Podcaster

Addendum (11 October 2011): Podcaster has been updated again, and the new look is pretty cool.  I use this app every day to listen to podcasts from Radio 24, Rai and other online sites to help practicing my Italian listening skills.  If you are looking for podcast suggestions, just check out some of the other posts on this blog.  The app also has a database that you can search, or you can simply input the feeds of your favorite podcasts and follow them with this app.  Hoping for an iPad version, soon.  Regardless, this app is an excellent tool for connecting with Italian audio content!  

--Original Review from June 16th--Anyone who follows my blog regularly knows how much of a proponent I am for listening to podcasts of Italian shows and programs to improve one's language skills. It's important to listen to Italian along with reading, writing and speaking, but, for those of us who can't get to Italy often or who don't have Italian friends with whom we can talk, we have to rely on more creative solutions.

Listening to spoken Italian is a great way to train your ear for the "real thing" -- last year when I went to Italy for a month, I was amazed at how well I could understand Italian from strangers. Listening to Italian podcasts can help prepare you for the speed that Italians use their language.

One such app is called Rss Player (it's been renamed Podcaster for a while now -- check out their web site)- they have a blog, and you can read about their app with links to purchasing the app in the Itunes store. They have developed a very useful program that allows you to stream and download podcasts through the device without having to sync up to Itunes. They've also created a listing of podcasts, and many of the podcasts that I've discussed here in the past are listed. If it is not listed, there's a way to add the RSS feed, too. The app has received some complaints about crashing and not working, but I've used the app for the past week, and it has not crashed once, works great, functions as it says. I find the app very useful and versatile, and I use the app to listen to Italian podcasts on my way to my Italian conversation class to get my ear ready!

Another reason that many people like this app is that it allows you to download without using Itunes, and there's no limit on how much or how long you can listen, no download limit, and you're not limited by the Apple servers. The app interacts directly with the servers where the podcasts are hosted. (FYI - if you don't have unlimited data usage, you might want to restrict your downloading to when you're on a wi-fi network. The app can be configured to work over wi-fi or wi-fi and cellular).

If you use the app, leave a comment and let me know what you think of it. 

Digitalia

Screenshot of the Iphone app
(http://www.digitalia.fm)

Doing a program about technology and technology trends is difficult to produce and maintain because it is an environment that is constantly changing.  There have been many programs that have come and gone over the past few years, but this program has lasted and is well produced.  Digitalia is a project that was realized by Franco Solerio, with the help of Carlo Becchi and Massimo De Santo, that focuses on technology and those who love learning about and using technology.  What I enjoy most about the show is that it is not just a dry summation of the technology out there:  the show also explores how technology impacts and affects our everyday lives which makes the program more appealing.

This program is one of the most popular Italian podcasts and has been one of the Itunes/Apple staff favorites for months.  The show has built up quite a following of listeners who call themselves digitaliani.  This community not only supports the program financially but also in a participatory fashion using Twitter (#digitalia), where users discuss, debate and share their opinions and feedback on the various puntate.

New episodes are live every Tuesday evening from 9:30pm to 11:00pm (Italian time) with the podcast following soon after -- so if you can't catch the live show, you can download the podcast of the show at your leisure.  On the web site, there are always links to topics discussed in the podcasts as well as links to emerging technology and gadgets that might be of interest to you.

The sound quality of the podcast is excellent, and it is a great way to improve your Italian listening skills, learn new words related to technology as well as learn about trends in the world of technology and the web.

Apps for both iOS and Android operating systems are also available so that you can listen to Digitalia on the go -- you can find the links to the apps below.  I can't speak for the Android app, but the iPhone app works great (and is free!), and I always enjoy listening to their podcasts while I work:

http://itunes.apple.com/it/app/digitalia-fm/id334846109?mt=8
http://it.androlib.com/android.application.it-mf-digitalia-pwFw.aspx

Their RSS feed:

http://digitalia.fm/digitalia.xml

Finestre Sull'Arte -- The First Italian Podcast For Art History

One of the things that has made Italy famous over the centuries has been its art, and it would be difficult to find a person who does not know about Michelangelo or the Sistine Chapel or even the Renaissance.

The art of Italy spans centuries: from the Etruscans, Greeks, Ancient Romans, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque...the list goes on and on.  Now you can learn about the various artists and their production from this podcast, Finestre Sull'Arte: il primo podcast per la storia dell'arte.

Currently, there are currently about thirty-nine podcasts, and each podcasts talks about a different Italian artist, some of their most important works as well as other historical information about them.  These podcasts are very informative, entertaining and thought-provoking.  If you're a student of art history, these podcasts can certainly help you improve your art related vocabulary.  Accompanying many of the podcasts are shorts essays/notes (le note) which discuss the artists in greater detail. Reading the nota before you listen can also aid in your understanding in the podcast, especially if listening is still difficult for you.

If you click on the podcast, there are often links to images of the works discussed in the podcasts, and this can be helpful to view as you listen along with the commentary.  There are also links to books on the artists profiled as well as information on exhibitions or places where these works can be seen (NB: a lot of  Italian art resides not in museums but in situ, such as churches, basilicas, cathedrals, chapels, palazzi, or even outdoors in piazzas).

There is also a newsletter, too, which you can subscribe to on their web site.

In 2009, their site/podcasts received second place in the category of "eCulture and Heritage" at the 2009 eContent Award Italy.

Radio24 and L'Altra Europa

I know it's been a while since I updated, but I have some new listening resources that I want to talk about so look for some new posts in the coming weeks!

Many radio programs in Italy take the summer off -- some end in June or July while others stop for Ferragosto. But this program continued through much of August, and it was a fun program to listen to while I traveled around for my own summer vacations.

The program in question is called L'Altra Europa which is produced by Radio24. Radio24 is one of my favorite radio station because a majority of the programs are talk so not only do you get a lot of listening practice you also have the opportunity to learn about what is going on in Italy from a source of news that I would consider to be very balanced.

L'Altra Europa is a program that is hosted by Federico Taddia (he's also co-authored several books, you can see them here) that focuses on what's going on in Europe in the sphere of politics, culture and economics. Recently, Taddia interviewed the author, Claudia Cucchiarato, about her book (I'll be reviewing it on my blog, Italy in Literature, very soon!) on the new wave of Italian emigration. There have also been interviews with Italians living in and around Europe, most recently in Russia, to talk about the fires and heat wave.

The show discusses not only larger issues (such as the deportation of gypsies in France) but also smaller local ones (such as a local Serbian music festival), as well as highlighting and promoting all aspects of European culture. It's a fun show to listen to because of the wide range of guests and the variety of topics discussed.

If you like learning about Europe and European issues, you'll certainly enjoy listening to this show.

Listen to it online or as a podcast!

RAI Radio App for Ipod Touch/Iphone

It's about time that RAI finally came up with an app for their radio content!

I found it in the App Store last night while I was winding down from my long day. The app works pretty well for the most part, and you can listen live to many of RAI's stations (although, I find that live listening works better on ooTunes). The great thing about this app is that is keys you into all the podcasts, allowing you to listen to many of the podcasts on RAI 1, 2 or 3. I'm really impressed with the app (although there is room for improvement!).

Listening to the radio, while it's challenging and difficult for many, is a great way to learn new words and to practice your listening comprehension. The fast pace of speaking takes time to understand, but the more that you practice listening, the better you will be at it.

If you're interested in downloading the app (it's free, by the way), click here.

RAI's smartphone page is here ("Tutta la radio in tasca!").

I wrote a short review of the app on Appolicious -- you can read that by clicking here.

L'Italiano in famiglia

Today, I learned about this Italian resource from the blog, The Smiling Eggplant -- a TV show centered around a family living in Brescia that helps you to learn Italian. It is called "L'Italiano in famiglia," and it follows the daily life of the Frappani family. It was designed to help Italians living in South Africa retain their Italian and most probably was designed for young children or young adults who might lose some of their language skills living in a country where Italian is not the official language.

I listened and watched the latest episode and was pleasantly surprised and impressed. After watching the video, there are exercises, grammar explanations, a listing of some important vocabulary in which you can click the pictures and hear them pronounced (again), games to play to practice the language, as well as a recap of lessons learned from the two teachers, Manuel and Patrizia, which not only will help you learn new words and understand the language better but also understand the key points of the episode watched.

You can also download the episodes as podcasts as well as get a print out of the dialogue.

One of the things that I like most about the site is how well it works. It's a Flash driven site that has pop-ups which contain pdf's and games and other useful tools. Currently, there are 20 episodes! Hopefully, they will be producing more of them!

My own criticism is that sometimes the dialog seemed odd and a bit forced, but if you can get past that little bit of "corniness" of the dialog, it really can be useful in improving your listening comprehension. The actors speak at a fairly slow pace by Italian standards, and even I thought that they spoke slower than normal.

If you use the program, leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Laterza's Podcasts on Italian history and more

If you enjoy history as much as I do or are simply looking for some podcasts in Italian that involve more than just learning grammar, then check out the podcast page from the Italian publishing house, Laterza. They have a wide variety of podcasts about Italian history with many podcasts about the history of Rome, all of which are given by important Italian scholars. The lessons can also be found on Itunes, too.

One of my favorite lessons is on the Fire of Rome during the reign of Nero! With all the different subjects and focuses, you're bound to find something that you like. If ancient Roman history doesn't appeal to you, there are also lessons on more modern topics.

The podcasts are about an hour, some longer, some shorter, and they probably require a fair bit of Italian comprehension to understand them. I advise listening to them in short parts, perhaps 10 minutes at a time and doing your best to understand the gist of what is being said. Try to understand what is being said and do not translate what you're hearing word for word. Focus on understanding, not on translating! If you hear a word you don't know, try writing it down and looking it up later. Stopping and starting the recording to find words will take the fun out of listening.

They also have a range of audiobooks, but they don't allow American customers to purchase at this time.

Improve Your Italian With "Stitcher"

The past two weeks, I've been on vacation, so I've had a lot of free time on my hands to surf the net and fiddle with my Ipod Touch. The other day I looked at it and realized that I didn't have many applications on it - since I use it basically for checking email and listening to music and podcasts. While browsing through the App Store on Itunes, I stumbled across "Stitcher".

I was immediately intrigued and struck by usefulness and potential of the application. I became even more excited about the app when I saw that they also had a desktop version that you can play straight through your browser that syncs up with your app, so as you favorite items in the app, they appear in the desktop browser version, and vice versa.

If you're a frequent reader to my blog(s), you know how much I rate podcasts in learning Italian. For many of us who don't have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in Italy, podcasts can be the next best thing. While at work, doing household chores, shopping, driving around in you car, heading to work in the morning...there's always time to listen to a podcast or two, and listening to the language is important in understanding other, making yourself understood, understanding the grammar and building your vocabulary.

So what does Stitcher do? Stitcher is a very clever podcast aggregator. String together a dozen or so of your favorite podcasts, and you've got yourself you're very own custom made radio station. Each day, the content is refreshed so you don't have to remember to download anything -- it's always "on", either using your Ipod Touch, Iphone, Computer or other portable device (they support many others). As the FAQ on Stitcher says:

Stitcher is your source for portable and personalized news and talk internet radio. From business to tech news, from politics to comedy, we “stitch” the content you want into personalized, always-current stations that you can easily listen to on your iPhone or computer. Each day, the latest segments stream to you automatically, without you having to manually refresh anything. Stitcher lets you hear your world anywhere, anytime, on the go.

Stitcher FAQ

I searched for about a dozen podcasts and found all but one that I regularly listen to. I sent them an email and asked them to add it, and the next afternoon, they emailed me back and told me that it was now there! Wow!

One drawback that I haven't been able to work around is for podcasts that update more than once per day, for example Repubblica TV Audio Podcast -- the only podcast that ever displays is the Newsroom podcast. Perhaps they will address this in future updates. Apart from that, I think that it has exciting possibilities, and it's a great way to keep current with Italian news and programs but also with your language listening skills.

Radio Arlecchino

If you're looking to brush up on your Italian or become more familiar with some of the subtleties of the language, I encourage you to check out Radio Arlecchino. This blog of podcasts contains lessons on specific grammar points in Italian (check out the lesson on the passato prossimo/imperfetto -- it is one of my favorites ones, and you'll learn a lot!).

Radio Arlecchino is a product of the University of Texas at Austin and was developed by their Italian faculty and language assistants. It's a pretty innovative program that hopefully more universities will adapt!

One of the great things about this site is that:

1. You can listen to the mp3 files directly from the site or you can download them to your computer (and put them on your Ipod or other portable music device)
2. There are pdf transcripts and grammar explanations that you can also download

Currently, there are 18 lessons and hopefully in the future there will be more lessons. Test drive the site and practice with some of their podcasts! If you know of any other schools or university that have created something like this, please leave a comment and let us know.

Podcast Profile: Essere e benessere

One of my favorite podcasts that I enjoy listening to every morning on my way to work is the radio program, Essere e benessere (translated as: Being and Wellbeing), with Nicoletta Carbone. The show airs Monday through Friday at 11:00 AM Italian time on Radio24 and typically lasts an hour. If you listen to it live (starting at 10am in London, 5am on the East cost of the USA, 2am on the West coast of the USA), you'll have to bear with the (sometimes entertaining) commercials and traffic reports.

This informative program is a call-in program in which listeners with questions about the current topic call in -- typically it's in reference to a medical/health condition that affects them or someone they know. Callers can phone into the show and ask questions to the guests who are either in the studio with Nicoletta or who call in. Callers also can email or text their message to the show if they can't get through on the lines or don't have the courage to ask their question on live radio.

I think this show is great to practice your Italian with for several reasons:

1. Since the show features guests and listeners (ascoltatori) from all over Italy, you'll run the gamut of accents, giving your ear a good "workout".
2. Radio announcers tend to speak very clearly (although somewhat fast at times) - Nicoletta is easy to listen to
3. The show is informative - each day they cover a different ailment, health concern or health issue; the guests she invites on her show tend to be very well informed and experts in their field. It's also interesting to note the difference in the approaches of health and health care between your own country and Italy.
   

The web site for the show tends to feature additional information if callers and listeners want to learn more information. The show tends to run between 40-50 minutes depending on commercials and other interruptions of the show. The podcast is generally put on the web site quickly after the show, and you'll find you can probably listen to it at your desk when you arrive at work in the morning.

I try to read about the episode on the web site before I listen to it so that I have a better idea of the context of the show. Knowing that the show is about heart problems, skin conditions or athlete's foot certainly helps as you try to comprehend the Italian being spoken.