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If you’re planning on mastering Italian this year, you’ll need to rely on the most useful resources available on the web. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of the best Italian courses online.
You’ll see there’s a good mix of free tools, courses specifically targeting newcomers, and alternatives for those of you who might be struggling with spoken Italian. I’m positive this post will leave you with a total of zero excuses for postponing your Italian studies for another year!
Why learn Italian with online courses?
A great advantage of online Italian courses is that they don’t follow a formula. You’ll find both more structured ones that use a time-tested method, such as Pimsleur, and those with a gamified interface like Mondly.
In addition, there’s the possibility of hiring a private tutor on platforms like italki, Preply and Lingoda, where teachers will develop a learning path that suits your specific needs.
What’s more, you don’t necessarily need to invest in a course if that’s not a priority right now. Countless free resources are available on the web for you to learn Italian wherever and whenever you want.
Speaking of which, convenience is another benefit of Italian courses online. Yet if you need to stick to a more strict schedule to stay motivated, you can also set a specific time for your lessons every week. Flexibility is key here.
Finally, an Italian language course online is an engaging and interactive way of studying Italian. You’ll never get sick of taking in new words, absorbing new concepts, and working on your speaking skills.
Best Italian courses online for beginners
1. Mondly
Mondly focuses on the essential vocabulary you’ll have to master to learn basic Italian. At the end of every lesson, a recap will help you absorb the new words and phrases. What’s even better is that it releases quizzes, exercises, and lessons almost daily.
We reviewed Mondly here to help you decide before you sign up.
Mondly is best for:
- The fun and interactive interface;
- The vocab-packed lessons;
- Setting the app to your native language to learn Italian.
Pricing: $47.99 a year (which is impossible to beat) or $9.99 a month. Snatch a deal here.
2. Rocket Languages
Learn Italian on Rocket Languages
Rocket Italian’s learning path is made up of 30-minute audio lessons, which is ideal if you can’t afford the time to sit through a longer lesson.
Its 140 class hours will take you all the way to intermediate Italian through vocabulary, flashcards, grammar and culture materials, and tons of exercises.
Here’s a review of Rocket Languages for more info.
Rocket Languages is best for:
- Students who learn more easily through audio input;
- Those who are approaching Italian for the first time;
- A great content mix that includes both vocabulary and culture-oriented lessons.
Pricing: Module 1, which is introductory, is free. To gain access to the rest of the course, Rocket will charge you $27 a month for six months $149.95 (one-off). Check out all the options here.
3. Rosetta Stone
Learn Italian on Rosetta Stone
Learning Italian through multimedia content and at your own pace sounds like a win-win to me. If you agree with that, then Rosetta Stone is the perfect Italian language course online for you.
Two other advantages are the speech recognition tool, which helps you practice pronunciation, and the valuable feedback you’ll receive as you progress.
Rosetta Stone is best for:
- Getting feedback on your pronunciation through a state-of-the-art engine;
- Learning Italian in context;
- Setting up your own study plan.
Pricing: A three-month plan costs $35.97. You can look for discounts here.
4. Cudoo
If you want to learn Italian for personal or professional reasons, Cudoo is worth considering. This online learning platform offers different levels of Italian courses, from beginner to advanced.
Level 1 starts with the basics of Italian grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. You will also learn useful phrases for everyday situations, such as greetings, introductions, and asking for directions. On later levels, you can expand your Italian vocabulary and learn more complex sentence structures.
Cudoo also offers specialized courses in Italian for business, retail, and hospitality. This is ideal if you want to learn how to communicate effectively with customers, colleagues, and partners. The best part? These courses are self-paced! Plus, you earn a certificate for each completed course.
Cudoo is best for:
- Learners looking for a convenient and flexible way to learn Italian
- Those with no Italian background
- Learning Italian vocabulary and simple grammar structures
Pricing: $12.99 per course. Check out discounts here.
5. Bravolol
Trust Bravolol’s native parrot to teach you key Italian expressions and grammar concepts. While you’ll need more advanced resources when you reach the intermediate level, this is a wonderful choice if you’re planning to travel to Italy soon.
Plus, you can download every single lesson to watch it offline and use the app’s built-in dictionary. For a smoother experience, you can opt into the paid version and get rid of ads.
Bravolol is best for:
- Getting to access materials without an internet connection;
- Extra tools like a built-in dictionary and audio clips for each lesson;
- The structuring of vocab lists around topics of interest.
Pricing: Free, or $4.99 for the ad-free version
6. Complete Italian Course: Learn Italian for Beginners
Udemy features 200,000 courses on any topic you may think of. This one, through 39 hours of video content, will teach you how to greet, count, buy groceries, and other things you’re expected to know for essential communication in Italian.
In the process, you’ll learn more than 1,000 words and master the language’s pronunciation keys.
Complete Italian Course is best for:
- Taking in 1,000+ Italian words;
- Speaking basic Italian;
- Counting on outstanding support from course developers.
Pricing: Normally $69.99, though discounts of up to 80% are common.
Best Italian courses online to hone listening and speaking skills
7. Pimsleur
Pimleur’s method, which ensures you’ll transfer any new content into your long-term memory, has been effective for 60 years. The course will introduce you to a set of words at regular intervals through 30-minute audio lessons. Reading activities, flashcards, and quizzes seamlessly match the audio content.
Check out this in-depth Pimsleur review for more details.
Pimsleur is best for:
- Studying on the go;
- Working on your listening and speaking skills
- Expanding your vocabulary through repetition.
Pricing: The audio-only subscription sells for $14.95 a month, whereas the premium plan comes to $19.95 per month. With one extra buck, you gain complete access to all materials. Start your full access, 7-day free trial.
8. Preply
After finding a tutor on Preply, you’ll get a trial lesson with them. If you two are on the same wavelength, you can agree on 5, 10, 15, or 20 hours’ worth of lessons to study Italian together.
The app’s fantastic search engine lets you narrow results down by their specialties (e.g. business Italian or Italian literature). Alternatively, you can post an ad and wait for someone that matches your criteria to apply.
Preply is best for:
- Choosing between a structured learning path or a custom-made method;
- The 1,000+ Italian teachers working on the platform;
- Top-notch customer support.
Pricing: Each teacher sets their own rates, which typically run from $15 to $30. Find Preply discounts here.
9. italki
italki relies on 100,000 professionals to teach all major languages on Earth, including around 1,000 Italian tutors. The no. 1 platform connecting teachers to students offers trial lessons to guarantee you and the teacher you’ve picked through its superb search tool are actually a good match.
Here’s a walkthrough of italki if you’re on the fence.
italki is best for:
- Its glitch-free and user-friendly interface;
- How easy it is to find the right tutor for you;
- Both newcomers and advanced learners.
Pricing: You can expect most tutors to charge from $10 to $20 per hour. Connect with a teacher right now!
10. AmazingTalker
Find Italian tutors on AmazingTalker
AmazingTalker is one of the top apps to find Italian tutors online, despite not being as famous as say, italki or Preply. Its search tool is extremely efficient, and it’s also equipped with an automated quiz that’ll match you to the best tutor according to your needs.
AmazingTalker is best for:
- The excellent deals on first lessons and packages;
- The completeness of tutors’ profiles;
- Having a clear idea of teachers’ availability.
Pricing: On average, one-hour sessions cost between $10 and $30, but you’ll be given a discount on packages with 20 lessons or more.
11. Lingoda
Lingoda has live online classes running 24/7, so, whenever the urge to hablar strikes, you can jump into a lesson. The cool thing is they get you chatting in Italian right from the get-go, and you get to either learn one-on-one with a private teacher for super focused attention or join a small group of 3 to 5 other learners for a more social classroom feel.
Lingoda is best for:
- Its flexible learning options;
- Round-the-clock live classes;
- Emphasis on speaking.
Pricing: Private classes start from $22.99/class while group classes cost at least $10.99/class. Find Lingoda discounts here.
12. FluentU
FluentU has developed an alternative approach by which a wide selection of videos teaches you Italian in context. While these videos are interesting and informative, they’re complemented by written lessons and quizzes so you’ll properly learn grammar as well.
FluentU is best for:
- Its unique approach to language learning;
- Relying on engaging multimedia content to learn;
- Its focus on how Italians actually talk.
Pricing: After a two-week trial, you can pick between monthly or annual billing for $30 and $240, respectively. Check promos here.
13. Lingopie
Lingopie is another “edutainment” option if you thrive in non-structured learning environments.
You can choose from a collection of compelling Italian TV shows and movies from Italian network Rai and Netflix. Watch and learn new words and phrases by clicking on the subtitles or following along the transcripts. You can also save words into flashcards and review them later!
Lingopie is best for:
- Learning Italian through entertainment;
- Gaining real-life, up-to-date vocabulary;
- Hearing native pronunciation and accents.
Pricing: After a 7-day free trial, you can sign up for as low as $5.99/month on the annual plan. Check out the latest Lingopie promo here.
14. MosaLingua
MosaLingua uses its own method to help learners memorize vocabulary, which can be really useful for students struggling with that. Its content mix spans audio clips, flashcards, dialogues, and old-school grammar lessons.
Plus, MosaLingua offers a certificate of achievement upon completion of the course.
MosaLingua is best for:
- Having fun as you study;
- Learning with multimedia content;
- Asking questions to native teachers.
Pricing: MosaLingua Premium costs $59.90 a year, following a two-week trial.
15. LingQ
LingQ boasts no less than 1,00 hours of podcasts and videos that are accompanied by matching transcripts. On top of that, users can ask questions directly to tutors, which is not something you’ll find easily.
Its content-packed library has videos on all sorts of interesting topics so you’ll have fun as you learn.
LingQ is best for:
- Interacting with the website’s community on forums and blogs;
- Diving into Italian culture;
- Keeping up with the news while studying Italian.
Pricing: Plans vary between $12.99 and $39.99/month depending on the features.
Free Italian courses online
16. Alison
One of the best platforms for free Italian courses is Alison. This site offers courses in three skill levels and covers topics such as greetings, numbers, colors, alphabet, verbs, sentences, vocabulary, and grammar. You will also learn some cultural aspects of Italy, such as food and drink, festivals, and traditions.
Alison’s Italian courses are video-based. You will watch videos that explain the Italian language and culture, and practice what you have learned with exercises and quizzes. Native speakers pronounce the words and phrases, so you hear authentic accents. You can repeat after them to improve your pronunciation and listening skills.
Aside from being self-paced, these courses are also accessible anytime and on any device. When you complete a course, you can also purchase a certificate of completion that you can download or print.
Alison is best for:
- Learners on a limited budget but looking for quality courses
- Those who prefer self-paced video lessons
- Learning from native speakers
Pricing: Free but certificates have to be purchased. Start learning Italian on Alison now!
17. edX Italian Language and Culture
Put together by Harvard and MIT, edX is one of the top online course providers worldwide. With this Italian Language and Culture path offered by it, you’ll have the chance to learn basic Italian through 40+ hours’ worth of podcasts, videos, grammar charts, exercises, and more.
On top of that, you’ll only need to pay to earn the certificate of achievement.
edX Italian Language and Culture is best for:
- Not neglecting any aspect of the language;
- Relying on multiple resources, from podcasts to videos;
- Absolute beginners.
Pricing: Free, or $50 for unlimited access to course materials and a certificate upon conclusion
18. FSI Italian Language Courses
FSI, developed by language learner and software engineer Darren Kenny, offers over 35 hours of Italian audio lessons (plus other languages) for free. Lessons are accompanied by hundreds of pages of written material, which spans dialogues, a glossary, and notes on Italian culture.
Kenny has divided lessons into three separate learning paths and is constantly upgrading them. User contributions are welcome as well.
FSI Italian Language Courses is best for:
- Being able to communicate in Italian fast;
- Studying Italian for free;
- Developing solid grammar knowledge.
19. ItalianPod101
Learn Italian on ItalianPod101
ItalianPod101.com is a paid platform featuring slideshows, flashcards, quizzes, and more. Its YouTube channel, in turn, has hundreds of fully engaging videos that you can watch for free to learn Italian.
Content focuses on everything you may need to achieve fluency, from filler words to verb conjugation and from ordering food to pronunciation tips.
ItalianPod101 is best for:
- Its dynamic approach to language teaching;
- The complementary materials, which are available for a small fee;
- Discovering Italian culture along the way.
Pricing: The YouTube course is free. Monthly subscriptions to the website range between $8.00 and $47.00. Longer plans are available too.
20. Language Transfer
Learn Italian on Language Transfer
Language Transfer features 45 short audio lessons that range between 5 and 12 minutes. The course revolves mostly around basic grammar, though also there’s plenty of useful vocabulary.
LT’s convenience factor is quite unrivaled. What’s more, lessons are entirely in English so you won’t miss a single concept as you go.
Language Transfer is best for:
- Working on your listening skills;
- Learners who count on other resources as well;
- Bridging the gap between basic and intermediate Italian.
21. Nemo Italian
Nemo isn’t the most comprehensive language learning tool on the web, but it’s a marvelous complementary resource if you already use more thorough apps, websites, and books to learn Italian.
It features hundreds of essential words and phrases that are pronounced by a native speaker and translated into English. Better yet, you’ll be able to practice them through lots of exercises and skip the ones you don’t think are that useful.
Nemo Italian is best for:
- Learning key phrases and words;
- Practicing pronunciation with the matching audio clips;
- Having an extra tool to study Italian with.
22. Online Italian Club
Like Nemo, the Online Italian Club can’t be used as a standalone Italian course. Still, it’s among the coolest free resources on the web because it features exercises that go from elementary (A1) to degree (C2) level.
Activities don’t leave out a single part of the language. You’ll work on grammar, listening, conversation, vocabulary, verbs, and reading with OIC.
Online Italian Club is best for:
- Beginners to advanced learners;
- Practicing after regular lessons;
- Expanding your vocabulary and memorizing grammar concepts.
Wrap-up
When you’re truly committed to learning Italian, you might be able to work a miracle with subpar learning tools.
Why would you push your luck, though, if you can easily take comprehensive and time-tested Italian courses online — and not spend a penny if you don’t feel like it?
All it takes to pick the right course for you is knowing your learning style and assessing which of the options above best suits your needs.
Best Italian courses online – Pin it!
