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There’s no need to travel to Italy to get a crash course in Italian. Several online Italian courses can get you started on the right track. Already familiar with Italian but know you need to brush up on more? Consider an intermediate or advanced class to boost your skills.
Quick Look: Best Italian Courses
Here’s a sneak peek at the best online Italian courses:
- Italian Language and Culture: Beginner by WellesleyX
- Learn Italian Language: Complete Italian Course - Beginners by Udemy
- Learn Italian by Rosetta Stone
- Italian Language and Culture: Intermediate by WellesleyX
- Learn Italian Language: Italian Course for Intermediate by Udemy
- ITALIANO AUTENTICO to speak Italian as if you were in Italy by Udemy
- Italian Language and Culture: Advanced by WellesleyX
- One Year in Italy Italian Course - June (Advanced) by Udemy
- Advanced Level Italian Language Course: Christmas in Italy by Udemy
What Makes an Italian Course Great?
How do you know which Italian options are worthwhile? The best classes meet these criteria.
1. Uses Language Immersion
Immersion is the fastest way to learn Italian. No English-speaking should occur during these classes if you really want to get good at Italian.
2. Led by Experienced Instructor
The instructor should be a native Italian instructor with at least a few years of teaching experience. Read the instructor’s biography and check out several reviews from past students to get a feel for his or her teaching style.
3. Includes Activities
Does the instructor weave in activities that require you to put your Italian speaking skills to use? This is a great way to measure your progress in the course and identify areas where you need to improve.
Our Top Picks
We’ve scoured the web to find the best online Italian courses. Our top picks are from edX, Rosetta Stone and Udemy and are led by reputable instructors with a successful track record.
Here are the courses organized by skill level — beginner, intermediate and advanced students. We’ve also included a price point and a brief description of each class to help you make an informed decision.
Online Italian Course for Beginners
Consider these beginner courses to help you get started on the right track.
1. Italian Language and Culture: Beginner by WellesleyX
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: Free
Wellesley College offers a free introductory Italian course. It’s the first in the Italian Language and Culture series and focuses on 4 core skills — speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Facilitator Daniela Bartalesi-Graf, Italian studies lecturer, provides instruction through situational videos, short video lessons, video interviews and downloadable podcasts. She also uses grammar charts, readings and a discussion board to help develop your Italian reading and speaking skills.
You’ll end up with the skills to communicate in the present and past tense about events, people and everyday situations. The course also lays the solid foundation you’ll need to excel in intermediate and advanced Italian classes.
Enrollment is free or you can obtain a verified certificate for only $49. But you’ll need to score 60% or higher on unit tests. Expect to spend 12 weeks working through the material in about 2 to 5 hours per week.
2. Learn Italian Language: Complete Italian Course — Beginners by Udemy
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: $199.99
Offered by AbcEdu Online, this Udemy bestseller will help you grasp Italian basics. It’s ideal if you want to learn Italian the quickest way possible.
You’ll have instant access to 41 lectures packed into 8 hours of on-demand video and 34 downloadable resources. You complete demo lessons and quizzes to demonstrate your comprehension of the material presented in the lessons.
The enrollment fee is $199.99 and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re unsatisfied with the course for any reason.
3. Learn Italian by Rosetta Stone
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: Varies by subscription level
Learn Italian from Rosetta Stone, the leading provider of language learning software. This course paves the way for Italian-language mastery with contextual 10-minute lessons and interactive activities. You can work through the material when it’s convenient because the class is available offline.
TruAccent®, a patented speech recognition program, helps you sound like a native.
Enrollment varies by subscription level. A lifetime subscription is available for $199 or you can enroll for 24 months at a flat rate of $167.76. If you prefer a shorter enrollment period, you can get 12- and 3-month subscriptions for $119.99 and $35.97, respectively.
Intermediate Italian Courses
Move on to these intermediate options after you’ve finished a beginner course.
4. Italian Language and Culture: Intermediate by WellesleyX
- Who it's for: Intermediate students
- Price: Free
The second installment of the Italian Language and Culture series by WellesleyX is designed to help advance your Italian reading and writing skills. It’s also facilitated by Daniela Bartalesi-Graf. It spans 12 weeks and also covers Italian culture with lessons on the Italian Renaissance, Baroque art and poetry, the healthcare system and fashion in Italy.
You’ll develop your conversations and take a closer look at grammatical structure in Italian.
Complete secondary Italian in high school or 1 to 2 semesters of Italian at the university level before you enroll.
There’s no cost to enroll unless you want to get a verified certificate for $49.
5. Learn Italian Language: Italian Course for Intermediate by Udemy
- Who it's for: Intermediate students
- Price: $199.99
Take your Italian speaking, listening and writing skills to the next level with this intermediate course from Udemy. It’s taught in Italian and will help you acquire the skills you need to hold complex conversations with native Italians.
Enrollment is $199.99 and includes full lifetime access to 36 lectures condensed into 5.5 hours of on-demand video and 36 downloadable resources. You’ll also get a host of practice quizzes and multiple-choice tests and a certificate of completion.
Complete Learn Italian Language: Complete Italian Course — Beginners before you enroll.
6. ITALIANO AUTENTICO by Udemy
- Who it's for: Intermediate students
- Price: $44.99
Ready to polish your Italian comprehension and expression skills? Consider this intermediate course from Udemy.
Led by Riccardo Gasparotto, the course features 2 hours of on-demand video, 8 articles and 14 downloadable resources for a $44.99 enrollment fee. He offers a unique “Italiano Autentico” option.
Instead of sitting in long, drawn-out lectures, you’ll watch videos, read articles and listen in on Italian conversations to advance your skills. You will also have the opportunity to interact with other members of the “Italiano Autentico” community.
Make sure you’ve got beginner- or intermediate-level Italian knowledge. You’ll also need access to a smartphone to store MP3 audio files before you sign up.
Advanced Italian Courses
Are you already fluent in Italian but want to continue honing your skills? These advanced courses may be a good fit.
7. Italian Language and Culture: Advanced by WellesleyX
- Who it's for: Advanced students
- Price: Free
This course is the 3rd installment of the Italian Language and Culture series from WellesleyX. It expands on the skills and knowledge offered in the beginner and intermediate courses so you can speak, listen, read and write in Italian at the highest level.
Similar to the other classes in the series, it also includes valuable history lessons and current event discussions. The course delves into the current state of the Italian economy, the origins of the Constitution, Italian theatre and opera, citizenship law, environmental challenges and more.
You’ll walk away with the skills you need to engage in debates with native Italian speakers using advanced vocabulary.
It’s free to enroll or upgrade to a verified certificate for $49.
Complete Italian Language and Culture: Beginner and Italian Language and Culture: Intermediate before you sign up. You may also have taken Italian throughout high school or taken 2 to 3 years in college.
8. One Year in Italy Italian Course — June (Advanced) by Udemy
- Who it's for: Advanced students
- Price: $29.99
Just $29.99 gets you a seat in this brand-new Italian course from Udemy. It’s divided into 3 sections — dialogue, the Carnival period and grammar. The primary objective is to help you learn summertime idiomatic expressions.
You’ll be granted instant access to 5 lectures condensed into 1 hour of on-demand video and 8 downloadable resources. The course also includes a certificate of completion and is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
It’s presented by One World, which has taught thousands of students online and at headquarters in Cagliari, Italy.
Have upper-intermediate or advanced Italian speaking, reading and comprehension skills before you enroll.
9. Advanced Level Italian Language Course: Christmas in Italy
- Who it's for: Advanced students
- Price: $29.99
Interested in learning more about Italian Christmas traditions? Facilitator Veronica Altana of One World follows the same format from One Year in Italy Italian Course — June (Advanced) to help you discuss the holiday season.
The course includes 5 videos in Italian with English subtitles, grammar and vocabulary handouts and MP3 downloads so you can listen to the material on the go. You’ll also be able to complete tests to show you where you need more work.
Enrollment is $29. Have advanced knowledge of the Italian language before you register.
Choose the Right Italian Course for You
Learning Italian doesn’t have to be a huge challenge. Consider an online Italian course to learn the basics in a fun-filled way. Whether you’re just starting out or have some experience with the language, there are affordable options for all skill levels so you can start learning right away. Interested in learning a different language other than Italian? Check our guide out best language courses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days a week should you study Italian?
The best way to make progress is to study 2 to 4 times a week.
What factors should you consider in an excellent Italian course?
You need to think about the activities, material, pace and the instructor’s experience.
Southern New Hampshire University Online
SNHU Online Offers:
- Flexible schedules
- Affordable tuition
- Online tutoring
- Access to electronic research materials
- Specialized academic advising
- Supportive online community