Self-paced online Italian course, from A1 to C2
55 chapters in the right order, written by a teacher: exercises that correct you on the spot, tests to skip what you already know, and reviews that come back at the right time. The first half of A1 is free, no sign-up.
42 reviews · teaching since 2018
No sign-up and no card for the free part. The full course is €39 a year, or €79 once, for life.
- 55 chaptersfrom A1 to C2, in order
- About 45 hoursat your own pace
- Half of A1 freeno sign-up, no card
- €39 a yearor €79 once, for life
What's in the course
- 55chapters
From the first sound of the alphabet to C2 syntax, in the right order.
- 468exercises
Done right here, and your mistakes stay in your review until you know them.
- 55tests
Five questions per chapter: if you know it already, you skip it.
- 43real situations
The Italian in practice guides: at the bar, at the hotel, at the airport.
- 6levels
The levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), the same ones used by CILS, CELI and PLIDA. Each one ends with a test that adapts to your answers.
- 45hours of study
Measured on the real pages, at the pace you choose.
The syllabus, level by level
Every chapter comes with its vocabulary, the explanation, exercises and a test. The first two modules of A1 are free.
A1the foundation11 chapters · 9 h 45 min
Sounds and words Free
Introducing yourself Free
- Subject pronouns45 min
- The present tense1 h
- Essere and avere39 min
Where, when, how much
- C’è and ci sono46 min
- Simple prepositions51 min
- Numbers, dates and time59 min
Asking and answering
- Negation and questions40 min
A2everyday life12 chapters · 10 h 44 min
Talking about the past
Pronouns
- Direct object pronouns1 h 2 min
- Indirect object pronouns46 min
- Possessives40 min
Daily life and plans
- Reflexive verbs54 min
- The simple future53 min
- Stare + gerund42 min
Getting around and asking
- Articulated prepositions55 min
- Ne and ci46 min
- The imperative50 min
B1the threshold10 chapters · 9 h 11 min
Comparing
Telling the past
- Passato prossimo or imperfetto?45 min
- The past perfect50 min
Pronouns and impersonal si
- Combined pronouns48 min
- Impersonal si49 min
Opinions, wishes and politeness
- The present subjunctive53 min
- The present conditional1 h 5 min
- Modals in the past45 min
Instructions and linking ideas
- The imperative with pronouns40 min
- Connectives57 min
B2the nuance9 chapters · 7 h 23 min
Hypotheses and wishes
- Imperfect and past subjunctive52 min
- Conditionals: types 1 and 21 h 4 min
Reporting events
- The passive59 min
- Reported speech34 min
Longer sentences
- Relative pronouns47 min
- Gerund and participle48 min
- Pronominal verbs39 min
Nuance
- Subjunctive agreement48 min
- Adjective position35 min
C1the register7 chapters · 5 h 3 min
Tense in complex sentences
- The sequence of tenses33 min
- Conditionals: type 3 and mixed49 min
- Implicit forms27 min
Register
- Formal register52 min
- Complex connectives55 min
The language of stories
- Altered nouns31 min
- The passato remoto46 min
C2mastery6 chapters · 3 h 4 min
Written Italian
- Marked constructions27 min
- Literary tenses29 min
Varieties of Italian
- Specialised registers31 min
- Regional variation27 min
Building sentences
- Punctuation30 min
- Sentence syntax30 min
The method, and where it comes from
The course puts in order what research on language learning has shown for years, and what I use in my lessons.
- Spaced repetition
What you get wrong comes back after a day, then after more days, until you know it. The intervals are set by FSRS, the open algorithm Anki also uses.
- Recall, not rereading
Every chapter has a five-question test with the rule out of sight: take it first to skip what you already know, or at the end, because the effort of remembering is what fixes the memory.
- Your level measured, not declared
The level test picks each question based on your previous answers: in 8-12 questions it estimates where you are.
- Your mistakes, kept for you
Every wrong answer goes into your list with the right one next to it, and comes back in your reviews until you know it.
- Not just grammar
Every chapter has its own vocabulary and exercises, with readings and dictations along the way; from A1 to B2 there are also guides to real situations in Italy: the bar, the hotel, the airport.
Free and full
| Free | Full | |
|---|---|---|
| Chapters | 7 of A1 | all 55 |
| Levels | A1, first half | from A1 to C2 |
| Chapter tests | 7 | 55 |
| Printable PDF sheets | 2 | 61 |
| Phrase PDFs in English (In pratica) | 2 | 43 |
| Listening: Giulia's voice messages | 0 | 20 |
| Personalised tests | no | yes |
| Review of your mistakes | no | yes |
| Forum | read | write and reply to other students |
| €0 | €39 a yearor €79 once, for life |
Who it's for
- You're starting from zero and want a guide. Every chapter builds on the one before, and the difficulty grows step by step, from the first sounds to C2.
- You're working towards the B1 for Italian citizenship. The chapters up to B1 cover what the exam asks for, and the level test tells you how far you still have to go.
- You have lessons with a teacher, with me or with someone else, and you want daily practice between one lesson and the next.
- You studied Italian years ago and want to pick it up from your real level, without starting again from zero.
What students say
★★★★★ · 42 reviews
“Warmly recommended! Professional teacher who knows how to adapt the material to the student's level. Interesting and attractive in the method and way of studying. The class goes with great pleasure.”
Adi 🇮🇱preply.com“Super happy with Alessio and I would definitely recommend him to teach you Italian. Fun and interactive. Not just a text book! Lessons are tailored to your needs.”
Anita 🇬🇧apprentus.com“Enthusiastic and good teacher, he listens carefully to what you want and gives very good exercises.”
See original
“Enthousiaste en goede leraar - luistert goed naar wensen en geeft zeer goede oefeningen.”
“A very pleasant way of teaching, all his own, and his English is very good.”
See original
“Heel prettige en eigen manier van lesgeven en zijn Engels is erg goed.”
“Alessio's Italian lessons have been great: very relaxed and fun with a good balance of grammar and conversation practice. Highly recommend!”
Studentpreply.com“Very friendly, and a thorough knowledge of how to teach you the language. I learned a great deal from the very first lesson!”
See original
“Bijzonder vriendelijk en grondige kennis om je de taal te leren. Van de eerste les al heel veel opgestoken!”
Alessio, a teacher of Italian as a foreign language
I'm Alessio. I have been teaching Italian to foreigners since 2018, online and in person between Ede and Amsterdam, mostly to adults: people moving to Italy, people preparing the B1 exam for Italian citizenship, people learning for work or for pleasure. I hold two masters in teaching Italian, ITALS at Ca' Foscari and Giustino Fortunato. I wrote the chapters of this course myself, like the amo italiano app and the twenty-five graded readers.
Questions
How does the year work?
You pay 39 euros and the course is open for twelve months. Then it renews by itself unless you cancel: if you cancel, it stays open until the end of the year you paid for.
A year or for life?
With the year you pay 39 euros every twelve months and can cancel whenever you like. With lifetime access you pay 79 euros once: no renewals, and the course stays open with no end date.
Aren't the grammar pages already free on the site?
Yes, and they stay free. Here you pay for the course: the right order, the tests that let you skip what you know, the reviews at the right time and your saved progress.
Do I need an account?
Yes: the purchase is tied to your account, so you find it on your phone and your computer.
Are lessons with Alessio included?
No, private lessons are separate.
Can I try it first?
The first half of A1 is free, with no time limit.
Start with the free half of A1
Seven chapters with their exercises and tests, open to everyone. If the method works for you, the rest of the course is there.
No sign-up and no card for the free part. The full course is €39 a year, or €79 once, for life.