Course description

This course takes you from your very first Italian words to simple, useful conversations about yourself, your family, your plans and your travels. It's written for adults in the UK who are starting Italian from scratch, or who picked up a few words on holiday, whether for travel, family or simple curiosity. By the end you'll be at roughly CEFR level A1.

Every lesson is written in plain English, explains each grammar word the first time it appears, and gives a guide to saying every new Italian word, so you can learn without audio. You'll practise out loud from the start, with short dialogues, sentences to read aloud and a practical task in every lesson. The grammar is kept to what beginners need: the present tense, articles and agreement, piacere, reflexive and modal verbs, and a first look at the past.

There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons, and each section ends with a short quiz. You follow Moyra, a school office manager from Dunfermline whose grandfather came from near Modena, as she learns Italian to meet her family in Italy, practises with a language exchange partner in Bologna, and finally makes the trip. Every section has a practice pack with a worksheet, example answers, extra practice with answers, a word list, dialogue scripts, grammar cards and flashcards, plus verb tables, a pronunciation guide, role-play scripts and a printable phrase sheet where they help.

What you'll learn

• Getting started: how Italian sounds, the alphabet and the five pure vowels, c and g, gli, gn and double consonants, greetings, tu and Lei, and numbers to 20.
• Talking about yourself: the verbs essere and avere, masculine and feminine nouns, il, lo, la, un and una, plurals and agreement, where you're from, jobs and family.
• Everyday verbs and sentences: the present tense of -are, -ere and -ire verbs, questions and saying no, common irregular verbs such as fare and andare, prices and your age.
• Time, routines and free time: days, months, dates and the time, reflexive verbs for your daily routine, hobbies with mi piace, the weather and making arrangements.
• Food and drink: food words and the polite vorrei, ordering at a bar and a restaurant, explaining a food allergy, paying, and shopping at a market.
• Getting around: places in town and the little words a, in, da and di, directions, trains and tickets, buses and taxis, and what to say when travel goes wrong.
• Shopping, accommodation and modal verbs: potere, volere and dovere, clothes and colours, shops and opening hours, checking in, and sorting out a problem by phone.
• Health, work and a first look at the past: the pharmacy and the doctor, emergencies, your working life, and the passato prossimo with avere and essere.
• Real-world Italian: messages and emails, phone calls and fast speech, when to switch from Lei to tu, regions and dialects, and everyday customs and celebrations.
• Review and final projects: a grammar and phrase review, your own spoken and written self-introduction, a role-play script to act out, and how to keep learning.

Who it's for

Adult beginners in the UK: complete beginners, and anyone who knows a few holiday words and wants a structured start. It suits travellers to Italy, people with Italian family or roots, and anyone who'd like to learn a new language for its own sake.

What this course is, and isn't

This is a text-based course with no audio or video: pronunciation is taught with simple written guides. It teaches standard Italian, with a lesson on regional accents and dialects. It doesn't lead to a qualification, and it doesn't recommend any apps, books or brands. The story and characters are fictional.

What will I learn?

• Pronounce Italian clearly, including the pure vowels, c and g, gli, gn and double consonants, using simple written guides
• Greet people, introduce yourself and choose between tu and Lei
• Talk about yourself, your family, your work, your hobbies and your daily routine in simple sentences
• Use the present tense of regular and common irregular verbs, ask questions and say no with non
• Understand masculine and feminine nouns, the articles and agreement, explained in plain English
• Use numbers, prices, dates and the time, and say what you like with mi piace and mi piacciono
• Order at a bar and a restaurant, explain a food allergy, shop at a market and for clothes, and pay
• Ask for directions, buy train and bus tickets, check into a B&B or hotel and sort out simple problems
• Use potere, volere and dovere, and talk about the past with the passato prossimo
• Write short messages and emails, cope with phone calls and fast speech, and know some everyday Italian customs

Frequently asked questions