News in Slow Italian

Summary

News in Slow Italian is an excellent learning resource; it’s very comprehensive and offers all the necessary tools to be able to practice all the aspects of the language. It’s also one of the most fun and original language learning tools I’ve seen and manages to be so without sacrificing on quality. This program is helpful for anyone who wants to learn Italian.

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I Like

• Comprehensive information in every lesson with various levels to fit different abilities
• Downloadable materials
• One of the few resources that really is fun to use

I Don’t Like

• Conversations are a bit too fast sometimes

Price

7-day free trial, then $19.90/month. You also have the option to prepay for any amount of months at a time, which doesn’t change the monthly price.

Rocket Italian

Summary

Rocket Italian is a good, comprehensive and easy-to-use course that’s ideal for beginners and lower-intermediate students. It’s an independent learning resource that can definitely teach you how to speak and write Italian on its own.

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I Like

• The logical and clear structure of the modules and the lessons
• Downloadable materials
• Plenty of exercises and explanations
• It’s easy to keep track of your progress and check how good you are compared to other students

I Don’t Like

• Sometimes the recording feature doesn’t work
• The exercises are very repetitive
• The lessons are on the more boring side of things

Price

For a one-off payment, Level 1 costs $99.95, Levels 1&2 cost $249.90 and all three courses purchased as a package are $259.90.

Italianpod101

Summary

This online tool is useful for people who already have a basis in Italian. It can be a great way to improve vocabulary and pronunciation, but beginners might want to look for alternative resources when it comes to learning grammar and the basics. ItalianPod101 comes in handy as a complementary tool to a more structured learning plan.

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I Like

• Plenty of audio files to practice pronunciation and comprehension
• Downloadable materials
• Thematic conversations and vocabulary structure
• Cultural elements explained in every lesson

I Don’t Like

• Lack of exercises
• Not a sufficient stand-alone resource for beginners
• Less than logical lesson progression
• Lots of unnecessary talking in English at lower levels

Price

Free trial for 7 days. If you pay for one month at a time, the Basic plan costs $8/month, the Premium plan costs $25/month, and the Premium+ plan costs $47/month. There are varying durations with lower prices for longer commitments which extend up to two years.

Use the promo code “ALLLANGUAGERESOURCES” to save 25% on a subscription to ItalianPod101.

LearnItalianPod

Summary

LearnItalianPod isn’t a good resource in my opinion. There are some fun supplementary lessons, but I found the basic learning paths to be insufficient in all sorts of ways for someone who’s trying to learn Italian.

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I Like

• The website is easy to use and has a pretty design with colors of the Italian flag.
• Additional lessons contain some really useful vocabulary and facts about Italy.

I Don’t Like

• I really disliked the recorded lessons. The hosts speak excessively slow, especially at the beginner level, and I found the repetitions tedious.
• There are almost no explanations of grammar concepts, which I found confusing and discouraging. I thought the provided practice was very limited.
• The tool doesn’t remember your level so you have to choose your language path every time you log in.
• The order of content doesn’t seem well thought out.

Price

LearnItalianPod has only one subscription plan. Their VIP membership can be purchased on a monthly basis at $14.95 per month or for the whole year at $149.50.