So, have you decided to take the leap and start learning Italian on your own? That’s an excellent decision! We would like to accompany you in your language journey with the following resources, apps, and tools so you can improve your skills in an integral way without leaving your home. Let’s go!
Italian Level Tests
f you have studied Italian in the past or have had some kind of contact with the language, one of the first things to do is to determine your level. And what better way than to do this with one of our FREE level tests?
They are easy to take: you’ll be presented with sets of 10 questions with missing words or phrases and you need to choose the correct answer. Just keep in mind you shouldn’t guess or you’ll end up with inaccurate results. If you are not sure about the answer, choose the option “I don’t know”. Learn more about our Italian level test scoring here.
Further, you can choose between answering just one set of 10 questions or the whole test of 70. If you get tired and would like to know your results without completing the whole test, you just have to click “Get my results” and you’ll receive your results immediately. Take our test here!
Italian Level Tests
There’s no better way to learn Italian online than by using materials that motivate and interest you. For instance, if you are passionate about cinema, you should use Italian films to improve your pronunciation, listening and reading comprehension skills, and knowledge of their culture. Some Italian movies you cannot miss include:
Umberto D
(1958)
La Dolce Vita
(1960)
La Vita é Bella
(1997)
Lazzaro Feliz
(2018)
Bycicle Thieves
(1948)
Call me by your name
(2017)
Language Learning Apps
Today, countless language apps can help you learn Italian for free while having fun! Most of them have short, bite-sized lessons focused on vocabulary (isolated items or phrases) for language learners with a busy schedule. While most of them can be used for free, there’s a small monthly fee to pay if you want to access their features in full. Some great apps to learn Italian, then, are:
Forvo, a great pronunciation dictionary.
Duolingo, an app with 5-minute lessons to take every day.
Memrise, mostly focused on learning survival phrases through videos.
Drops, an app that teaches vocabulary using flashcards and audio recordings.
Italian Music
Are you a music lover and would like to acquire Italian using what you love the most: songs? Then, you’ll be happy to know there are dozens of Italian artists that can help you achieve your goal. By listening to their songs and singing, for example, you can polish your pronunciation. And if you use the lyrics, much the better! Here are some resources that can help you learn Italian online using music:
The News in Italian
Using the news to learn Italian is an excellent way to polish your listening skills while learning what is going on in Italy and the world. Let’s take a look at some resources you can use to learn Italian for free while watching the news:
Flashcard Makers
TFlashcards are amazing for visual learners to learn Italian interactively. And the best thing is that you don’t have to rely on your drawing skills anymore! There are dozens of free and paid apps and sites where you can design your own flashcards online. You can include pictures, words or phrases, audio recordings, and virtually anything that will help you remember new Italian vocabulary. Some options are:
Verb Conjugators and Online Worksheets
Italian grammar can be nightmarish to learn, especially for those who don’t speak any other Romance language. Italian has 5 tense forms, but, different from English, each person has a different conjugation. For instance, the past continuous of the verb mangiare (to eat) is:
Italian Version | While the English version is much simpler |
Io mangiavo | I was eating |
Tu mangiavi | You were eating |
lui/lei mangiava | She/he/it was eating |
Noi mangiavamo | We were eating |
Voi mangiavate | You were eating |
Loro mangiavano | They were eating |
So many conjugations mean that you’ll probably need some help when learning how to use verbs in Italian correctly. So, if you are looking for a good verb conjugator to take your Italian grammar skills to the next level, you can access one of these sites:
Plus, you can master the Italian grammar rules using sites with exercises and worksheets for students of all levels. Websites like One World Italiano, Online Italian Club, or Impariamo l’italiano are loaded with grammar exercises, quizzes, and short video lessons so you won’t only increase your understanding of grammatical rules but you can also put them into use.
Sign up for an Italian course with experienced tutors
Is Italian Pronunciation Easy to Learn?
Well, it depends on whom you ask! Italian can be very easy to learn for those who already speak a Romance language. However, for English speakers, Italian may not be so simple which is why learning with an experienced tutor is your best choice! Here are some reasons why:
It has double consonants, which are longer than single consonants. It’s not the same to say “Gino” than “Ginno”. And let’s not forget about double RRs! Check out this video to learn more about double consonants.
It’s a gendered language, which means that nouns, adjectives, and articles can either be masculine or feminine. This doesn’t exist in English, and you’ll need to learn these genders by heart!
The Italian rhythm is very different from the English one, which means you’ll have to sit down and practice a lot on your own and with your teacher to sound natural.
And if you already know something about phonetics and phonology, you can take a look at this technical guide compiled by the University of Stanford!