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 24 – Beyond Stare: Keys, Chaos, and the Italian Gerundio
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In this episode, we go one step further with the gerundio and explore what happens when things get a little more complex.
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(Available to show supporters)
You’ve already seen how stare + gerundio works. But what about when the gerund stands on its own? And what happens when you need to use not just one pronoun… but two?
In Episode 24, we break it all down, step by step.
You’ll learn:
• The two key situations for pronoun placement with the gerundio
• Why stare + gerundio gives you two options
• Why a standalone gerundio only gives you one
• How combined pronouns work (and why they change form)
Then we put it all into practice with a lively Luca and Sara scene… featuring Carlo, a missing set of keys, and just a bit of chaos.
And of course, we return to Le Pagine del Passato – Chapter 3, Part 2 – this time with both English and Italian, so you can deepen your understanding of the story while reinforcing the grammar.
✨ By the end of this episode, you should be able to, not only understand these structures… you should be starting to recognize them just about everywhere.
👉 In the next episode, we’ll build on this even further as we explore reflexive verbs with the gerundio.
Piano piano… si va lontano. 🇮🇹
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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?
The comprehensive study guide covering this topic
(simple gerundio, stare + gerundio, and pronouns)
will be released once these episode topics have been completed.
Arriverà presto, lo prometto!
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