11 Best Italian Learning Websites

Italian is pleasing to hear and you need no other reason than that for wanting to learn that language. That is why, we have compiled a list of  Italian learning websites for you. Besides, learning Italian will be worth it for art lovers and those curious about culture. After all, Italy has a rich culture and its art treasures are worth dying for.

Best Italian Learning Websites in 2024

Have you been looking for websites to learn Italian? Did the varying recommendations make you dizzy? Relax and go through our list. We are confident you will find the right website for learning Italian.

Best Websites to Learn Italian for Free

Finding free websites to learn Italian is easy. But finding one that teaches you meaningful Italian may be harder than you think. However, some popular language learning websites are free and teach you well. So, you will have no trouble choosing one.

I can’t rave enough about how fun it is to learn Italian using Duolingo. You know, I sing Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ when someone insults Duolingo, saying it’s not worth it. Duolingo is awesome for learning Italian. It is one of the best websites to learn Italian for free. You feel confident from the start, as Duolingo knows what it is doing.

Gamifying the learning experience may be its most impressive aspect. But the way it teaches you simple stuff, slowly readying you for the harder ones is beyond describable. It is the best website to learn Italian if you are a beginner or an intermediate learner. You will be fine as long as you maintain your learning ‘streak’.

The best thing about the Online Italian Club is how well-organized it is. It has thousands of pages of free resources and materials. You can take a proficiency level test to know where to start learning from the six levels it offers. Or you can focus on the fundamentals – grammar, verbs, and vocabulary. Each one has a devoted section.

You can subscribe to their club for weekly tips for learning Italian, new materials, and other related content. You can unsubscribe anytime you want; it won’t be a nuisance. The website even has a mini book club you can join. You can interact with others and share your opinions and insights about the book being read.

The Italian Experiment is a fun website to learn from. Not because it has games, but because the interface is user-friendly and the lessons are easy. You can learn the basics like numbers, days of the week, months, question words, and most importantly how to say ‘the’ in Italian. Trust me, learning how to say ‘the’ at first can send your mind spinning.

And you will feel like that was easy when you start to learn how to say mine, yours, his, and hers. Having a firm grasp of the basics will help you speed up your progress. Then come the adjectives. So, have fun and read the children’s stories the website has if you need a break. It is one of the best free websites to learn Italian.

Busuu teaches many languages, but its approach to teaching Italian is slightly different. You can choose the ‘Complete Italian’ program to strengthen your grammar and vocabulary. Choose the ‘Italian for Travel’ course if you plan on traveling to Italy. Or you can opt for the ‘Italian Pronunciation’ course to focus on that.

The rest of the learning process is the same as how you learn other languages in Busuu. You sign in, pick the purpose for learning Italian, and dive into the deep end. Busuu will be there for you all the way. Use supplementary resources if you want to progress faster. Busuu is a good one among the free Italian learning websites. 

Best Italian Language Learning Websites for Beginners

You may have searched for Italian websites to learn Italian and found nothing you like. Or you may have been bombarded with many choices that you ultimately shut down your search engine with a huff. I have searched for good websites to learn Italian, and you can choose one from the narrowed-down choices.

Memrise jumped out at me from nearly every website that recommended the best websites to learn Italian. The most popular opinion astonished me though. People say using Memrise and Duolingo together is much better than using one alone. However, there is no harm if you choose to learn using Memrise alone. 

It provides you with lessons that focus on your interests. That will be an interesting experience, right? Moreover, you get unlimited speaking practice with GPT-3 powered AI. Its video lessons include content from YouTube and other resources based on your learning level. But unlike Rosetta Stone, it does not offer an immersive experience as it claims.

The website waxes philosophy saying a guide will be the one to keep you from getting lost. That is, personal tutors will help you complete your lessons and not slack off. It also boasts that it will help you gain conversational skills faster than any app. It also claims to help you think in Italian, which is interesting as most websites don’t make that claim.

It is more difficult than you know to start thinking in a new language you are learning. This is one of the best Italian learning websites if it can accomplish that. You will get the same focus you are subjected to when learning in a classroom with your professor. The tutors are great, and you get personalized lessons. You also decide the instructor’s style of teaching.

Babbel has more than 225 hours of Italian lessons. As usual, it asks why you chose to learn Italian and how much experience you have. You have to select whether you merely want to cover the basics or want to be fluent in any conversational topic. You can choose to fly solo or learn with others, too.

Like Duolingo and Busuu, Babbel asks how much time you want to commit to learning Italian. Only it lets you select an option the other two websites do not offer. The ‘I am not sure’’ option. I appreciate how well Babbel knows us humans. We never really know whether we can commit for even 5 minutes, right? It is a good website for beginners.

Rosetta Stone is unique because it does not start teaching with translations. You have to match images to the words in Italian and learn to pronounce them. This method is unlike Duolingo’s. Duolingo teaches you the word, provides translation, and then asks you to pick the correct image from multiple choices. It truly offers an immersive experience.

This website’s curriculum is well-designed and a good aid for beginners trying to learn Italian. However, Rosetta Stone alone cannot help you become fluent. It has a 3-month and a 12-month plan to choose from. Unfortunately, most people consider the pricing more expensive and it is better to opt for more economical options.

Best Italian Learning Websites for All Levels

Many websites teach Italian well for beginners and intermediate learners, but they struggle to offer anything to advanced learners. However, some rare Italian language learning websites manage to teach all learners.

Italy Made Easy is for everyone. You can either follow the main program designed to take you from rookie to master level or take other courses that focus on specific areas such as comprehension, pronunciation, etc. You get access to audio materials, PDFs, quizzes, and video lessons. You can track your progress and get a monthly Italian magazine if you want.

The audio program ‘Eccoci Italia’ is designed to improve comprehension skills and here is the twist: it has two paths. One is tailored to the needs of beginners and the other is for intermediate learners. Most importantly, it has a great community. They post things related to Italian culture and you can watch the native speakers’ live broadcasts.

iLuss has tons of free resources for you to self-study. The resources are categorized according to learner level. The website focuses on grammar, vocabulary, listening, and reading. They have six online teachers to help you learn but each one charges a different rate per lesson. So, you might want to stick to the free resources if you don’t want to pay.

However, you can access more lessons, tests, quizzes, and interactive classes if you upgrade to a paid membership. You will benefit from it if you need guidance when learning something new. Craving a mentor is not a weakness; everyone has different needs.

You won’t regret enrolling in this course as the instructor is Daniela Bartalesi-Graf. She is a senior lecturer in the Department of Italian Studies at Wellesley. You need not learn from videos alone. Podcasts and interviews, too, are available to help you study. You can build your vocabulary while learning about Italian art and literature.

Finally, in the advanced course, you are aided in your quest to enrich your knowledge of Italian culture and history. And you get to know more about the poet Dante! I didn’t understand a single word of what Hannibal was saying when he recited Dante’s poem in Italian. But I nearly swooned hearing it. So, it will be a fun experience for you. 

How to Choose the Right Website for You to Learn Italian?

What is your proficiency level? Once you know which level you are at in learning Italian, choosing the right website won’t seem daunting. All websites indicate which learners they target and teach.

Which online resource do you like? Do you like listening to podcasts, music, or news? Or are video lessons more effective? Downloadable audio clips, blogs, and articles are other ways to learn.

Do you need a supportive community? You can choose a website based on whether you want to learn on your own or need the support of a community. Sharing tips and tricks, struggling together, and reaching the finish line with others cheering you on sounds good, doesn’t it?

Tips for Success with Italian Language Learning

Concentrate – I know, this tip seems redundant, as you want to learn the language. However, you will be surprised to know how often our minds wander even when doing something important. 

Figure out your motivation for learning and hold on to it – What made you want to type in your search engine ‘best website for learning Italian’? Think about it, hold on, and don’t let go until you finish the course or master Italian.

Try thinking in Italian – You can spend some time describing what you see in Italian. You don’t have to say it aloud; practice saying it in your head. You will be the only one who knows if you make mistakes. 

Why I Selected these Websites for Learning Italian?

I chose the edX course because of the instructor. A senior lecturer in the Department of Italian Studies is teaching? Sign me up, please. Duolingo is my personal favorite, but I am not biased. You will know how fun it is to learn using Duolingo once you start. You, too, will covet the legendary crown like me.

You don’t come across websites like Online Italian Club much. A website that offers free materials to learners from beginners to advanced? The content quality is good, too. The Italian Experiment understands what a learner goes through when they find out about gender nouns. How do you know which one is masculine and which is feminine? Ugh!

So, this website can anticipate and provide what the learner needs. Busuu is a good website to learn Italian. Many people on Reddit recommend Duolingo, Memrise, and Busuu. Memrise is always a good option for learning any language as a beginner. So, it is unsurprising that it is a great website to learn Italian.

Live Lingua caught my attention due to its claim that it can make you think in Italian. Once a person starts doing that, they will have no trouble mastering the language. Babbel is another website that teaches multiple languages and has good reviews. Rosetta Stone stands out because of the immersive experience it offers.

iLuss Italiano Online is another website I chose for its extensive resources. Italy Made Easy may be the best website out of all the ones I chose because of how it approaches teaching. It understands a native English speaker’s perspective. Its YouTube channel is good, too. Check it out if you have the time.

Final Thoughts

So, your search for the best websites for learning Italian has come to an end. How does it feel?

You can always use more than one website to learn if you find a website lacks something you require. Learning Italian also increases your chances of landing a good job. Therefore, don’t lose your focus until you finish learning.