Passaparola

Passaparola is an initiative of Beppe Grillo and Marco Travaglio. Each week starting at 2pm Italian time, Marco Travaglio talks about the political situation in Italy. Travaglio and Grillo are two of the harshest critics (and rightly so) of the Italian political class and the Italian government which borders at times on the ineffectual. Travaglio is one of Italy's most celebrated journalists. He made waves a few months ago on the program Che tempo che fa, and it seems that now he has his own program hosted online.

Right now, the transmission is on break for the summer holidays but plans to return in September.

The good thing about these podcasts are:

1. You can watch the videos anytime you want as a podcast through Itunes or you RSS feed reader.
2. All of the podcasts feature subtitles so if you don't understand something, you can read as you follow along with Signor Travaglio while he talks. You can also follow along with the transcript of the video if you have trouble seeing the subtitles.

I recommend this program/video because it gives you a look into the Italian political situation. Travaglio is known for his honest journalism and straight talk. And now you can practice your Italian while learning something important about Italian culture at the same time.

Alberto Moravia's 'Gli Indifferenti'

A great way to practice your listening and reading skills is to read books in Italian while you follow along with the speaker. Last year, Bompiani released Alberto Moravia's Gli indifferenti with a reading by Toni Servillo of one of Moravia's greatest works. This book includes six CD's and a complete reading of the work -- now you can read and listen to this great work. Practice and follow along with the book or listen to the CD's on their own.

If you already have a copy of the work, you can listen to the reading from RAI's Terzo Anello.

Reading along or listening on your own is an excellent way to improve your ear.

Questa casa non è un albergo

If you have children or enjoy listening and learning about family matters, dealing with your children's problems and general advice on getting along at home, then you will enjoy this podcast, Questa casa non è un albergo.

Hosted on Radio24 by Nicoletta Carbone and Alberto Pellai, this show can be heard live every Saturday at 2pm, or you can pick up the episode later as a podcast. Each week the presenters discuss various topics all of which revolve around family life, children's issues, and other matters relating to the home and family.

The program generally last just under an hour and features guests who range from authors on child psychology, psychologists, teachers and other competent professionals. The show generally has a light atmosphere and often times callers are encouraged to call in with concerns and questions which help provide further content for the show.

I enjoy this show immensely as it can be fun and humorous while at the same time addressing serious topics. Like most podcasts, it generally requires a pretty decent level of Italian. The show also has substantial archives of episodes from past years.

Exit with Ilaria D'Amico

Exit, a program of La7, is a great way to give your ears a workout.

Exit is a current affairs program hosted by Ilaria D'Amico. The show tackles current events and the guests typically are well-placed officials and persons in Italian society. The show brings together guests who take different stands on certain issues, and then questions are posed and discussion ensues.

I really enjoy this program because it touches upon some really hotbed issues facing Italy -- trash concerns of Naples, food safety, immigration, politics...among many others. Many of the past episodes can be viewed online, and Exit also has a blog where you can leave comments after watching an episode.

You also get a good mix of accents and ways of speaking, and it's a great way to learn new words. This is a great program for the Italian learner at any level and an even better way to stay connected to Italian current events and culture.

Improving Your Italian With Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to improve your Italian because you can take them with you when you leave your house and listen to them. I drive a lot to and from work so I can plug my Ipod (or any other mp3 player) into the car and listen to them through my car's sound system. Or if you're like a lot of people, you take a lot of public transport. You can listen to them to help pass the time. Or you could also listen at your desk at work. There's lots of ways to listen to podcasts. Just remember that you don't need an Ipod or any other mp3 device to listen to them. You can even listen to them on your own computer. Some programs can even burn them to a CD so that you can listen to them in a regular CD player on your computer, car or CD player.

I like to classify podcasts into two types:

1. educational/teaching podcasts
   
   
2. other

Educational/teaching podcasts are podcasts in which you learn a particular something about Italian. It could be a lesson or a grammar point illustrated with the podcast. One of my favorite sites for learning Italian on the go is Learnitalianpod.com. This site has tons of podcasts which feature a beginner's program, intermediate program as well as advanced lessons and audio phrasebooks. They also have a supplement to their podcasts where for a small fee you can have access to the audio transcripts, exercises and more. I find their site to be very comprehensive, and I listen to their podcasts all the time, especially when I'm at work.

The other is everything else and mostly includes previously aired Italian radio or television programs. This is a great way to keep in touch with Italian news and culture. You can see a list of various programs and offerings in the list of podcast links. If you're looking for a podcast that will keep you in the know, check out one of my favorite radio programs, Radio Anch'io, which is produced by RAI. Radio Anch'io is an audio program where issues in Italy are discussed and then people can call in and their reactions are then responded to by experts or people familiar with a particular area or problem.