ISO online Italian lessons
June 30, 2017 8:51 AM Subscribe
I am looking for recommendations of online Italian lessons at the beginner (absolute beginner, really) level.
My family and I are planning a trip to Rome in April 2018. I would like to learn some Italian, with an online course. I hope to learn more than just tourist phrases -- I would like a course that also teaches grammar, similar to a course you would take in high school of college. Free would be nice, but I am willing to pay a reasonable fee.
I have looked briefly at ItalianPod101.com, but there are so many flashy and distracting ads. I would be willing to pay to upgrade, but I saw one online comment that said that even with the paid version, you still get the annoying ads. So that's a potential problem.
I have also looked briefly at RadioLingua's Coffee Break Italian, and that looks promising.
I would love to get comments on either of those two online courses, or any other recommendations MeFites might have.
Grazie!
My family and I are planning a trip to Rome in April 2018. I would like to learn some Italian, with an online course. I hope to learn more than just tourist phrases -- I would like a course that also teaches grammar, similar to a course you would take in high school of college. Free would be nice, but I am willing to pay a reasonable fee.
I have looked briefly at ItalianPod101.com, but there are so many flashy and distracting ads. I would be willing to pay to upgrade, but I saw one online comment that said that even with the paid version, you still get the annoying ads. So that's a potential problem.
I have also looked briefly at RadioLingua's Coffee Break Italian, and that looks promising.
I would love to get comments on either of those two online courses, or any other recommendations MeFites might have.
Grazie!
Have you tried Duolingo? It's free and very popular. I find it really good.
I also like the set of Youtube videos from an Italian language school in Cagliari :
One World Italiano which is good for listening to longer, classroom-style lessons.
If you're on Facebook, Learn Italian with Lucrezia has regular posts of varying difficulty.
posted by Azara at 9:02 AM on June 30, 2017
I also like the set of Youtube videos from an Italian language school in Cagliari :
One World Italiano which is good for listening to longer, classroom-style lessons.
If you're on Facebook, Learn Italian with Lucrezia has regular posts of varying difficulty.
posted by Azara at 9:02 AM on June 30, 2017
Duolingo is surprisingly good for the price (free).
If your library has the Pimsleur CDs / MP3s available, they're also very good in a completely different way (using spaced repetition to help you remember words and concepts). They're also quite expensive, so I wouldn't actually recommend them if you're paying for them.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:06 AM on June 30, 2017
If your library has the Pimsleur CDs / MP3s available, they're also very good in a completely different way (using spaced repetition to help you remember words and concepts). They're also quite expensive, so I wouldn't actually recommend them if you're paying for them.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:06 AM on June 30, 2017
Duolingo is fun, and I use Coffee Break Italian regularly and get a lot out of it. You can also pay to get more content, including, I think, video lessons.
After a long time trying to study the language in college classes and on my own, I've recently been paying a tutor for lessons, which is absolutely the best. If that option is at all possible to you, it's pretty great. I'll also say that between my trip to Italy in 2000 and the one I took last year, English is so widely spoken that you will probably do just fine without a lot of it. But study it anyway, it's so much fun!
posted by PussKillian at 11:24 AM on June 30, 2017
After a long time trying to study the language in college classes and on my own, I've recently been paying a tutor for lessons, which is absolutely the best. If that option is at all possible to you, it's pretty great. I'll also say that between my trip to Italy in 2000 and the one I took last year, English is so widely spoken that you will probably do just fine without a lot of it. But study it anyway, it's so much fun!
posted by PussKillian at 11:24 AM on June 30, 2017
I'm late with a reply, but you might find the BBC's Muzzy Italian to be fun although it's said to be for kids: https://www.muzzybbc.com/learn-italian-kids
posted by anadem at 10:52 PM on June 30, 2017
posted by anadem at 10:52 PM on June 30, 2017
Response by poster: Thank you all for these recommendations! I look forward to checking them out.
PussKillian, the tutor recommendation is interesting. I just found out that a local college offers a continuing education class in Italian, at all levels. At $40 a class, it's not cheap, but it sounds good and I am considering it.
posted by merejane at 3:23 AM on July 2, 2017
PussKillian, the tutor recommendation is interesting. I just found out that a local college offers a continuing education class in Italian, at all levels. At $40 a class, it's not cheap, but it sounds good and I am considering it.
posted by merejane at 3:23 AM on July 2, 2017
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posted by PardonMyFrench at 9:02 AM on June 30, 2017