Let's Learn Italian!
Learning a foreign language requires effort and time, but nowadays there are so many resources and strategies to greatly help language learning. Actually, the more input you get, the easier and faster you will learn. This section features a growing collection of videos aimed at Italian learning for English speakers.
Sections on Learning Italian
Songs | Art and Artists | Culture and Trends | Famous Italians | History | Literature | Movie Clips | Places of Interest | TV and Comedy | Video Recipes | Course | Idioms
Recent Additions
CoVID-19 vs. influenza
Dr Burioni on analogies and differences between CoVID-19 and the influenza virus [12 min].
Viva la Pappa col Pomodoro
Rita Pavone's song of the 1960s, written by Oscar winners Lina Wertmüller and Nino Rota.
Sportina di Pasqua
From immemorial time, an Easter recipe from Etruscan Tuscany.
Bikini e tamurè
It was the summer of 1963 when a skinny Tony Renis introduced a Tahitian dance on beach dance floors [3 min].
A Sicilian in Milan
A girl from Palermo in Milan, her experiences with the underground trains, the traffic, the language [12 min].
Cannoli siciliani
Heavenly pastry preparation, a historical recipe with wafers, ricotta and candied fruit.
"Come va?"
Umberto Eco imagines the answers that some famous figures might give to "Come va?"...
Omaggio a Roma
A 20-min long feature film, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, with Andrea Bocelli and Monica Bellucci...
Anna Magnani
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1956, and among the greatest performers in cinema history [6 min]
Vespa, an Italian icon
Patented on April 23, 1946, on a project of Corradino D'Ascanio, the Vespa has become an icon of Italian life.
Pasta e Patate
A traditional dish of the past, a tasty recipe made with "poor" ingredients.
Pane, amore e fantasia
A classic Italian comedy, starring Vittorio De Sica and Gina Lollobrigida [4 min].
More Suggestions to Learn Italian
Watch Italian films
See movies you know well in the Italian version. There are surely movies you like and have seen many times, you could see them again on DVD choosing Italian language and English subtitles. To find these movies online, you might search for the Italian title, to be sure you get a DVD with an Italian version - English subtitles are usually available on most DVDs. Or if you are buying from a store, find on the back of the cover the information on the languages available. If you get an Italian movie on DVD, pay attention to the Pal/Non-US Format, since the DVD might not play on your equipment.
Learn while Exploiting Dead Times
You can listen to recordings transferred to an MP3 player, iPod, or other device while driving, travelling, cooking, tidying up, doing physical exercise. Without making any great changes to your routines, you'll have lots of hours each month of "passive learning", that will not require any planned, intentional study on your part.
Suggested Links
- Among the many free resources available to learners of the Italian language, here are some suggestions:
- Guida d'Italia: Read our guide in the Italian language about regions and places
- Free BBC course
- An audio-guide to common Italian words
- You Tube Channel with Professor Toto targeted at children.
- A documentary of 2001, directed by Roberto Olla, in 8 parts: Emigranti - Italians in the world
- The Beginning of Southern Italian Emigration, with English subtitles (3 minutes)
- Coachsurfing: an interview on Rainews with English subtitles (9.50 minutes).
ItalyHeritage on Facebook
Italian Genealogy
Family History
Need help in your research?Cultural Heritage
Sections on Learning Italian
Info on Italian Regions
Abruzzo | Basilicata | Calabria | Campania | Emilia-Romagna | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Lazio | Liguria | Lombardy | Marche | Molise | Piedmont | Puglia | Sardinia | Sicily | Tuscany | Trentino-Alto Adige | Umbria | Valle d'Aosta | Veneto
