8 Best Podcasts To Learn Italian

Summary

Get ready to dive into the melodious world of Italian with the best podcasts around! From news in slow Italian to engaging stories, this guide will help you pick the perfect audio companion for your language journey. 🎧🇮🇹

  • Choose Your Level: Whether you’re a total newbie or a seasoned linguist, there’s a podcast out there that’s just your speed. Find one that challenges you without overwhelming you. 🎚️
  • Embrace the Challenge: Podcasts are the perfect balance of informative and manageable. Aim for ones that push you towards understanding natural-speed conversations. 🚀
  • Grammar and Pronunciation: Repetition is key! Listen to how natives speak to nail that pronunciation and grasp the context of words. Echo what you hear for extra practice. 🔊
  • Real Italian Usage: Textbook dialogues are great, but real Italian podcasts offer a variety of accents and colloquialisms you’ll actually encounter in Italy. 🗣️
  • Stay Motivated: Pick podcasts that pique your interest. Learning becomes a breeze when you’re genuinely enjoying the content. 😄
  • Immerse Yourself: Create your own Italian environment. Listen while you cook, clean, or commute. Every bit of exposure counts! 🌍
  • Don’t Fear the Pause Button: Stumble upon an unfamiliar word or phrase? Hit pause and look it up. No shame in the game of learning. 📚
  • Seek Variety: Mix it up with different types of podcasts—news, stories, conversations—to keep things fresh and cover all bases. 🎶
  • Use Transcripts: If you’re struggling to keep up, transcripts are your best friend. Follow along to never miss a word. 📝
  • Practice Speaking: Mimic what you hear to improve your speaking skills. It’s like having a conversation with your Italian buddy. 🗣️👍

My thoughts

Can you learn the basics of Italian by listening to podcasts?

But now, before you visit, you may want to try and get accustomed to the language first.

Just like any other language, Italian can be mastered with enough practice and perseverance.

You can start learning by listening to the news in slow Italian, or maybe you’d rather hear short stories told by natives.

When it comes to podcasts, nothing is impossible, and you have the chance to listen to everything just as it is.

You must know by now that cultural immersion is one of the most successful ways of mastering a new language.

When it comes to Italian, one must also pay attention to the native’s body language. It’s essential to know the specifics before diving into it.

Even if you started learning the basics, chances are you will need additional help to see what and how everything is about. This is why podcasts are great.

Learn Italian with podcasts! They will help you understand more than just the language.

You will start learning about the specifics, the habits, and of course, the cultural topics the Italians are interested in.

If you’re going to spend a lot of time listening to these Italian podcasts, you will start making real progress in learning the Italian language.

The best part is that you can listen to them anywhere and everywhere you can, while you’re going on with your daily activities.

Why Choose A Podcast To Learn Italian?

By choosing one of these best podcasts to learn Italian, you will be able to start learning in no time. Let’s take a look at the advantages of choosing one for yourself.

You can choose a podcast according to your level

It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or advanced Italian speaker already. Chances are, you are going to find the right podcast for you.

With a little research, you’ll be able to find a podcast (or maybe a few!) that challenges you just the right amount to hold your attention while also pushing you into improvement.

In the list of these best Italian podcasts, I made sure to include something for each level, so you won’t have any problems choosing something that suits your needs.

Learn Italian with a podcast that suits your level!

Podcasts will challenge you

Sometimes, the courses you are looking at may not feel appropriate for you. Fortunately, these best Italian podcasts are very balanced.

They will give you the information you need without overwhelming you.

Search for an Italian podcast to match your current level. The goal is to challenge yourself to eventually understand speakers who talk at a natural speed.

This is something that gets easier with time.

If you’re a beginner, you’ll need to start with a slower-paced podcast and work your way up to a higher speed.

The more time you devote to listening to podcasts, the more comfortable you’ll become with understanding native speakers’ regular pace.

You’ll improve your grammar and pronunciation

It is well known that you may have an easier time learning something if you continuously hear it.

You won’t just improve your listening skills when you listen to podcasts in Italian.

You’ll also improve your Italian pronunciation. Hearing how a real native Italian speaker pronounces words and phrases in context is priceless.

It’s one thing to memorize the dictionary definition of a new word. Knowing how to properly use it in context is another, and the best way to get there is to hear it used over and over, in many contexts.

The best Italian podcasts will start to give you an idea of how Italians use their words so that you can do likewise.

You can learn Italian with podcasts as you do with other study materials.

Listen to Italian as it’s used

The dialogues that are produced to accompany Italian textbooks are great, of course, and certainly should be part of your Italian education.

But they’re not likely to give you exposure to a range of Italian accents and to the slang and informal expressions that you’ll hear when you’re actually in the country and trying to use the language.

That’s also why Italian podcasts are useful.

Motivate you to learn

Listening to enlightening or even just fun podcasts can improve your motivation because they give you the incentive to understand more so that you can appreciate the knowledge and/or humor in the material.

The podcasts presented here can do more than help you practice the language; they can add something useful to your life.

Of course, now that we know the advantages of choosing the best Italian podcasts, it’s time to start looking into the actual choices.

The ones in this list are suitable for any beginner and intermediate speaker, and they will help you in your journey.

What are the best podcasts to learn Italian?

We’ve prepared a list of the best podcasts to learn Italian.

It’s up to you to choose the one that suits all your needs.

Preferably, the podcast in Italian that you choose should be recorded by a native Italian speaker, so you can fully understand the process and specifics.

Best Italian Podcasts

Here you won’t find the answer to your question but you’ll find a list of really good podcasts.

You should listen to them and stick to the one you prefer.

News in slow Italian

If you’re looking for a great and fast way to go through the Italian culture, you can always use this huge free collection of news in slow Italian.

In this podcast, you will be able to learn and improve your comprehension of the Italian language, as well as expand your vocabulary, and be exposed to the most common expressions. This is one of the best Italian podcasts.

You will be able to get some insights into the Italian culture and, of course, test your knowledge with the tests.

Listen at your own pace, and if there’s a word you don’t understand, you can always check the English translation!

It used to be one of the best free podcasts to learn Italian if you regularly watch the news. Now it’s available for a small monthly fee.

ItalianPod101

The ItalianPod101 covers the basic through advanced levels of Italian. The episodes are quite exciting and very immersive.

The dialogues are presented by engaging hosts in a clear, concise way covering many grammatical features and cultural topics.

On the website, you can sign up for premium content to access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum

This is a beginner’s podcast, so if you’re just starting to get a look into the language, then it may be a good idea for you!

Coffee Break Italian

Coffee Break Italian is quite good for beginners. There are three hosts of the show, including Katie, who’s learning Italian along with the listeners.

This makes it a bit easier and can make you feel more comfortable as you see what it’s like for someone else, also learning the language. You’ll see the mistakes and learn alongside her.

The episodes contain quite a bit of drilling, and new topics are introduced slowly.

It’s an excellent podcast, especially for those that may be a bit hesitant or intimidated by learning Italian.

Being one of the best Italian podcasts, these paid courses include lots of extras like video lessons, detailed notes, and bonus audio, but the audio lessons are completely free.

Italian Conversations

In real life, you want to have conversations.

That’s why it makes sense to listen to Italian conversations instead of readings novels or watching the news.

There’s an infinite number of possible topics for every situation, but focusing on the most common will enable you to communicate in real-life situations even with limited speaking skills.

Italiano Automatico

This is a fun and exciting podcast for learning words, phrases, and other curiosities that are common in Italy.

With Italiano Automatico, you will quickly master essential speaking skills and improve your listening comprehension and your understanding of colloquial language.

One listener wrote a rave review: “Alberto is the best at what he does. He knows how to engage listeners with interesting topics and speaks clearly.”

History Cast

This is an exciting Italian podcast that talks about all different kinds of Italian history: classical (e.g. ancient Rome), medieval, modern, and contemporary.

It’s a great way to improve your vocabulary while learning about Italy’s rich cultural heritage.

It’s made for the Italian general public, so you’ll want to have a good level of Italian before diving in.

But don’t worry if you occasionally lose the thread — just go back and listen again to see if you can understand from the context, of which there’s plenty!

History Cast is one of the best Italian podcasts if you’re looking to learn more about the culture and history.

4 Verticale

Babbel’s first Italian podcast was 4 Verticale. Listen to the show for the scintillating conversations between hosts Giulia Depentor and Stefano Nucera, as well as for the entertaining stories they tell in Italian.

This is “the podcast that breaks the monotony of learning made up of only books and professors,” focusing on funny anecdotes about living abroad and, at times, vintage Italian insults.

Con Parole Nostre

The “Con Parole Nostre” podcast was created by Italian teachers Elfin, Silvia, and Barbara.

The concept is simple. These three women are firm friends and meet each other to discuss what’s new in Italy and Italian life.

Their conversations are natural, authentic, and 100% engaging. That’s why is one of the best podcasts to learn Italian.

If you find their conversations too hard to follow, you can download the transcript, and you’ll never miss a word.

Ripeti Con Me

Ripeti Con Me is one of the best courses for you to start learning Italian.

Why? Because it will teach you how to think in Italian. I know it sounds a little too good to be true, but it’s been created to help you learn Italian in a very short time.

You will quickly go through many new words and expressions, and learn the language without even realizing it.

All it takes is for you to listen to the course for approximately 20 minutes a day, and in no time, you will start speaking Italian fluently!

The purpose of this listening practice is to allow you to better understand how native Italians speak in certain situations.

Free Guide
How to Learn Languages Fast

Considering this, here are two of the aspects I had in mind when creating this course.

  1. As a beginner or intermediate student, you need to have access to simplified materials to distinguish the different words.
  2. You are going to hear real Italian, meaning that you will have a much easier time communicating with people.

I know that speaking and constant practice is the best possible way to learn a new language, and this is why I took this approach.

To learn more, check out this thorough review of Ripeti con Me.

Italian short stories

The Italian short stories are probably one of the best choices you can make. These are free resources you can use to improve your listening skills and expand your vocabulary.

In a very short time, you will get to master Italian grammar and idioms, and your pronunciation will improve.

It’s been simplified to an intermediate level, and you will also have access to the English translation, so you can keep track of the words you don’t know.

It is one of the best podcasts to learn Italian if you enjoy stories.

What’s your favorite Italian podcast?

This was my personal collection of the best podcasts to learn Italian.

These materials combined will give you a very good look into the Italian language, and you will be able to start speaking it real soon!

Whether you are going to choose one of these best Italian podcasts or will simply follow my course, you have all the chances of improving your grammar and vocabulary!

I hope you’ve found this list useful for finding the perfect Italian podcast to listen to.

Remember, this is just a little taste of what’s out there.

Even if you’re not yet at a level where you can understand a podcast, you’re better off listening to just 30 seconds of dialogue and actively listening for something.

Can you make a list of words that you recognize?  With a tutor, can you start to piece together the other words around them to get an idea of the context?

How do presenters introduce a guest?  How do they introduce a song?

More advanced Italian learners should also be listening actively, even if they have the podcast on while doing housework or other physical tasks.

Don’t be afraid to stop the podcasts to look up words or phrases.

You can skip back, and write down things or points in the audio that you don’t understand so that you can come back to them later with a tutor or language exchange partner as necessary.

With these suggestions though, you can start creating your own Italian immersion environment, whether it’s in the car, at the gym, or in your kitchen.

Can I learn Italian through podcasts?

Yes, podcasts are a great way to learn Italian. Listening to native speakers and practicing your listening skills can greatly improve your language abilities.

What are the best podcasts for learning Italian?

There are several great podcasts for learning Italian, including Coffee Break Italian, Italiano Automatico, and Learn Italian with Lucrezia.

Is Coffee Break Italian a good podcast for beginners?

Yes, Coffee Break Italian is a fantastic podcast for beginners. The hosts break down grammar and vocabulary in a clear and easy-to-understand way, making it perfect for those just starting to learn Italian.

Italian word of the day
bottiglie
Example
Colleziono bottiglie. Non sai proprio cosa fare, eh?
I collect bottles. You just don’t know what to do, huh?
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