Italian

Accept the television's invitation at full speed, with the two Italian ways to wave away a thank-you, figurati and ci mancherebbe, and the slang of delight, che figata.

Rehearse for television with Giulia and hear the fillers of real Italian speech, boh, cioe, tipo, insomma, and which of them to leave out when the camera is on.

Take a seat on the train to Milan with a stranger, Lei both ways, and meet your first regional word, sciura, the Milanese signora, explained rather than copied.

Calm your nerves backstage with the host, with mica, the spoken not-at-all, tranquilla, vai sul sicuro and the compliment that gives nothing away, mica male.

Go live on television with the host, greet everyone with buonasera a tutti, say what you are making today, and measure flour the kitchen's way, un casino di farina.

Laugh off a live blunder with the host, with che figuraccia, the -accia ending that makes a thing worse, ridi, and the kind verdict, e andata benissimo lo stesso.

Take Nonna's review of your television night, with the past participle that agrees with the person seen, ti ho vista, ti ho visto, and her exact count of your boh.

Fight over the bill at a Milanese aperitivo with Chiara, with ti offro, pago io, nemmeno per sogno, and the spoken no-way, ma va'.

Buy street food at a Palermo market stall, where che vuoi is a welcome, learn what panelle are, and get the gender of the arancina right for the city you are in.

Take a street food lesson at the Palermo stall, with assaggia, the kitchen's highest praise, e una bomba, and da noi si mangia cosi, the way to say how things are done where you come from.

Lunch at Salvo's family home in Palermo, where a guest is introduced, fed and kept for the night: ti presento, mangia che sei magra, resta a dormire.

Salvo plans an evening out in Palermo and Laura learns that eight o'clock means nine: ci vediamo alle otto, cioe alle nove, tranquilla, nessuno e puntuale.

New Year's Eve at Ciro's family home in Naples, where Laura hears about the dinner, the lentils, the firecrackers and what goes out of the window at midnight.

Ciro's neighbour catches Laura on the landing in Naples and feeds her a second dinner: ue, vieni qua, hai mangiato?, jamme, un assaggio.

Midnight on the roof of Ciro's building in Naples, with Chiara, the firecrackers and the deadpan joke that follows them: buon anno, che spettacolo, siamo vivi.

After dinner in Naples, Ciro tells Laura a bar joke with the frame every Italian joke uses: la sai quella di, allora, e lui risponde.

The morning after, Chiara explains Ciro's pun to Laura and tells her not to translate it: il gioco di parole, in inglese non fa ridere, lascia stare.

Nonna phones Naples to hear Ciro's jokes, dismisses them, and tells one of her own from the old days: te la racconto io, ai miei tempi, ridevamo di niente.

At the vaporetto stop by Venice station, a mask maker tells Laura which boat to take, in Italian with two Venetian words: la linea uno, ocio, da sta parte.

In the mask maker's workshop near San Marco, Laura asks about the bauta and its price the spoken way: fatta a mano, quanto viene, Le faccio uno sconto.

Get into a Carnival costume with Chiara in Venice and hear how Italians say you look great: stai benissimo, sembri una contessa, mi sento ridicola.

Get lost in Venice with Chiara and not mind, with ci siamo perse di nuovo, tanto e bella, chiediamo a qualcuno.

Go to a bacaro with the mask maker and learn the Venetian words for a drink and a snack: un'ombra de vin, cicchetti, bacaro.

Take a late call from Pietro, who is a little jealous, and tease him back: ti diverti senza di me, ma dai, mi manchi pure tu.

Say less than you mean, the Italian way, over a coffee with Chiara: non male, niente di che, mica tanto.

Hear the television host offer you a regular slot, every week from home, and take time to think: una rubrica fissa, ogni settimana, ci pensi.

Turn down the television's offer without closing the door: grazie ma no, il forno non aspetta, magari ogni tanto.

Take your first coffee back at Gino's bar and take his teasing with a smile: la star, sei tornata tra i mortali, offro io.

Hear the slang of the young from Dario in the kitchen, ask what it means, and use it back on him: spacca, e una figata, boh.

Sit down with Nonna Teresa by the fire as she begins the story she never told, the war; the end of Fluency Level One.