The best way to learn Italian is a mix: mostly Italian you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Italian you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input. Below, you'll see what each way of learning builds and the mix that suits six common goals.
Which Ways of Learning Italian Work Best?
Reading and listening to Italian at your level works best, and each other method adds one skill on top of it.
| Method | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening at your level | Words, grammar and listening | Most of your time |
| A structured course | An order for the basics | Your first months |
| A tutor or conversation partner | Speaking and quick replies | Using what you know |
| Flashcards or other review | Words that stay with you | A few minutes each session |
| Films, shows and podcasts | Natural, everyday Italian | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| Grammar study | Why a sentence works | Verb forms that confuse you |
Input is the base of the mix: a 2016 review of 49 studies in Reading in a Foreign Language, a University of Hawaii journal, found that reading a lot of easy material improves reading in a new language.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Italian for Your Goal?
For every goal, the best way is the same base of reading and listening, with the rest of your time on the skill that goal needs most.
- Travel to ItalySpend most of your time on short dialogues about ordering food and getting around, and say each one out loud.
- Talk With Family or FriendsRead and hear lots of everyday conversations, and spend the rest of your time talking with them or with a tutor.
- Watch Italian Films and ShowsPut most of your time into listening, starting with videos made for learners and moving on to shows with Italian subtitles.
- Pass the CILS ExamRead and listen at your level most of the time, and try past exam papers on the official CILS site as the test gets close.
- Read Italian BooksSpend most of your time reading short stories, and move on to novels once the news for learners feels easy to follow.
- Live and Work in ItalyRead and hear Italian about errands and your field most of the time, and practice polite, formal speech with a tutor.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Italian.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as Duolingo for the basics or Anki for review, and an app or service for when you want more. Bubblegum, which appears in a few rows, is a language app where Poppy, an AI tutor, writes Italian lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| A course for the basics | Duolingo's Italian course | Busuu, whose course goes from beginner to upper intermediate |
| Reading and listening at your level | Bubblegum's Italian lessons on this site | Bubblegum or News in Slow Italian |
| Shows, podcasts and news | Language Reactor for shows, EasyItalianNews.com for news | Lingopie, with Italian TV shows you can click to translate |
| Review | Anki, free on computers and Android | Bubblegum's Regenerative Review™, which brings saved words back in new lessons |
| Conversation | A language exchange on HelloTalk | A tutor on italki or Preply |
| Grammar | WordReference's Italian verb tables | LingoDeer, which starts each module with grammar notes |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you from spending your time on Italian you can follow.
- Lists With No SentencesSave words from lines you have read, so each one comes with an example of how it is used.
- A Dialect Before Standard ItalianLearn standard Italian first, since it is what you hear on the news and in most shows, and add a local dialect later if you need one.
- Films You Can't Follow YetSave films for when you can follow a scene with Italian subtitles on, and watch videos made for learners before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Italian with an app or a teacher?
Use an app for the hours of reading and listening, and a teacher for speaking and corrections. Lessons with a tutor on italki or Preply are paid, so spend that time talking, and do your reading and listening on your own.
Should I learn Italian grammar first?
No. Learn grammar from the Italian you read and hear, and look a pattern up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after mi piace la musica (I like music) and mi piacciono le canzoni (I like the songs), the rule for liking one thing or many things is easy to spot.
Which Italian app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Italian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Italian app comparison covers courses, tutors and speaking apps too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
The Italian lessons on this site are also free and need no account.
Sources
- Jeon and Day (2016), The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis, Reading in a Foreign Language 28(2), University of Hawaii
- CILS, the official Certificate of Italian as a Foreign Language site, University for Foreigners of Siena (past exam papers)
- Duolingo, Learn Italian (free course)
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
- HelloTalk, learn Italian (free language exchange)
