Italian language course reviews
It’s always good to read different reviews before choosing an online language course. Alternatively, you can go for more than one.
What’s important is to choose a course that’s appropriate for you.
Some online courses focus more on some aspects and less on others.
If you want to improve your listening skills, you know you have to look for a course focusing on listening.
If you want to focus on grammar, choose an app that gives you the option to practice grammar with exercises.
There are some online courses that are really comprehensive. Ideally, you should go for one that makes you work on all aspects of the language without forgetting about the culture and local traditions.
Ripeti con me! Review
This course is based on the principle of spaced repetition, which means that you’re prompted to listen and repeat certain words and patterns at certain time intervals.
It’s all very intuitive, even too simple to be true: it shows you how to say things.
There’s a balance between variety and relevance.
You acquire pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar unconsciously by listening and repeating sentences without them being boring.
It’s definitely a really good course because it gives you the possibility to speak fluent Italian in a short amount of time.
Also, the price is affordable and fair.
Some people think there’s not enough grammar, but it’s because it’s an audio course. If you want to learn grammar, you can check out our free grammar lessons!
Read the full review of Ripeti con me.
Pimsleur Italian review
Pimsleur is an audio language learning program organized by level and made up of 30-minute sessions.
It uses a sort of call-and-response approach to learning where the user is presented with a phrase in Italian along with its translation and repeats after the audio.
Pimsleur focuses on speaking, listening, and a good deal of pronunciation.
It’s not a substitute for speaking with a real person, but as far as language programs go, it comes pretty close.
Pimsleur also focuses a lot on pronunciation, whereas most other courses tend to overlook it.
However, this course is very expensive, and some of the words you learn are not that useful in real-life situations.
Read the full review of Pimsleur to learn Italian.
Glossika Italian review
This course, too, is an audio method based on the so-called “spaced repetition method”.
Glossika Italian is a platform that helps you learn a language in a natural way, much like how children acquire it from an early age.
It covers different language skills: pronunciation, syntax, vocabulary, and grammar.
The method doesn’t include textbook grammar but delivers fluency by using sound patterns in a structured way that’s easy to follow, understand, and memorize.
As you keep practicing, you gradually build up your understanding of grammar without actively studying the rules.
However, the course content is the same in all Glossika language courses. Also, it’s not for total beginners.
Read the full review of Glossika to learn Italian.
LingQ Italian review
LingQ is an app to practice reading and listening with a vast collection of real-world material.
In addition, there are flashcards with a spaced repetition system (SRS), dictionaries, live lessons, coins, avatars, and challenges.
The content is quite diverse and comes from various sources, and the lessons are short.
However, there’s a lack of plan and organization of lessons and readings
Also, word-by-word pronunciation is not human and, indeed, sounds like a robot. The speakers sound amateurish and have regional accents.
Read the full review of LinQ to learn Italian.
Italki review
Italki is not an online course but rather a website to find a tutor. And it’s the best choice!
Italki acts as a facilitator thanks to a massive database of teachers and practice.
It’s a bit like what Airbnb is for accommodation or what Uber is for transportation.
You can book a private lesson or a group class, or just a simple chat to practice. Sessions all take place over a video conference tool like Skype.
Since you take classes to practice speaking, you want to use all the time available to practice yourself.
That’s what happens with 1-to-1 lessons: it’s only you and your tutor.
Ideally, your tutor will let you speak most of the time and only help you fix your mistakes and keep the conversation alive.
On the other side, if you take group classes, you might save money because they’re cheaper, but class time is split between students, and most of the time, you’re left quietly listening to your teacher or your fellow students.
Read the full review of Italki for Italian learners.
LanguaTalk review
Overall, I was impressed with LanguaTalk. The platform offers Italian language courses, with 1-on-1 online Italian lesson taught by Italian native speakers.
You can find the lessons engaging and interactive, and thier exercises and quizzes will help you reinforce what you learned.
One of the things I appreciated about LanguaTalk was the flexibility it offered.
You could choose the pace of your learning and the frequency of your lessons, which made it easy to fit language learning if you have a busy schedule.
The platform also offers personalized feedback from instructors, which will help you identify areas where you need to improve.
Find out more about LanguaTalk’s free taster session.
Meet Your Native Tutor
Many online Italian language courses are available, each with strengths and weaknesses.
Choosing a course that suits your learning style and preferences is important. Whether you prefer audio-based courses like Ripeti con me or Pimsleur, or more comprehensive courses like Glossika or LingQ, there is something out there for everyone.
Additionally, finding a good tutor like the ones on Italki or a platform like LanguaTalk can offer personalized feedback and help you take your language skills to the next level.
So, while deciding the course to help you achieve your language learning goals, check my free checklist to overcome your barriers. Buona fortuna! (Good luck!)
