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:
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🎙 Listen, learn, and improve your Italian fluency - one episode at a time!
Episodes
110 episodes
👀 Le piccole parole - Episodio 2 - Part 2 - PREVIEW - Di: del, dello, and the secret life of 'some'
You thought di was finished?Not quite.In this preview of Di – Part 2, Antonio develops a new hobby: cataloguing every di he can find in Paolo's grandmother's recipe box. Along the way, we stumble across on...
👀 Le piccole parole - Episodio 2 - Part 3 - PREVIEW Quando di trova casa
In this preview of Le piccole parole – Episodio 2 – Part 3, we return to our exploration of one of the hardest-working little words in Italian: di.-->
Le piccole parole - Episodio 2 - Part 3 - Quando di trova casa
In this final part of our three-part exploration of the Italian preposition di, we bring everything together.--> Link to Post for Transcript for th...
Le piccole parole - Episodio 3 - Part 1A - The Many Jobs of A
In the first part of our exploration of the Italian preposition a, we begin to uncover one of the most common and versatile little words in the Italian language.-->
Le piccole parole - Episodio 3 - Part 1B - Preposition A in Action
In Part 1B of our exploration of the Italian preposition a, it's time to put everything into practice.-->
👀Le piccole parole - Episodio 3 – Part 2 - Preposition A - PREVIEW - Beyond Destinations
In this short preview, we revisit what happened at the repair stall in our continuing story at the summer market before moving on to a few more uses of the Italian preposition a.You'll hear a short recap of the story, answer some ...
Le piccole parole - Episodio 3 – Part 2 - Preposition A - Beyond Destinations
The little word a does much more than simply tell us where we're going.--> Link to Post for Transcript for this episode <--In thi...
Le piccole parole - Episodio 4 - Parte 1A | Italian Preposition DA Explained | Learn When to Use DA in Italian
Episode 4 – Preposition DA – Part 1AMost learners first meet da when talking about where someone comes from. But that's only the beginning.-->
Le piccole parole - Episodio 4 - Parte 1B | DA: the word that remembers everything
Paolo is in the kitchen. Something smells wonderful.He doesn't know it yet, but he's just given us three perfect examples of the most important use of da in this episode.-->
Le piccole parole - Episodio 4 - Parte 2 | DA: The Italian Preposition that does everything
Carlo can fix almost anything. But when Matteo and his grandfather bring an old transistor radio to the repair stall, Carlo is suddenly out of his depth, and Sara has a surprise for everyone.-->
👀Le piccole parole - Episodio 4 - Parte 2 | DA: The Italian Preposition that does everything - Free Preview
Carlo can fix almost anything. But when Matteo and his grandfather bring an old transistor radio to the repair stall, something unexpected happens. For once, Carlo doesn’t know what to do. Someone else does.-->
Le piccole parole - Episodio 5 - Parte 1A | La preposizione IN - Sempre dentro qualcosa
In Episode 5, we turn our attention to IN, another of Italian’s piccole parole that seems to turn up everywhere.--> Link to Post for Trans...
Le piccole parole - Episodio 5 - Parte 1B | La preposizione IN - Sempre dentro qualcosa
In Part 1B of our exploration of the Italian preposition IN, we go beyond the basics.We build the articulated forms nel, nello, nella, nell’, nei, negli and nelle, see how IN can express movement into...
Le piccole parole - Episodio 5 - Parte 2 | La preposizione IN - Oltre lo spazio
In Le piccole parole – Episodio 5 – Parte 2, we go oltre lo spazio. We explore how IN moves beyond physical places into abstract states such as in silenzio, in pace, and in difficoltà, and i...
Le piccole parole - Episodio 6 - Parte 1A | La preposizione CON - Con cura
In this episode of Le piccole parole, we begin exploring the Italian preposition CON, a little word that has a wonderful way of bringing things together.We look at three essential uses of CON: being with someone, using a tool or instrume...
Le Vostre Previsioni | Quale sarà il prossimo oggetto al banco delle riparazioni?
Studente Saggio Paul from Cold Lake, Alberta, has sent in his latest prediction. What will be the next object to arrive at the banco delle riparazioni?Listen to Paul's prediction, make your own, and then come back for Le piccol...
Le piccole parole - Episodio 6 - Parte 1B | La preposizione CON - Espressioni e verbi
CON means “with”... but that’s only the beginning.In Parte 1B of our exploration of the Italian preposition con, we move beyond the basics and look at some of the places where this little word becomes part of everyda...
👀Le piccole parole - Episodio 6 - Parte 2 PREVIEW | La preposizione CON - Descrivere, collegare, esprimersi
In this preview of Le piccole parole – Episodio 6 – Parte 2, we continue our exploration of the Italian preposition CON.How does CON help us describe people more naturally? And how does this little word become part of expression...
Le piccole parole - Episodio 6 - Parte 2 | La preposizione CON - Descrivere, collegare, esprimersi
In this second part of Le piccole parole – Episodio 6, we continue exploring the many ways Italians use the preposition CON.We’ll see how CON helps us describe people naturally, and we’ll explore useful expressions such as a...
Questa settimana al Meetup - Incontro 1 | Reflexive verbs and the many jobs of SI
What happens when one little Italian word seems to be doing several completely different jobs?Before you listen to this episode, take the poll on LinkedIn and see how much you already know.
Le Vostre Previsioni | Che ne sarà delle ricette?
The recipes from Paolo’s grandmother are still at the banco delle riparazioni. What will happen to them next?Studente Saggio Paul has sent us his prediction, and it involves a breeze, recipes flying across the piazza... and a...
Le piccole parole - Episodio 7 - Parte 1A | La preposizione SU - Superficie, argomento e approssimazione
One little word, three very different jobs.In this episode of Le piccole parole, we explore three important uses of the Italian preposition SU. We start with the familiar idea of something being on a surface, then see h...
Le piccole parole | Episodio 7, Parte 1B | La preposizione SU
In Part 1B of our exploration of the Italian preposition SU, we discover how this little word helps us look upward, describe a view, encourage someone, and express ourselves in everyday conversation.We'll explore expressions suc...
