Other Subscription Plan options:
This language is also available to purchase in Digital formats
Why Learn Italian?
Spoken by about 65 million people worldwide, Italian is the official language of Italy (of course), along with the small nation of San Marino. It’s also the official language of Slovenia, Croatia, Switzerland, and other European and South American countries. One of the foremost Romance languages, Italian is sometimes called “the language of love” and uses the Roman alphabet, making it a relatively easy language for native English speakers to learn.
Whether you’ve discovered a distant relative in Italy, plan to travel to the country, or simply want to widen your cultural understanding of Italy, Pimsleur’s innovative, easy-to-learn Italian lessons are one of the best ways to help you learn to speak Italian. You’ll use the Pimsleur Method™, our scientifically proven technique, to quickly learn new words and speak with the right pace and cadence.
Just one of the many courses available in the Pimsleur catalog of worldwide languages, our Italian courses include different ways for you to study Italian: with the Pimsleur app on the go – perfect while traveling or offline – or right on your desktop or laptop!
In just a half-hour per day, you can brush up with efficient Italian lessons or learn the Italian language from square one (punto uno, as the Italians say)! From flash cards to a Voice Coach with AI pronunciation feedback, our multi-tier, comprehensive approach will help you learn Italian, so you can speak confidently faster than traditional language learning methods that primarily focus on reading and grammar.
Whether you’re in Messina or Milan, Verona or Venice – or anywhere else in the world – see just how easy it is to start conversing in Italian with Pimsleur! Thanks to our convenient mobile app, there’s never a wrong time to learn. Take Italian lessons while walking the dog. Engage in Italian courses while taking care of chores. Wherever you are – and whenever you like – Pimsleur is ready to help you learn Italian!
The Best Way to Learn the Italian Language
Our Italian lessons are built upon the foundations established by language learning trailblazer Dr. Paul Pimsleur (1927-1976). His cutting-edge educational research resulted in the Pimsleur Method, a unique way to quickly start speaking any foreign language.
This method employs an effective array of organic and well-paced language learning techniques that help you learn to speak Italian correctly and quickly while also ensuring you retain what you’re learning. We use digital flash cards, Speak Easy challenges, Speed Round games, an AI Voice Coach with pronunciation feedback, and more to keep your learning on track.
Learning by listening – it’s how you acquired your native language as a child. That’s exactly how Pimsleur teaches you to learn Italian. By simply hearing a new language and participating in conversation, you’ll naturally store away words and phrases so they’re ready to go when you need them.
Using core learning concepts such as Core Vocabulary, Graduated Interval Recall, and Principle of Anticipation, the Pimsleur Method takes you along an enjoyable, educational, step-by-step process to rapidly learn Italian at your preferred pace.
Why Choose Pimsleur for Italian Lessons?
Speak Italian with Confidence. Read like a Native.
Through his research, Dr. Pimsleur found that traditional teaching methods like memorizing vocabulary, conjugating verbs, and practicing grammar actually SLOW DOWN your ability to learn Italian. He called them the kiss of total silence because they made it nearly impossible to speak the Italian language. It's the reason learning a language feels so difficult, when it should feel totally natural.
It makes sense when you think about it. Have you ever seen a toddler memorizing vocabulary lists? Or picking out parts of speech in a sentence diagram? Of course not. Children learn language the way we were meant to ‐ by listening. That's because we are hardwired to remember sounds and store them in our memory automatically.
It's the same way you pick up a song on the radio. You don't have to study the lyrics or understand musical notes and chords to remember a song. Chances are, if you hear a song once you can sing along the next time you hear it.
Don't miss out. Try learning Italian with Pimsleur today while your first week is FREE!
Common Questions About Learning Italian
Is Italian a difficult language to learn?
Native English speakers enjoy a few advantages when they study Italian. The alphabet is the same as English, and the Italian language is considered a relatively easy foreign tongue to learn. Italian's unique vowel sounds are more distinct and consistent than English, making pronunciation paramount for speaking the language correctly. Plus, Italian's consonant combinations ("gli" and "gn" have sounds not found in English) and rolling R's are challenging to pronounce. But with Pimsleur's listen-and-speak teaching method, you'll learn Italian in no time!
Pimsleur has everything you need to learn to speak Italian, including a wide assortment of helpful lessons and user-friendly tools, all accessible in our app or right in front of your computer. Of course, every learning any new language has its unique challenges. But with Pimsleur, you’ll pick up new words & phrases quickly and have a blast as you learn Italian.
How long does it take to learn Italian?
What are the main challenges when learning the Italian language?
How important is pronunciation in learning Italian?
Is the Italian course suitable for complete beginners?
Pimsleur è perfetto per i principianti! (That means “Pimsleur is perfect for beginners!). No exposure to Italian is required to learn with Pimsleur. For those with prior knowledge of the language, we provide advanced lessons. The Pimsleur Method is the basis for our exercises and lessons, and you’ll acquire your new language rapidly, especially if you’re willing to commit some extra time. What’s more, you can learn anywhere, at any time, with the Pimsleur app in your pocket!