Italian for Kids: Astronomy (video)

My daughter Silvia, 7 has found a simple way to explain the basics of the Solar system. Here is a new episode of her video podcast series 'Italian for Kids', for the first time also starring my son Alessio, 4. Enjoy!

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 4.7Mb)

Podcast #15 - Learn Italian with free podcasts

Podcasts are a wonderful way to learn a new language, and luckily there are several good shows that focus on Italian. My favorites are My Daily Phrase Italian and LearnItalianPod. If you own an iPod or other MP3 player, you can take advantage of this medium to listen to Italian conversations while you are driving, commuting to work or just walking your dog.
It's powerful, effective and free.

In this episode, I interviewed Max Braglia, producer of the popular and successful language show LearnItalianPod.
Max shared with me some interesting insights on his podcast, how it all started and how he plans to evolve it in the future. Enjoy!


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(11Mb - 15:37 mins)

Don't miss future podcasts!

Listen to Italian music online

Are you wondering where to find and/or discover new Italian music?
Check out Italia.fm, an aggregator of various Italian private and public radio stations that broadcast music, news and other shows over the web.

How to say Happy Holidays in Italian

How can you say 'Happy Holidays' in Italian? Here are a few words that are commonly used this time around:

Merry Christmas - Buon Natale
Happy Holidays - Buone Feste
Happy New Year - Buon Anno
New Year's eve - Capodanno
Best wishes for 2008 - I migliori auguri per il 2008
Filled with joy and peace - Pieno di gioia e serenita'

Our editorial staff Francesca and Paolo together with our associate podcaster Silvia, 7 (and future talent Alessio, 4) augurano a tutti voi Buone Feste!

Italian for Kids: The Playground (video)

Here is a new episode of the podcast series 'Italian for Kids' hosted by my daughter Silvia, 6. In this show, you'll learn how the different parts of a playground are called in Italian. Enjoy!

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 8.2Mb)
- Zune version (WMV - 6.7Mb)

P.S. If you like this video, please leave her a comment here or on YouTube. She loves feedback!

Italian for kids: Numbers (video)

My daughter Silvia, 6 has just completed a new episode of her podcast series 'Italian for Kids'. In this video, you'll learn how to count from 1 to 10 in Italian.
Thanks to our faithful reader Courtney R. for suggesting this new topic. Enjoy!

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 5Mb)
- Zune version (WMV - 4Mb)

P.S. If you like this video, please leave her a comment here or on YouTube. She loves feedback!

Italian for Kids: Silvia's Activity Pad #1

My daughter Silvia has come up with the idea of creating an activity pad for kids who'd like to learn some basic Italian words as well as some facts about Italy. In this fist edition, she included a picture to color, a matching game and a word search puzzle. It's fun and free!

Download Silvia's Activity Pad #1
(1.1MB PDF - Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Which game do you like the best? Send us your suggestions for upcoming activity pads!

Italian for kids: Colors (video)

My daughter Silvia, 6 has released a new episode of her podcast series 'Italian for Kids'. This video is about naming the colors in Italian. Don't miss her previous show Italy safety tips for kids. Enjoy!

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 5Mb)
- Zune version (WMV - 4Mb)

P.S. If you like this video, please leave her a comment here or on YouTube. She loves feedback!

Goodbye in Italian (video)

Every day, more than a hundred people visit our site to read this short post on How to say Goodbye in Italian. We decided it was time to take this information to the next level and we created this short video about how to greet somebody in Italy. Enjoy!

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 3Mb)
- Zune version (WMV - 2Mb)

P.S. If you like this video, please leave us a comment here or on YouTube. We love feedback!

Italy Safety Tips for Kids (video)

A family trip to Italy is a joyful event. If your kids are as young as mine (3 and 6 years old), then you probably already expect to devote some extra attention to prevent they could get lost in some crowded tourist attraction, market or local event.
I've asked my daughter Silvia to share on camera some tips and simple Italian phrases that your kids may learn ahead of time in order to minimize some of these worries.

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 9Mb)
- Zune version (WMV - 7Mb)

Podcast #1 - Practical tips to travel in Italy with trains

We're happy to announce our first episode of the Italy From The Inside podcast series. In this show we cover:
- Introduction of this podcast series and your host (Paolo)
- A few practical tips to travel in Italy with trains
- Overview of a market research by the Italian Trade Commission
- A two-minute Italian lesson on purchasing a train ticket


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(6Mb -12 mins)

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future shows. Please write to paolo@tosolini.com.

How do you say 'Goodbye' in Italian? Ask Google...

UPDATE: Click here to watch a video on How to say Goodbye in Italian.

Did you ever need to do a quick word translation or a simple currency conversion? Google has been offering for some time a few useful extensions to its Search engine that may just be what you need. Google language tools lets you translate text or entire Web pages in 9 different languages. I tried English to Italian and the results are good for single words, but fairly inaccurate for entire sentences.
The Currency Conversion feature performs quite well. Check out how much is '1 Euro in USD' at today's exchange rate. These services are also available via SMS using your US cell phone.