Online Italian Courses

Online Italian courses

Italian is a truly amazing language. Its sound is very beautiful, it is associated with a very rich culture and can open up plenty of professional opportunities to its speakers. These features make it a very popular foreign tongue among students who gladly take it up at school or university.

But what if you find that the Italian courses you are offered aren't enough or you don't have the opportunity to enroll in any courses at all? Does that mean that you should give up on your dream of speaking the Italian language well?

Of course, no.

Nowadays, there are very effective ways to learn languages outside school and one of them is online resources. There are plenty of apps, e-books and websites that can help you boost your grammar, speaking and listening skills. You can get in touch with other learners to study together or even reach out to an online tutor for tailored help.

What you should remember is that the more you enjoy your Italian lessons, the faster you progress. So, don't be afraid to try out different approaches and you will certainly expand your vocabulary and improve your listening and speaking very soon.

Can I teach myself Italian?

The best way to learn a foreign language is to practice but unfortunately, it is impossible to start speaking a language immediately if you don't have any basics at all.

One solution, in that case, is to take an introductory language course to pick up essential grammar and vocabulary with the help of a tutor. An alternative approach is to learn them by yourself.

The problem with learning a language alone is that there will be no one to monitor your progress, so you will need a really good textbook or app to get things right.

What can help self-learners is to be regularly in touch with a native Italian speaker who can check what you've learnt. If you have Italian-speaking friends, you shouldn't hesitate to say something in Italian to them from time to time. If they understand you, it will mean you are on the right track.

A solution for those who don't have that opportunity can be to take occasional lessons with a private tutor. They will answer all your questions on vocabulary and grammar and suggest what aspects to focus on more carefully after each lesson.

Is Italian easier than Spanish?

One of the closest languages to Italian is Spanish, as both are part of Romance languages, share similar grammatical features and have a lot of common vocabulary.

If we compare the difficulty of the two, Italian has a rather easier pronunciation than Spanish, so you will probably develop a good level of pronunciation and listening skills more quickly.

Spanish, on the other hand, has slightly more straightforward grammar, so learners can start speaking it a bit faster.

Aside from that, Italian and Spanish are so close that they usually take the same time to be learnt. If you find a good course or textbook, you can master the basics of these languages well in a few months and get to audio exercises and speaking practice.

We just don't recommend that you take Spanish and Italian courses at the same time because you might start mixing up vocabulary and grammar rules. If you are interested in the two languages, you can first learn one of them and then move to the other, once you have reached a rather good level of grammar and speaking.

Where do I start learning Italian?

When we begin to learn a new language, it is crucial to understand well its reading rules and pronunciation. That is why we recommend that beginners should choose a textbook or an online course that includes audio recordings. Audio practice is the best way to develop good listening skills right from the start and avoid pronunciation mistakes in the future.

An example of a great free app where you can find grammar lessons with audio recordings is Duolingo. Its course is suitable for both beginners and intermediate students and can be used either as a complement to your classes or as your main learning resource.

Another great free website learners can use along with Duolingo is Forvo. It is a pronunciation guide that includes thousands of audio recordings in Italian made by native speakers. If you aren't sure about how to say a word you came across in your Duolingo course or when reading, Forvo will provide you with all the answers.

The advantages of private Italian lessons

Students sometimes have difficulties with language courses because their teachers go too fast and don't pay attention to their particular problems. That is where private Italian classes can make a real difference.

When teaching in a one-to-one format, the teacher can spend more time on the grammar rules and vocabulary items that are challenging for their student while skimming over what's obvious. That will make your course both more stimulating and effective.

You can find an Italian teacher online to study right from home and organize your schedule the most conveniently. Online courses are as efficient as in-person lessons thanks as you can practice your speaking and listening skills through a webcam.

Your teacher will send you exercises after each lesson and you can practice in your free time.

You can find excellent online Italian language classes on Superprof. We will help you find outstanding teachers and provide you with information. As most Superprof tutors offer their first lesson for free, you will be sure to find the right person for you and learn Italian with fun.