12 best online Italian courses in 2024
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- Preply: Best for personalized learning
- Italiano per Stranieri (Italian for Foreigners): Best budget
- FutureLearn with UniStraSi: Best for basic conversation skills
- Scuola Leonardo da Vinci: Best online group classes
- Italiano Automatico (Automatic Italian): Best video and audio lessons
- One World Online School: Best for certification exam preparation
- ItalianPod101: Best for listening
- Rocket Italian: Best lifetime access
- edX with Wellesley College: Best for college-level learning
- ALMA.tv: Best for culture
- Glossika Italian: Best for Romance language speakers
- The Mimic Method: Best for pronunciation
- Comparison of the best online Italian courses
- Find the best online Italian course for your goals
Italian is a melodic language often associated with “la dolce vita,” the good life. And not without reason: Italy is one of the most visited countries in the world, both for its architectural and gastronomic wonders and the great opportunities in markets such as fashion, crafts, and luxury goods.
If studying Italian in Italy is not an option, one of the many online Italian courses available can help. Unlike traditional language schools, online Italian courses give you the freedom to learn whenever and wherever you want. This is an excellent option if you work or go to school full-time but want to learn a new language to advance your career.
This list of the best online Italian courses will jumpstart your learning journey. You’ll also find all the essential information to find the right course for your learning style and language goals.
Preply: Best for personalized learning
- Best use cases: Personalized 1-on-1 classes with native speakers and learning vocabulary through a mobile app
- Pricing: $5-50/hour, varying by tutor
Language study resources are helpful, but having a private tutor dedicated exclusively to you can make all the difference in learning a language. That’s why the best option for taking 1-on-1 online Italian classes is Preply, a global platform for learning languages online to make Italian learning more accessible and effective for everyone.
Preply starts with a questionnaire that asks about your goals, level, and schedule, then suggests relevant tutors to save time. From there, you can filter tutors by price, availability, and country of origin. Then you’ll have a 25-minute or 50-minute trial lesson, where you can decide if you want to stay with that tutor or try working with someone else. Once you find a tutor you like, you’ll sign up for a subscription, which helps you stay committed to learning the language.
Working with a private tutor allows you to actively practice listening and speaking and get answers to your questions about Italian grammar, vocabulary, and more. You’ll also get personalized feedback on your writing and pronunciation from your tutor so you can correct your mistakes immediately.
With over 1,500 online Italian tutors to choose from, you can easily find someone who can work with your busy schedule. Finding a private tutor starts with filtering your options based on your schedule and budget. Once you meet with your tutor, you’ll agree on a study plan to reach your goal at your own pace.
Pros
- Personalized lesson plans that help busy working professionals grow their careers
- Online library of practice exercises, courses, and conversation starters
- Vocabulary study tools available in the mobile app (iOS and Android)
Cons
- No standard curriculum
- Live video lessons require a strong internet connection
Italiano per Stranieri (Italian for Foreigners): Best budget
- Best use cases: Beginners with a limited budget
- Pricing: Free
Created by RAI, one of the biggest Italian radio and television broadcasters, RaiScuola is an educational program in both Italian and English. The online course Italiano per Stranieri (Italian for Foreigners) is a basic introduction to the Italian language and culture.
The course is divided into four levels (A1, A2, B1, and B2), each comprising about 15 units. Each unit contains short videos with conversations and scenes from daily life, with a transcript at the bottom of the page. Grammar exercises, in-depth columns, a list of useful words, and visual vocabulary complete the picture.
Pros
- Comprehensive course from beginner to intermediate
- Completely free
Cons
- Older videos with low-quality audio
FutureLearn with UniStraSi: Best for basic conversation skills
- Best use cases: Learning basic conversation skills
- Pricing:
Free access for 6 weeks
$129 for lifetime access
FutureLearn is a global platform that contains hundreds of online courses taught by universities and industry experts from around the world. This online Italian course was created in collaboration with the University for Foreigners of Siena (UniStraSi), which specializes in teaching Italian as a foreign language.
Introduction to Italian is the ideal course if you’re new to the Italian language and want to learn the basics from a linguistic and cultural perspective. The six-week course is designed to take just three hours per week. The curriculum focuses on helping you develop your listening and speaking skills for everyday conversations.
Each unit contains video lessons, audio recordings, long-form articles, and quizzes you can complete independently. You’ll learn how to:
- Introduce yourself
- Answer simple questions
- Ask for information
- Talk about interests like food and clothes
FutureLearn also has a dedicated forum for the course where you can connect with teachers and other students. It transforms this free course into a powerful social learning experience.
Pros
- Course taught by one of the most renowned Italian universities
- Powerful social learning experience where you can interact with your peers and teachers
Cons
- Certification requires a paid subscription
- No option to slow down videos
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci: Best online group classes
- Best use cases: Live online group classes with an instructor
- Pricing:
€150/week for intensive group classes
€290 for 8-week part-time courses
€190 for 5 private lessons
Suppose you want to take online Italian lessons based on a more traditional approach with a language teacher and other students. In that case, Scuola Leonardo da Vinci is for you.
Course options include:
- Intensive group courses for total immersion in language and culture
- Part-time courses that are more flexible for busy schedules
- Private lessons with tailored language instruction up to Level C2
Virtual classes consist of a maximum of 14 students so the teacher can help each person with care and attention. Your instructor will provide free digital materials to help you succeed in the course. You will also have free access to the Google Classroom platform with in-depth and review exercises.
Pros
- Small group classes with Italian learners from around the world
- All teachers are native Italian speakers for complete immersion in the culture and lifestyle
Cons
- Class schedule based on Central European time zone
- Live video lessons require a strong internet connection
Italiano Automatico (Automatic Italian): Best video and audio lessons
- Best use cases: Video and audio lessons from a native Italian speaker
- Pricing: €67 to €247, depending on the course
Created by Alberto Arrighini, a native speaker from Brescia in northern Italy, Italiano Automatico (Automatic Italian) offers a series of online Italian courses for every level, from absolute beginner to advanced. The curriculum is designed for 45 to 60 minutes of study time daily, so it’s easy to fit into a busy work schedule.
Online courses include audio and video lessons with fast and slow versions of every audio recording to improve your listening skills. Many courses are also translated into English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Alberto also has a YouTube channel, Impara l’Italiano con Italiano Automatico, with videos that focus on “il metodo naturale” (the natural method) to train your listening skills. His funny videos cover his life in Italy and often involve some of the people in his family, such as his beloved grandmother, Elide.
Pros
- Fun and informal teaching style
- Lifetime access to courses
- Can download materials for offline learning
Cons
- No formal grammar lessons
- No personalized learning options
One World Online School: Best for certification exam preparation
- Best use cases: Preparing for an official language certification exam
- Pricing:
€19.99/month for all video lessons
Between €49.99 and €248/month for private lessons
Between €20 and €360/course for online group courses
One World Online School offers online Italian courses created by Veronica Altana, an Italian teacher living in Sardinia. The curriculum covers all learning levels, from beginner to advanced so that you can find the right course.
Their self-study online Italian course provides over 200 subtitled video lessons about vocabulary, grammar, and Italian culture and lifestyle. You’ll also get three new videos every week to continue learning. At the end of the course, you’ll receive a certificate based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Live course options include:
- Private lessons
- Intermediate and advanced conversation practice
- Online group courses (Levels A1 and C1 only)
- CILS (Certificate of the Italian Language) exam preparation for groups and individuals
One of their unique course offerings is “A Year with Veronica,” which is available for elementary, intermediate, and advanced students. The class covers a specific theme for each month of the year, from sports and holidays to traveling to Italy.
Pros
- Official exam center for CILS B1 Citizenship Exam
- Broad price range that suits any budget
Cons
- Class schedule based on Central European time zone
- Only one instructor available
ItalianPod101: Best for listening
- Best use cases: Students who learn best by listening
- Pricing:
Free to access some lessons
$4/month to access all lessons
$10/month for additional resources
$23/month for personalized tutoring and assessments
ItalianPod101 provides valuable resources for learning Italian through engaging audio and video lessons based on authentic Italian conversations. Alongside these lessons, the platform offers a variety of complimentary learning materials, including:
- Interactive vocabulary exercises
- Comprehensive audio and video transcripts
- An Italian dictionary
Explore their YouTube channel, where you’ll discover an extensive collection of free videos covering various aspects of the Italian language and culture. Proficiency levels and learning areas, such as reading, listening, vocabulary, and conversation, thoughtfully categorize the content.
You’ll also find helpful learning tips, thematic vocabulary lessons, and pronunciation guides. Additionally, they provide 24/7 live streams that allow you to immerse yourself in everyday Italian words and expressions while honing your listening skills.
For premium subscribers, ItalianPod101 offers advanced study tools, including pre-designed flashcards and a voice recorder for speaking practice. With the voice recorder, you can record yourself saying words, phrases, or sentences and compare yourself to native speakers.
Pros
- Many lessons and resources are free
- Mobile app available for learning on the go
Cons
- Not an immersive learning experience
- Some videos are older and of poor quality
Rocket Italian: Best lifetime access
- Best use cases: Online courses with lifetime access
- Pricing:
$149.95 for Level 1
$299.90 for Levels 1 and 2
$449.85 for Levels 1, 2, and 3
$149.95 for Travelogue Series
Rocket Italian is part of the popular Rocket Languages platform that covers all the essential elements of language learning: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. They offer multiple levels of courses, spanning from beginner level to advanced conversation.
You can also access the Rocket Italian forum to get feedback and connect with other learners. If you’re not ready to pay for a course, you can explore their basic Italian lessons for free. These lessons include interactive exercises and cover topics like:
- Numbers
- Colors
- Weather
- Hobbies
- Ordering food
- Asking questions
- Basic grammar
- Common Italian words
Both free and paid options include Rocket Record, their proprietary voice recognition technology, to help you perfect your Italian pronunciation. You’ll listen to an audio recording of a native speaker, then record yourself speaking. The platform will generate a score out of 100 based on the accuracy of your pronunciation.
Pros
- Lifetime access to courses
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Not an immersive experience
- Audio recording feature can be buggy
edX with Wellesley College: Best for college-level learning
- Best use cases: College-level courses
- Pricing:
Free access for 12 weeks
$59 for lifetime access
Harvard and MIT founded edX, a US-based massive open online course (MOOC) platform hosting college-level online courses in many disciplines. Wellesley College’s online Italian courses are perfect if you want to learn the basics of Italian by strengthening the four basic language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
The program offers three self-study courses at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels and an additional course covering Italian culture. Each class follows a classic structure of four units divided into six to seven lessons. The curriculum is designed to span 12 weeks, with a weekly commitment of two to five hours, although you can complete the course on your own schedule.
Courses include video lessons featuring native and near-native speakers of Italian. You’ll also get access to vocabulary lists and grammar resources, including explanations, examples, and audio files for verb conjugation. Throughout the course, you’ll complete interactive exercises and receive feedback right away. You’ll even receive creative writing prompts and native speaker interviews to cover all your bases.
If you choose to pay for the Verified Track to get lifetime access, you’ll get access to all graded tests so you can review them. You’ll also receive a Verified Certificate of Completion once you pass the final test.
Pros
- Follows a traditional language-learning curriculum
- Wide variety of learning materials
Cons
- Only offers self-study options without live interactions with instructors or other students
ALMA.tv: Best for culture
- Best use cases: Discovering rich and original content that covers Italian culture in depth
- Pricing:
Free access to some video content
€11.99/course
ALMA.tv is the first online broadcast channel dedicated to the Italian language and culture. It is aimed at international students learning Italian, teachers of Italian language for foreigners, and Italian language and culture enthusiasts.
The website contains many resources, from basic Italian words and phrases to learning how to discuss the opera in Italian. Learning materials are available free of charge in two different ways:
- Video live streaming, which has an uninterrupted flow of programs broadcast 24 hours a day
- Video on demand, which includes an archive of videos divided into categories that you can watch whenever you want
You’ll learn grammar and vocabulary while watching Italian language documentaries and interviews. If you want other resources, like interactive exercises and video transcripts, ALMA.tv also offers an affordable premium subscription.
Pros
- Many free resources available
- Based on modern Italian culture and language
Cons
- Confusing site organization can be difficult to navigate
- Can only access a course for up to 12 months
Glossika Italian: Best for Romance language speakers
- Best use cases: Students who already speak a language similar to Italian, like Spanish, Portuguese, or French
- Pricing: $16.99/month
Glossika Italian focuses on training your listening and speaking skills to help you learn Italian.
You’ll start by taking a placement test to determine your level, from A1 to C1. To begin learning, you’ll listen to sentences recorded by an Italian native speaker, which includes a phonetic transcription to help you improve your accent. The platform plays the sentences in your native language, then in Italian, known as a “sentence pair.” Then, you record yourself repeating what you heard as closely as possible.
The Glossika algorithm uses spaced repetition to evaluate what you’ve learned and what you need to work on. It then creates a personalized learning journey based on its findings. If you’re struggling with a particular sentence, it will come up in your review more often. Once you’ve mastered a sentence, you’ll see it less often. As you progress, the sentences will gradually get more difficult.
Pros
- Highly effective for improving pronunciation
- Mobile app available (iOS and Android) for learning on the go
Cons
- No formal grammar instruction
- Not suitable for beginners
The Mimic Method: Best for pronunciation
- Best use cases: Learning to pronounce and listen to Italian
- Pricing: Free
The Mimic Method’s Italian Master Class aims to strengthen an essential part of making yourself understood in Italian: accurate pronunciation. If your writing and reading are good, but you have a hard time understanding native speakers, or you’re afraid of speaking, add this free resource to your learning plan.
The Mimic Method focuses on the techniques for developing awareness and control of your mouth when you speak Italian. This course will help you understand how your mouth works so you can learn to listen to and pronounce Italian words more easily.
The self-paced online Italian course offers over six hours of video content, audio exercises, and downloadable PDF lessons. You also get a customized flashcard deck to help you learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for Italian pronunciation.
Pros
- Original teaching methodology that differs from traditional language courses
- Now available for free
Cons
- Does not cover reading or writing skills
Comparison of the best online Italian courses
Name | Pricing | Free trial | Best use cases |
Preply | $5-50/hour, varying by tutor | No | Personalized 1-on-1 classes with native speakers and learning vocabulary through a mobile app |
Italiano per Stranieri (Italian for Foreigners) | Free | Free access | Beginners with a limited budget |
Future Learn with UniStraSi |
Free access for 6 weeks $129 for lifetime access |
Free access | Learning basic conversation skills |
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci |
€150/week for intensive group classes €290 for 8-week part-time course €190 for 5 private lessons |
No | Live online group classes with an instructor |
Italiano Automatico (Automatic Italian) | €67 to €247, depending on the course | No | Audio and video lessons from a native Italian speaker |
One World Online School |
€19.99/month for all video lessons Between €49.99 and €248/month for private lessons Between €20 and €360 for online group courses |
No | Preparing for an official language certification exam |
ItalianPod101 |
Free to access some lessons $4/month to access all lessons $10/month for additional resources $23/month for personalized tutoring and assessments |
Free access | Students who learn best by listening |
Rocket Italian |
$149.95 for Level 1 $99.90 for Levels 1 and 2 $449.85 for Levels 1, 2, and 3 $149.95 for Travelogue Series |
Yes; free introductory lessons | Online courses with lifetime access |
edX with Wellesley College |
Free access for 12 weeks $59 for lifetime access |
Free access | College-level courses |
ALMA.tv |
Free access to some video content €11.99/course |
Free access | Discovering rich and original content that covers Italian culture in depth |
Glossika Italian | $16.99/month | Yes; 7-day free trial | Students who already speak a language similar to Italian, like Spanish, Portuguese, or French |
The Mimic Method | Free | Free access | Learning to pronounce and listen to Italian |
Find the best online Italian course for your goals
There is no such thing as the right way to learn Italian: each person has different attitudes and habits towards studying foreign languages. Some people prefer a traditional classroom environment, while others prefer to self-study using resources like apps.
For this reason, the offer of online Italian language courses is endless, and it can be challenging to find your way around. Take your time to figure out which of the options is best for you, and then set off to discover “la bella lingua”!
To choose the course that will suit you best, consider:
- Your goals: Why you want to learn Italian and what level of fluency you hope to achieve
- Your schedule: When you need to reach your goals and how much time you have for study
- Your learning preferences: How you like to learn, whether it’s on your own, with others, or using apps, audio, or video
- Your budget: How much money you want to invest in online Italian classes
If you want to improve your conversation skills with the help of a native Italian speaker, try learning with one of Preply’s online Italian tutors.
Over a thousand experienced tutors are available 24/7, so it’s easy to add a few hours of conversation practice to a busy schedule. Plus, working with a private tutor means you’ll get a personalized learning experience based on your learning goals.
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