t miss her final tip: a simple daily habit that could transform your learning.

🎧 Tune in and be inspired by a teacher who’s helped thousands of learners fall in love with the Italian language.

⏳ CHAPTERS  
00:00 Intro  
02:02 Professoressa Daniela’s Journey into Teaching  
03:24 Q1 – In-Person vs Online Teaching  
06:48 Q2 – Tech & AI in Language Learning  
09:53 Q3 – Challenges at B1 Level  
15:07 Q4 – Building Speaking Confidence  
17:54 Q5 – Rote Practice Without Boredom  
20:50 Q6 – Using Translation  
23:29 Q7 – Regional Variations & Dialects  
26:10 Q8 – Favorite Phrase & Final Advice  
28:46 Wrap Up

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👀 Bonus Episode 05 Preview– Vocabulary for our Interview with Professoressa Daniela Bartalesi-Graf
Vocabulary Boost for Interview Episode 01 – Preview Version

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In this special bonus episode, we preview the vocabulary you'll hear in our interview with Professoressa Daniela Bartalesi-Graf—creator of the renowned Italian Language and Culture course on edX.

-> Link to vocabulary flashcards for Interview Episode 1 <--  
        (This link is active only for show supporters)

📜 The full transcript with vocabulary lists, grammar notes, and contextual stories is available to show supporters at https://www.welearnitalianstepbystep.com

We begin with one full category:
 🏫 Academic & Educational Language
✔️ Vocabulary in context
✔️ Active recall practice
✔️ Mini quiz with Antonio
✔️ Clear grammar notes to deepen understanding

🎯 Want more? The full episode includes four additional categories:
 🧠 Study habits & strategies
 🗣️ Language & communication
 🧱 Grammar awareness
 🧳 Cultural & regional curiosities

To access the complete version—with all five vocabulary sections, quizzes, and interactive support—click Support the Show.

🎧 Learn more. Understand more. Enjoy the interview piano piano—one word at a time.

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

Support the show – Get access to premium content including interactive flashcards, vocabulary mini stories, and grammar quizzes.

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:

-> Link to vocabulary flashcards for Interview Episode 1 <--  

-> Link to Interview Comprehension Quiz <--  

🌟 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

📜 The full transcript (with grammar notes and vocabulary lists) is available at https://www.welearnitalianstepbystep.com

💛 Like the podcast? Want to say thanks without signing up?
You can buy me a coffee (no premium content included).

🎯 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.

🎧 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

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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!

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🌟 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!).

📜 The full transcript is available at https://www.welearnitalianstepbystep.com

🎯 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.

⏳ Chapter Markers:
0:00 - Intro
5:03 - Examples of Reflexive Sentences
7:09 - Reflexive Pronouns Explained
7:58 - How to Recognize Reflexive Verbs
8:49 - How to Form Reflexive Verbs (Steps)
10:10 - Conjugating an -ARE Reflexive Verb: realizzarsi
12:07 - Conjugating an -ERE Reflexive Verb: chiedersi
13:52 - Conjugating an -IRE Reflexive Verb: aprirsi
15:22 - Sample Reflexive Sentences for Practice
18:46 - Reflexive Verbs in Passato Prossimo
20:16 - Steps to Form Reflexive Verbs in Passato Prossimo
22:39 - Conjugating realizzarsi in Passato Prossimo
24:56 - Conjugating chiedersi in Passato Prossimo
26:09 - Conjugating aprirsi in Passato Prossimo
27:27 - Chapter 1, Part 4 – English/Italian Translation
32:37 - Wrap-up + What's Next

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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.

📜 The full transcript with vocabulary lists, grammar notes, and contextual stories is available to show supporters at https://www.welearnitalianstepbystep.com

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

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You can buy me a coffee (no premium content included).

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

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-->Passato Prossimo Practice Quiz<--

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.

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You can buy me a coffee (no premium content included).

🌟 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

📜 The full transcript (with vocabulary lists, grammar notes, and contextual stories) is available at https://www.welearnitalianstepbystep.com

🎯 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.

-->Passato Prossimo Practice Quiz<--

🎧 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!

⏳ 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*  
06:37 Formation of Past Participles  
10:02 Irregular Past Participles  
13:26 Conjugate *Avere* in Passato Prossimo  
13:59 *Avere* – Sample Sentences  
14:36 Conjugate *Essere* in Passato Prossimo  
15:58 *Essere* – Example Sentences  
17:34 “TTO” Family of Irregular Verbs  
19:45 “SO” Family of Irregular Verbs  
21:16 “RTO” Family of Irregular Verbs  
23:31 Transitivity & *Avere* or *Essere*  
25:30 Mini Quiz – Round 1 (*Avere* Sentences)  
27:06 Mini Quiz – Round 2 (*Essere* Sentences)  
28:00 Mini Quiz – Round 3 (Mixed *Essere* & *Avere*)  
29:02 Wrap Up

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

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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.

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✔️ 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!

📜 The full transcript is available at https://www.welearnitalianstepbystep.com

🎯 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 Support the Show 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

-> Link to vocabulary flashcards for Chapter 1 Part 4 <--
         (This link is active only for show supporters)

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 to unlock everything.

📜 The full transcript with vocabulary lists, grammar notes, and contextual stories is available to show supporters at https://www.welearnitalianstepbystep.com

💛 Like the podcast? Want to say thanks without signing up?
You can buy me a coffee (no premium content included).

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🎧 Bonus Episode 03 – Vocabulary for Surprises, Storms & New Directions – To Prepare for Episode 05

Support the show – Get access to premium content including interactive flashcards, vocabulary mini stories, and grammar quizzes.

Before we reach the dramatic conclusion of Chapter 1 in Le Pagine del Passato, take a moment to explore the rich vocabulary that brings these final scenes to life. In this bonus episode, we focus on key words and expressions from Chapter 1, Part 4 – where emotions run high, secrets emerge, and a mysterious letter might just change everything.

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You can buy me a coffee (no premium content included).

🌟 Highlights:
✔️ Key vocabulary grouped into three meaningful categories: Legal & Official Matters, Actions & Feelings, and Weather & Nature
✔️ Active recall exercises to help you retrieve and retain new words
✔️ A mini quiz for each section to strengthen your translation skills
✔️ Bonus: Antonio’s poetic toast and a final review of today’s vocabulary

📜 The full transcript (with vocabulary lists, grammar notes, and contextual stories) is available at https://www.welearnitalianstepbystep.com

🎯 Practice with Purpose:
Before you meet Mariella at her turning point, listen to the words in context, repeat them aloud, and test yourself with quick challenges to build memory and confidence. Whether you're braving storms or facing big decisions, you'll be ready—with the words you need.

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

🎧 Let’s keep growing your vocabulary—piano piano—as we turn toward new directions in the story.

⏳ CHAPTERS  
00:00 Intro  
02:39 Category 1 – Legal & Official Matters  
04:09 Category 1 – Active Recall  
04:51 Category 1 – Mini Quiz  
06:07 Category 2 – Actions & Feelings  
08:28 Category 2 – Active Recall  
09:25 Category 2 – Mini Quiz  
11:09 Category 3 – Weather & Nature  
13:25 Category 3 – Active Recall  
14:16 Category 3 – Mini Quiz  
15:30 Wrap Up

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

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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.

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https://buymeacoffee.com/welearnitalian

🌟 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.

📜 The full transcript is available at https://www.welearnitalianstepbystep.com

🎯 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.

📚 Want more? Click Support the Show 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  

0:00 Passato Prossimo Examples
6:40 Examples with Italian translation
7:38 Episode intro
11:16 Formation of passato prossimo
12:24 Conjugation of avere
17:02 Formation of the participio passato
19:59 Avere or essere?
21:22 Vocabulary for practice exercise
22:10 Practice putting it all together
26:46 Assignment explained
30:20 First playback of Part 3
33:26 Second playback of part 3
35:42 Wrap up

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