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READ ITALIAN WITH ME - FRANCESCA

READ ITALIAN WITH ME - FRANCESCA

By: Francesca Rangone
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Summary
 Benvenuti su Read Italian With Me!

Are you learning Italian and looking for a natural way to improve your listening and comprehension skills? You are in the right place!
In this podcast, we read captivating stories in Italian together. Each episode gives you a chance to listen to clear, natural Italian reading, followed by a quick English wrap-up where I share how to download the free PDF from the Read Italian With Me library.

Want to take your learning further? Download the free episode PDF to get the full Italian script, English translation, vocabulary list, and exercises to practice shadowing and boost your speaking skills!
Whether you are an absolute beginner or looking to brush up on your skills, grab a cup of coffee, relax, and let's read Italian together!

New episodes every week. Don't forget to subscribe!Read Italian With Me Language Learning Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • DISCOVER ITALY: IL GUSTO DEI BORGHI #5 OSTANA

    DISCOVER ITALY: IL GUSTO DEI BORGHI #5 OSTANA
    20 Oct 2026
    (00:00:00) Intro in English
    (00:00:46) Ostana - il sapore della rinascita
    (00:03:23) Parte 2 - le parole che restano
    (00:05:09) Premio Ostana – scritture in lingua madre
    (00:06:30) La sera - polenta di patate con toma d'alpe
    (00:10:00) Outro in English


    IL GUSTO DEI BORGHI — Ostana: Il sapore della rinascita - Learn Italian Through Stories

    What can a small Italian mountain village teach us about language, tradition and the courage to begin again?
    In this episode of Il gusto dei borghi, discover Ostana, a tiny village at the foot of Monviso, in Piedmont, northern Italy. Through an Italian listening story, explore a place that has found new life by preserving its traditional architecture, cultural identity, and local language.
    Walk through the historic hamlets of La Ruà, Miribrart and San Bernardo, discover the Centro Lou Pourtou and learn about the Premio Ostana – Scritture in lingua madre, dedicated to authors who write in minority languages.
    The journey also takes you to a mountain table, where polenta di patate con toma d’alpe tells a story of local ingredients, mountain life and seasonal traditions.
    At the heart of this episode is one Italian word: rinascere — to be reborn, to begin again.

    What will you discover in this episode?
    • Ostana and its remarkable story of renewal
    • Monviso and the mountain landscapes of Piedmont
    • Traditional stone houses, wooden structures and tetti di lose
    • Occitan and the importance of keeping minority languages alive
    • Mountain food, including potato polenta and toma cheese
    • The connection between language, cultural heritage and community
    Learn Italian through stories
    This episode is designed for learners who want to improve their Italian listening comprehension while discovering authentic Italian places, food and culture.
    Listen to Italian in context, follow a story at a natural pace, and discover vocabulary connected with villages, mountains, traditions, architecture and everyday life. You can adjust the playback speed in your podcast app.
    Useful Italian word:
    rinascere — to be reborn; to come back to life. Questions about Ostana and Italian culture.

    Where is Ostana in Italy?
    Ostana is a mountain village in Piedmont, at the foot of Monviso. What makes Ostana special? Its story of renewal connects the restoration of traditional houses with the preservation of local identity and language.
    What is Occitan?
    It is a language spoken in several regions, including parts of the Alpine area. In this story, it represents an important part of Ostana’s cultural heritage. How can I learn Italian through this episode? Listen to the story, notice how words are used in context, and revisit the passages you find challenging.
    Continue learning with Read Italian With Me. Get the free Italian script, vocabulary, and exercises in the Read Italian With Me Library. Find the link in the description.
    Explore Italy, one village at a time — and learn Italian through the stories that bring its places to life. #LearnItalian #ItalianListening #LearnItalianThroughStories #ItalianPodcast #ItalianCulture #Ostana #Monviso #Piedmont #Piemonte #Occitan #ItalianFood #ItalianVillages

    Get the Free Read Italian With Me Library

    Download the free episode PDF from the Read Italian With Me library to access
    1. the full Italian script,
    2. English translation,
    3. vocabulary list,
    4. and exercises!
    Show more Show less
    11 mins
  • #4 NEIVE SHADOWING READ ITALIAN WITH ME

    #4 NEIVE SHADOWING READ ITALIAN WITH ME
    8 Oct 2026
    (00:00:00) Intro in English (00:01:59) PART 1: LISTEN AND REPEAT - 1. I LUOGHI CHE SI RICORDANO (00:03:43) 2. UN GESTO SEMPLICE (00:04:38) 3. LE COLLINE ILLUMINATE (00:06:21) PART 2: PRONUNCIATION & RHYTHM (00:09:51) PART 3: LISTEN, REPEAT, REMEMBER (00:10:01) 4. IL MUSEO DELLA DONNA SELVATICA (00:10:49) 5. LE BOTTIGLIE DI ROMANO LEVI (00:12:14) 6. L'AUTENTICITÀ (00:13:10) PART 4: THE TABLE OF THE VILLAGE - 7. GLI AGNOLOTTI AL PLIN (00:14:29) 8. UN PIZZICO RIPETUTO (00:15:23) PART 5 — SPEAKING WITH THE STORY (00:15:39) Challenge 1 (00:16:28) Challenge 2 (00:17:37) PART 6: GUIDED SHADOWING (00:19:29) PART 7: THE FINAL SHADOWING (00:20:37) PART 8: FINAL CHALLENGE (00:21:38) OUTRO IN ENGLISH PRACTICE ITALIAN — Shadowing & Listening from the Story: NeiveWant to improve your Italian listening, speaking, pronunciation, and rhythm?In this episode of Practice Italian, we return to the story Neive - Il sapore del gesto, set in Neive, in the Langhe, Piedmont, northern Italy. But this time, we are not simply listening to the story. We are using it to practise speaking Italian out loud through listening, repetition, pronunciation, memory, and shadowing.What is Italian shadowing?Italian shadowing is a speaking practice technique where you listen to a speaker and speak along with their voice. You don't need to translate every word or speak perfectly. The goal is to train your ear and your mouth to follow the sound, rhythm, pronunciation, and melody of Italian.In this episode, you'll gradually move from listening and repeating individual sentences to guided shadowing and final blind-style practice, using sentences from the Neive story.What will you practise?The episode follows a progressive listening and speaking practice:Listen and Repeat — hear Italian sentences and repeat them aloudPronunciation & Rhythm — practise longer sentences and natural Italian flowListen, Repeat & Remember — work with sentences from the story without relying only on the textUseful Italian vocabulary — practise language connected with villages, vineyards, food and traditionsSpeaking with the Story — complete and reproduce sentences from memoryGuided Shadowing — speak at the same time as the speakerFinal Shadowing — follow the rhythm and melody of Italian through the central ideas of the storyWhat Italian will you hear?The practice sentences come directly from the story of Neive, including language connected with: the Langhe, vineyards, wine, Italian villages, traditional food, handmade pasta, gestures, traditions and cultural heritage.You'll also practise expressions such as:Ci sono luoghi che si ricordano per un gesto. Un gesto semplice. Ripetuto migliaia di volte.Le colline delle Langhe erano illuminate...Gli agnolotti al plin.Un pizzico leggero. Le Langhe non vivono soltanto nei loro paesaggi. Vivono nei gesti.The episode also draws attention to useful Italian structures and pronunciation, including si ricordano, gerund forms such as rimbalzando, and the Piedmontese word plin.How should you use this Italian shadowing episode?For best practice:Listen: hear the complete sentence and notice its rhythm. Repeat: say the sentence aloud after the speaker.Shadow: speak at the same time as the speaker and follow the flow of the Italian. You don't need to catch every word. If you fall behind, keep going. The goal is to become more comfortable speaking Italian through imitation and repetition, not to produce a perfect translation.For an extra challenge, listen to the episode three times:First: listen.Second: repeat every sentence aloud.Third: shadow the speaker from beginning to end.Learn Italian through Neive and the Langhe. This episode uses the story of Neive as a practical context for Italian listening and speaking. Neive, in the Langhe of Piedmont, provides the vocabulary and imagery: vineyards, autumn landscapes, traditional food, agnolotti al plin, handmade labels, and the gestures through which traditions are passed from one generation to another.If you want extra support, the free Read Italian With Me Library includes the full Italian script, vocabulary, and exercises based on the story.Haven't listened to the complete story yet?Start with Il gusto dei borghi - Neive: il sapore del gesto, then come back to this episode and practise the Italian you have heard. Listen. Repeat. Shadow. Speak Italian.Read Italian With Me: practice Italian through stories, places, and real Italian rhythm.#LearnItalian #ItalianShadowing #ItalianListening #PracticeItalian #SpeakItalian #ItalianPronunciation #ItalianPodcast #Neive #Langhe #Piedmont #Piemonte #Italy #ItalianCulture #ItalianFoodGet the Free Read Italian With Me LibraryDownload the free episode PDF from the Read Italian With Me library to accessthe full Italian script,English translation,vocabulary list,and exercises!
    Show more Show less
    23 mins
  • DISCOVER ITALY: IL GUSTO DEI BORGHI #4 NEIVE

    DISCOVER ITALY: IL GUSTO DEI BORGHI #4 NEIVE
    7 Oct 2026
    (00:00:00) Intro in English
    (00:00:57) Neive - il sapore del gesto
    (00:03:05) Le mani che raccontano
    (00:04:03) Il museo della Donna Selvatica
    (00:06:27) Gli agnolotti al 'plin'
    (00:09:51) Outro in English

    IL GUSTO DEI BORGHI — Episodio 4: Neive: il sapore del gesto

    What can a simple gesture tell us about Italian culture?
    In this episode of Il gusto dei borghi, we travel to Neive, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, in the heart of the Langhe, Piedmont, northern Italy. Here, tradition lives in the hands of the people who work the vineyards, prepare fresh pasta, make wine, and preserve local crafts and recipes.
    This is a story about Neive, the Langhe, Italian food, wine, traditional crafts and the small gestures that carry cultural memory from one generation to the next.
    What will you discover in Neive?
    The story takes you through the medieval village and the surrounding Langhe landscape, with its vineyards, historic buildings, local food and traditions.

    You'll discover:
    • Neive and the Langhe in Piedmont
    • The village's historic streets and Piazza Italia
    • The Museo della Donna Selvatica
    • The handmade labels created by Romano Levi
    • The tradition of vineyards and the autumn grape harvest
    • Agnolotti al plin, a traditional Piedmontese pasta
    • The meaning of plin, a small pinch used to close the pasta
    • Local wine and the connection between food, land and tradition
    • The idea of the gesto — the gesture — as a way of preserving cultural memory
    Why is the gesture important?
    In Neive, traditions are not preserved only in books or museums. They live in repeated actions: hands that work the vineyards, hands that harvest grapes, hands that make pasta, and hands that create something with patience and care.
    The central idea of this episode is simple: traditions live through gestures. A small movement, repeated thousands of times, can become part of the identity of an entire place.
    Learn Italian through stories - Read Italian With Me uses stories about Italian villages, food, landscapes, and culture to help you discover Italian while listening to authentic, descriptive storytelling.
    This episode gives you exposure to Italian vocabulary connected with: villages, vineyards, wine, food, pasta, traditions, crafts, landscapes, and cultural heritage.
    The story is read at a natural pace. If you prefer to listen more slowly, you can adjust the playback speed in your podcast or YouTube app.

    If you want additional support, the free Read Italian With Me Library includes the Italian script, vocabulary, and exercises based on this story.
    What is Neive known for?
    Neive is presented in this story through its Langhe landscape, vineyards, wine culture, traditional food, historic village, and handmade traditions. The story connects these elements through one central idea: gesto. Because some traditions survive not because they are written down, but because someone continues to perform the same gesture with care.

    🎧 Listen to the story of Neive and discover Italy one village at a time.

    Read Italian With Me — Il gusto dei borghi: where every village has a story, and every story has a taste.


    #LearnItalian #ItalianPodcast #ItalianStories #ItalianListening #Neive #Langhe #Piedmont #Piemonte #Italy #ItalianCulture #ItalianFood #ItalianTraditions

    Get the Free Read Italian With Me Library

    Download the free episode PDF from the Read Italian With Me library to access
    1. the full Italian script,
    2. English translation,
    3. vocabulary list,
    4. and exercises!
    Show more Show less
    11 mins
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