When winter passes, the cuckoo starts singing and the air becomes infused with spring fragrances, and with love.

Daniela and her pupils compare the opening hours of shops in their country to those in Italy where, traditionally, the midday break has always had particular importance. Over the past ten years, tradition has gradually given way to convenience, and the rules governing opening hours have become less and less strict.

Daniela talks about verbs having to do with shops, and whether they close at lunchtime or not.

When we speak of an unspecified quantity of food items, objects, etc. we use the indefinite or partitive article, which changes according to the gender of the noun in question (singular: del, della, dello, and plural: dei, delle, degli). In the second part of the lesson, you'll notice that Italian uses the equivalent of "of" or "of it" where English doesn't. Feel free to absorb the first part of this lesson before tackling the second part.

Marika and Anna present the verb avere (to have) in the subjunctive mood, which, in Italian, as you'll see, is used when the word che is used as a conjunction. This mood has practically disappeared from the English language.

Daniela talks about the conjugation of the verb "to have," and gives us some important information about pronunciation.

Daniela started out dubbing films. Now she works as a voice-over artist, narrating documentaries. Marika and Daniela talk about common errors in pronunciation and how much of a difference they can make!

What would you wear if you had to do sports, go to the beach, or if it were cold? Marika teaches you the names for items of clothing, as well as an Italian saying on the subject.

In this lesson, Daniela talks about the two most important verbs in Italian: essere (to be) and avere (to have).

Giuliano talks about why this year he chose to go to a lake for his vacation.

Arianna, born and raised in Italy, has recently moved to London where she has found a job and is trying to adapt to the English way of life. It's not always easy though...

Anna and Marika talk about their love lives, using the remote past and the remote past perfect, as well as the present and past conditional.

Join Daniela's class where we learn more about how to greet people in Italian.

How many hand movements and gestures can an Italian make during a totally normal conversation? Have a look at Marika and Francesca!

Adriano introduces us to his grandmother who lives in Palermo and with whom he has a close relationship. He's always welcome at her place, being assured of a nice nap, good company, and good food.