Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Even though Aldo and Margherita were very different in many ways, they came together in their skepticism. Towards the end of her life, Margherita couldn't move around much, but her brain never stopped going.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
In this segment, Margherita talks about her choice not to have children and also discusses her position regarding God. She can't prove he exists nor can she prove he doesn't.
Difficulty:
Beginner
Italy
You will find out in this video that there are really a lot of expressions using la lingua (the tongue). The tongue can be lunga (long), sciolta (loose), biforcuta (forked) and more. We use the tongue when we speak, so lots of these expressions involve speaking.
Difficulty:
Beginner
Italy
If you have ever wondered what conjugation (first -are, second -ere, or third -ire) verbs that end in -arre, -orre, or -urre belong, you will find the answer in this video!
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
We discover that Margherita Hack was a devoted fan of the long-running TV series, Un posto al sole [a place in the sun]. She explains why. Francesca goes back to Trieste and meets up with Eda who talks about having lived in the same house with Margherita Hack.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Margherita Hack spent some time in politics and was also an entrepreneur at times. But she had a lot of fun, too. On the panel with Camilleri, the author of the Montalbano stories, they all come out (in unison) with the famous introduction Montalbano sono (Montalbano, I am). Putting the verb at the end is typical of Sicily, where the story takes place. Otherwise, it would be Sono Montalbano (I'm Montalbano) or, on the phone, "This is Montalbano."
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
We have hunted down a video recipe for the dish Letizia serves Lojacono at her trattoria in I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone. With its simple ingredients and preparation, we hope you'll try it sometime! The recipe is likely Neapolitan and its name has to do with shoemakers!
Difficulty:
Beginner
Italy
Marika shares with us some very useful expressions using il naso (the nose) and the sense of smell, called l'olfatto in Italian.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Margherita Hack was a scientist and communicator, but she also expressed her opinions about attualità (current events). Part of this segment features a panel discussion she held with author Andrea Camilleri, best known for his novels about Inspector Montalbano that became a popular TV series.
Difficulty:
Beginner
Italy
Marika explains a one-word expression that many learners are curious about: figurarsi. It basically means "to imagine," but it has many nuances depending on the context.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Margherita Hack's talents lay not only in her greatness as a scientist, but also in her remarkable ability to communicate with the general public, and especially young people. She rendered complicated information comprehensible and interesting, using clear and simple examples.
Difficulty:
Beginner
Italy
After saying Pronto? (hello), what do you say when calling someone, or when someone calls you? Marika has all the answers.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Aldo and Margherita stuck together. He might get bored at her lectures, but he would always be there. They both shared a love for sports and motocycles.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Vittorio De Sica put himself on the line in order to save his cast and crew, and the film he was making. This final segment describes how he managed to complete La porta del cielo (The Gates of Heaven). The song we hear at the end of this documentary is very famous and was sung by Vittorio De Sica himself for the movie Gli uomini, che mascalzoni... in which he acted. Listen to the entire song here.
Difficulty:
Beginner
Italy
Navigating the adjectives or pronouns che (what), cosa (what), and quale (what, which) is confusing to most learners, but Marika helps us make sense of it all.
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