To achieve fluency in Italian, our teaching staff at ICC recommend a combination of structured learning, real world practice, and immersion in the language and culture. Consider utilizing the following resources:
Real World Practice in Italian Conversation
ICC’s Gli Amici della Lingua Italiana
As a complimentary service, ICC will connect students and members at their language proficiency level who have completed this google form.
Immersion in the Language and Culture
Italian Podcasts:
News from Italy:
Learning Italian with Food:
Italian Vocabulary:
Italian Games (not for beginners)
Tools for You to Understand Your Proficiency Level
- Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) Self-Assessment Grid
- ICC’s Self-Assessment Tests
Other Tips
If you’re traveling in Italy…speak Italian often
- Ask for the bill or the menu.
- Give your room number at breakfast and ask for coffee or tea.
- Ask someone for directions to a nearby landmark (even if you know exactly where it is!)
- Read a sign or a poster and work out what it says.
- Chat with a local at the bus stop, or in a line, and introduce yourself, saying where you’re from.
If you’re at home dreaming of Italy…
- Write your shopping list in Italian.
- Change the language of your favorite show on a streaming service to Italian. Better yet, watch an Italian language show!
- Learn to sing along with the chorus of a song. You’ll find lyrics online, or a karaoke version on YouTube!
- Label five items in your home with sticky notes and say the word aloud every time you approach.
- Have a fake conversation in your target language on your phone while out and about, imagine the questions you’re being asked, and come up with a suitable answer.
- Speaking of phones, change the language settings on your phone for a day and see how much you pick up, just from knowing the words you normally see in your own language.