ItalianPod101.com Blog

Do you know that when Italy was founded in 1861, monarchy prevailed in the country? It remained this way until the June of 1946, when Italians decided to ditch the monarchy government system and become a republic instead. Not long after, the Italian Constitution was made in 1948. Each year, Italians celebrate Republic Day in commemoration of their newfound republic status. In learning about Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day in Italy), you’re allowing yourself a broader understanding of Italian culture and its history. As any language learner can tell you, this is a vital step in language mastery. At ItalianPod101.com, we hope to make it both fun and informative! Learn about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Italian parades, and... Show more

Millions of learners all around the world agree: watching TV shows is a great way to learn a new language. You can boost your skills in many different contexts according to the show’s genre (drama, crime, comedy, sci-fi, cooking, nature, etc…), while at the same time having a great deal of fun. And this is why Italian TV shows are a big help for every learner, from beginners to those who are more advanced. Here at ItalianPod101 we’ll give you a complete guide to the best Italian TV shows for learners. Table of Contents How to Study Italian with TV Shows How You Can Watch the Most Popular Italian TV Shows The Top Italian TV Shows Bonus: Free Must-have Articles and Guides About Italian TV Shows How ItalianPod101... Show more

Have you ever received a chocolate egg as a gift? For Italians, the chocolate egg is a symbol of Easter, which is the most important festival in Christianity. The Monday after Easter (Easter Monday), in particular, is a holiday of celebration on a grand scale. In this lesson, we’ll go over Italian Easter traditions and more facts about Easter in Italy. At ItalianPod101.com, we hope to make learning about Italian culture both fun and informative! 1. What is Easter Monday in Italy? Easter Monday celebrates the resurrection of Christ three days after his death, and is one of the most significant Christian holidays. As we’ll see in this lesson, Easter is very important in Italy. It’s also a national holiday and corresponds with... Show more

Italy is best known as a holiday destination. With its 7.500 kilometres of coast (much of which consists of beaches), majestic mountains, amazing cities, and stunning countryside, it’s by definition a place to spend some time doing nothing but enjoying it all. And let’s not start talking about the food and wine! Well, for some people all of these are also good reasons to move to Italy and start a new life there. Especially if they also have an Italian significant other. But how can you work in Italy as a foreigner? Where should you start looking for a job? Here on ItalianPod101, we’ll explain how to move to Italy and get a job. So, if you’re planning to start your own Dolce Vita, just keep on reading to learn about finding jobs in... Show more

In Italian, it is said that "anything goes during Carnival." Some countries simply feast to their heart’s content during Carnival, the holiday just before the Lent period of fasting. Others participate in lots of dancing. Some countries hold to more religious celebrations. But in Italy, this is a time of Masquerades and rule-breaking—in addition to feasting and other merry activities. Let ItalianPod101.com show you all the unique facets of Italy’s Carnevale! 1. What is Italian Carnival? Many aspects of the the content and nature of the current Carnival—such as Saturnalia—can be easily traced back to their ancient Roman origins. As for the etymology of the word Carnival, it most likely derives from the Latin expression... Show more

Do you often feel lonely and sad? Do you long for romance and are willing to do whatever it takes to meet that special person? Speaking another language could revolutionize your love life! So, why wait? Learning how to say ‘love’ in Italian could be just what you need to find it. Or perhaps you were lucky, and have found your Italian partner already. Fantastic! Yet, a cross-cultural relationship comes with unique challenges. Learning how to speak your lover’s language will greatly improve your communication and enhance the relationship. At ItalianPod101, our team will teach you all the words, quotes and phrases you need to woo your Italian lover with excellence! Our tutors provide personal assistance, with plenty of extra material... Show more

Can You Really Learn Italian Alone? Learning a language on your own or without traditional classroom instruction may seem quite daunting at first. What if you run into questions? How do you stay motivated and on track to achieving goals? Don’t worry, not only is it possible to learn Italian or any language without traditional classroom instruction: ItalianPod101 has created the world’s most advanced and extensive online language learning system. Not only is ItalianPod101 specifically designed to help you with learning a language on your own, it’s actually faster, more convenient, and less expensive than traditional classroom options! Let’s look at some of the benefits of learning Italian or any language alone. Also, don't forget to... Show more

Yes, even beginners can quickly learn conversational Italian well enough to carry on real conversations with native speakers. Of course, beginners won’t be able to carry a conversation the same way they could in their native language. But, just knowing a few tips like which questions to ask to keep a conversation going are all you need to speak and interact with real native speakers! But before we get to specific suggestions, let’s first take a closer look at how having real Italian conversations is so vital to your mastery of the language. Learning to Carry a Conversation is Vital to Mastery of Any Language Communicating with other people is the very point of language and conversation is almost second nature in our native tongue. For... Show more

From 1943 to 1945, Nazism became more rampant in Italy as some parts of this country came under German occupation. Though the Holocaust in Italy isn’t talked about as widely as the Holocaust in other countries, there’s no doubt that Jews were indeed persecuted here and those seeking to defend them were greatly victimized. For this reason, Italy holds a commemoration for all victims on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This Italian Holocaust Day Remembrance is very significant to the Italian people and is a day of mournful reflection on the Italian Holocaust. Holocaust memorials in Italy are especially common in places like Rome, where Nazism became especially strong. Learn more about Italy and the Holocaust with... Show more

Today, classrooms are no longer the only or even best place to learn a new language like Italian. More and more people are finding that they can easily learn a language just about anywhere they have a few minutes of spare time, including their daily commute to work. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American spends over 50 minutes a day commuting to and from work, or over 300 hours a year. Rethinking Your Daily Commute to Work But rather than simply sitting in traffic and wasting the time, you can instead use your daily commute to literally learn Italian in just a few short months! ItalianPod101 has developed specialized learning tools that you can use on your commute to work (and home again) to master the language in... Show more