Italian Pod 101 Review: Italian Lessons

With Innovative Language Learning, the parent company of ItalianPod101, you can learn not just Italian, but any of the 40 languages offered. Once you sign up for a free lifetime membership, you'll have access to the new learning materials added every week, so you'll always have fresh content to help improve your skills. Whether you want to talk about the latest trends or global events, you'll have the words you need. Plus, you can trust the quality because all content is approved by professional Italian speakers before being published.

Audio-focused lessons

Innovative Language, the creator of ItalianPod101, focuses on teaching practical expressions in a way that's similar to how native speakers actually use the language. Generally, each lesson starts with an audio conversation where a new language skill is introduced. The lesson then dives deeper into the cultural backdrop of the conversation, and other important language elements like key vocabulary, phrases, and sentence structures that you need to perform specific language tasks.

Take a placement test

When you start with ItalianPod101, you get to pick your learning level, which can be from Absolute Beginner (1) to Advanced Learner (5). Or, you can take a test that places you at the right level. To get a 7-day free trial of Premium, you do need to sign up first. Unfortunately, you can't see the lessons until you do. After the trial ends, you'll lose access to all the lessons and special tools unless you decide to buy a membership. If you upgrade during the trial, you'll get a 10% discount.

Follow a pathway or jump around

On your dashboard, you'll notice "Learning Paths." This feature organizes lessons into modules based on different topics. You can choose to follow these paths in order, or you can pick and choose modules that interest you. The dashboard might seem a bit overwhelming at first, but starting with the Learning Paths can make it easier. This structure can be a big help if you're not sure where to start. But remember, it's optional. If you prefer a more flexible learning style, you can skip around. Just note that the lessons aren't arranged by difficulty - they're grouped by topic.

Lessons revolve around audio

In the first level of this Italian course, you'll access 75 audio lessons, 3 video lessons, and 61 assessments. You'll also learn 493 new vocabulary words. The course matches levels A1-A2 of the CEFR, which are beginner levels. (A quick side note: we've heard that while the lessons start out very organized in the Beginner levels, the teachers have a little more freedom in the Advanced levels and some of that starts to fall apart.) In these lessons, you'll repeat words and phrases to help you remember them. Each 10-15 minute lesson has different types of content like audio, video, and documents you can print. The audio lessons can be taken anywhere and help you practice listening and speaking. Video lessons are like being in a classroom, with visuals to help you learn. The documents give you a chance to practice reading and review what you've learned. Completing the practice assignments and worksheets helps reinforce what you've learned and improve your fluency. Assessments are a way for you to check what you know and find out what you still need to learn.

Entertaining topics

Some lesson titles might make you laugh, but they're fun and unique. For example, you'll learn how to say "there is" and "there are" in a lesson titled "That's It! There Is No More Italian Ice Cream for You!" You'll master Italian transitive verbs in a lesson humorously called "She Beat Up That Little Boy!" And, you'll learn to use the future tense in a lesson about Italian Knock-Knock Jokes. In addition to these sillier examples, there are also lessons themed around scenarios you might be more likely to encounter in Italy.

$4 to $23 per month

ItalianPod101 offers three packages, each with its own benefits. With the free version, you can access the first three lessons of every pathway, get new lessons weekly, and have access to resources like the Italian Word of the Day and vocabulary lists. If you upgrade to the Basic level for $4 per month, you get access to all lessons and detailed lesson notes. For a little more money, the Premium level at $10 per month offers extras like assessments, audio dialogues, and flashcards. If you want the most comprehensive experience, the Premium Plus level provides personal guidance from a teacher and personalized assessments for around $23 per month. Keep in mind, though, that you'll be paying for two years up front with any of these plans.

You own what you pay for

One great thing about these Italian lessons is that you can download all of them - not just the MP3s, but also the PDFs of transcripts and lesson notes. This means you could download every single lesson when you first sign up. Even if you didn't renew your subscription, you could still keep using the lessons you downloaded.

A month to get your money back

If you purchase a subscription and find out you're not happy with it, don't worry. You can reach out to ItalianPod101 by sending an email to their customer service team to take advantage of the 60-day money-back guarantee. You can just ask for your money back, no questions asked and no problems.

We recommend them

ItalianPod101 might be overwhelming if you're not adept at self-directed learning, given the sheer multitude of topics they cover. That's a double-edged sword, though, because this is one of the few companies that have lessons for advanced levels of Italian. We also appreciate that the materials are regularly updated. The price is excellent for what you receive. Overall, this is a trustworthy company that we highly rate among the options for Italian lessons.

Learn More  ➜

On the Italian Pod 101 website