Italian Classes Online

Best Italian Classes Online

Whether you're drawn to the melodious sounds of Italian opera, the mouthwatering cuisine of Italy, or the timeless art and architecture of Rome and Florence, learning to speak Italian opens up a world rich with culture, history, and beauty. Italian is the 20th most spoken language in the world. It’s one of the Romance languages with roots in Latin and is recognized for its elegance, musicality, and expressiveness. 

Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio are renowned poets in the Italian literary tradition, and opera, fashion, and cuisine reflect the Italian influence around the world. Mastering Italian helps you experience the heart of Italian culture and forge connections with its warm-hearted people.

Why You Should Learn Italian Online

Speaking Italian opens doors to new friendships, cultural experiences, and opportunities for travel, work, and study abroad. Learning Italian will help you understand Latin terms in science, medicine, and law, and give you a competitive edge in international business, diplomacy, and tourism. About 7,500 American companies do business in Italy, and more than 1,000 US firms have offices there.

Learning Italian as a second language is good for your brain. It enhances your creativity, delays age-related cognitive decline, and improves your memory, problem-solving, and multitasking skills. Classes introduce you to people who share your love for the Italian language and culture. 

Many communities have an Italian American club which is open to anyone. Meetup lists 347 Italian groups hosting over 350,000 events around the United States. Organizations like Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, Unico, and National Italian American Foundation advocate for Italian American people and culture. The Italian Language Foundation is dedicated to promoting and sustaining Italian language education in the U.S..

Virtual Italian Classes 

Online Italian classes help you learn Italian no matter where you live. You can attend from your home or wherever you’d like, and you don’t have to spend time commuting. You’ll have a whole world of classes to choose from. 

You often must order your own materials for a virtual class. You’ll need to have a web-enabled device or smartphone with a microphone and a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted while you are learning to speak Italian. 

Italian - Level 1 from Fluent City is right for you if you're a complete beginner to the Italian language and you want to master the basics of conversation. You'll begin to read and write Italian and learn number and gender agreement, and you’ll learn how to talk about your friends and hobbies and describe your likes and dislikes. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to introduce yourself, order a meal, go shopping, and talk about your family and what you do in your free time.

When you complete Italian 1 Fundamentals from Hyperfluent you’ll be able to read, write, and pronounce words in Italian. You’ll learn to introduce yourself in Italian, greet others, and talk about your likes and dislikes of food. You’ll also be able to describe your friends and family, hobbies, directions, and time. 

Italian Crash Course from Fluent City teaches you essentials like how to introduce yourself, order in a restaurant, and request directions in an interactive two-day workshop. Small classes provide you with plenty of time to practice speaking and get feedback from your instructor. This class focuses on the authentic terms and phrases that will be most valuable to you in real-world conversation.

Italian Language - Beginner (Online) from Discovery Center covers basic conversational skills and grammar of the Italian language as you explore the culture of Italy. This class is an intensive, full-immersion experience that is geared toward both travelers and language learners. By the end of the weekend, you’ll have a good foundation to build on for conversational Italian.

Intro to Italian Crash Course from ABC Languages will kickstart your learning with a taste of the Italian language. This 90-minute class covers basic vocabulary and phrases, greetings, travel phrases, pronunciation, key challenge points in the language, and Italian cultural topics. Italian Crash Course is a great way to brush up before traveling or decide if Italian is the right language for you. 

ABC Languages classes range from basic Italian conversation skills, vocabulary, and grammar in Italian - Total Beginner to mastering conversation and vocabulary in Italian Intermediate 3.

Private Online Group Italian Classes

Do you want to schedule a team-building event for your business or organization? Maybe you are planning a trip to Italy or you want to explore the culture and cuisine of Italy. Coursehorse has live online group classes that they can deliver directly to you. Take a look at Italian classes for private groups online and other course offerings at Coursehorse.

Learn to make classic Italian pasta from scratch in Virtual Pasta Making. You’ll mix and knead pasta dough, hand-shape pappardelle pasta, and create marinara and pesto sauces from scratch. The ingredients will be shipped to each participant, but you’ll need to provide a rolling pin or pasta machine, baking sheet, large pot for cooking pasta, colander or spider strainer, knife, fork, wooden spoon, cutting board, and saucepan.

In Virtual Pizza from Scratch Workshop you’ll learn how to make fresh pizza from scratch from a professional chef. Work out your frustrations as you knead the dough, and then enjoy the fruits (or slices) of your labor. You’ll need to provide a bowl and wooden spoon or stand mixer with hook attachment; a blender, hand blender, or food processor (or chef’s knife and cutting board); a pizza stone or cookie sheet; a chef’s knife and cutting board; a metal spatula and tongs or pizza peel; and a small saucepan. Either provide your own ingredients or select the all-inclusive Virtual Pizza from Scratch. 

In Virtual Wine Tasting Workshop you’ll learn wine basics like varietals, tasting techniques, region/history, and everyday wine appreciation tips. Italy produces more wine than any other country, and tasting the wine is one of the pleasures of Italian cuisine. You’ll need to provide wine to taste unless you select the all-inclusive Virtual Wine Workshop. 

Gnocchi is soft, fat, and chewy Italian dumplings that are topped with any sauce you’d use with your pasta. In Virtual Gnocchi Making, you’ll learn how to make fluffy, light potato gnocchi from scratch. Ingredients are shipped to each participant, but class members need to provide their own 2 tablespoons of olive oil + 1 egg, baking sheet, large pot for cooking pasta, colander or spider strainer, chef’s knife, cutting board, saucepan, and a wooden spoon.

In Virtual Mozzarella Making, you will make fresh, silky mozzarella at home. This class will teach you to select the right curd, the proper water temperature, the amount of salt to use, and how to pull and fold to make your own mouth-watering ball of mozzarella. For this class, you’ll need to provide all ingredients and supplies or have ingredients shipped to your recipients for an additional $55 per person.

Coursehorse can also create a custom course for your group. It’s simple to book a course with Coursehorse. Just estimate your group size, pay the minimum deposit, and secure your date. You can let them know your final number of class members up to a week before your class. Contact them through the Contact Us button on their website. 

Customize your course by adding a game, using specific questions or a themed game, or adding a second event with all materials included for an additional $150 fee. CourseHorse recommends using the Zoom platform for your class, but they can accommodate Google Meets, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx. Many courses can even come to your office or home space if you’d like. 

Online vs. In-Person Italian Classes

When you learn in person, there are no technology problems, the sound is perfectly clear, and you have the benefit of your teacher’s body language, non-verbal clues, and facial expressions. Plus, it’s fun to be part of a group of people who share your passion for Italian language and culture. When you learn a language online, you can converse with people all over the world who have diverse backgrounds. However you learn, getting more exposure to Italian speeds up your own growing comprehension. 

Choosing between online vs. in-person Italian language classes depends on your learning style, where you live, and whether you have the space and technology to access online classes. Consider the instructor’s experience with teaching adult learners, whether they provide materials or you need to shop for them yourself, and if the time fits your schedule. 

Can I Learn Italian for Free Online?

With the world wide web, you can access written and audio content in Italian no matter where you are. There are tutorials and videos for Italian language learners and apps that teach you Italian in a fun, game-like environment. These resources are often even free. But formal classes from an expert instructor are still the fastest and most comprehensive way to become a fluent Italian speaker.