We learn Italian step by step | Impariamo l'italiano piano piano
Impariamo l’italiano piano piano is a story-based podcast for B1–B2 Italian learners who want to improve their grammar and vocabulary by following an ongoing mystery, rather than studying isolated lessons. Beginners are welcome too - everything unfolds piano piano, one step at a time.
Each episode advances a serialized story, Le Pagine del Passato, allowing you to experience Italian in context as meaning builds gradually through memory, dialogue, and investigation. Grammar structures such as the imperfetto, passato prossimo, congiuntivo, and object pronouns emerge naturally through the narrative, helping you recognize how Italian works in real situations.
Hosted by Myra, an instructional designer and adult language learner, the show is joined by Antonio - a dramatic, opinionated presence who interrupts, comments, and occasionally derails things, making the learning process both human and entertaining. Together, they guide listeners toward greater confidence in Italian, step by step.
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Full transcripts are shared through the Companion Series on Substack, where supporters can access episode texts and study materials:
https://welearnitalian.substack.com
🎙 Listen, learn, and improve your Italian fluency - one episode at a time!
We learn Italian step by step | Impariamo l'italiano piano piano
Episode 21 - Il primo indizio - The Simple Gerundio in Action
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Episode 21 – Il primo indizio | Five Uses of the Italian Gerundio
In this episode, we take a final, focused look at il gerundio semplice, adding three important uses to the two you learned earlier — and bringing the total to five.
You’ll hear how the gerundio can express:
- cause and reason
- condition and consequence
- contrast or surprise with pur
Through clear examples and short dialogues, you’ll see how this compact form does a lot of work in Italian, especially in storytelling and written language.
Then, we step into Chapter 3 of Le Pagine del Passato.
You’ll hear Il primo indizio for the first time, entirely in Italian - first slowly, then again at a natural pace, as Mariella discovers a mysterious message left by her grandmother. A red staircase. An old library. And a clue that sets the story in motion.
After the story, you’re invited to reflect on a set of comprehension questions. We won’t give you the answers just yet. We’ll return to them in the next episode, alongside the full English translation.
This episode also prepares the ground for what’s coming next: stare + gerundio, the Italian present progressive, which we’ll explorenext, in Episode 22.
Piano piano, the mystery deepens - and so, speriamo, does your Italian!
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📄 Episode Transcript & Study Materials
For this episode, the full transcript is available on Substack, where it’s easier to read, search, and follow along with the explanations.
👉 Here is a link to all of my posts on Substack.
I’ve moved transcripts there so everything can live in one place: the episode text, examples, and Companion Series materials all together.
📘 Want the Study Guide and Practice Exercises?
You’ll find the study guide for the gerundio with the next regular episode, where we’ll build on what you’ve learned today and explore stare + gerundio as well.
How to access them:
- Click “Support the Show” in any episode description to become a supporter.
- If you’re already a podcast supporter, your substack subscription already includes access to the guides.
