Designed for complete beginners, this program introduces you to the basics of the Italian language in the context of major themes in Italian culture, and progresses steadily through the intermediate and advanced levels: when you complete this program, your will be able to express opinions and hypotheses, and sustain an argument.

The cultural content of the course is rich, varied and contemporary. It includes a variety of video interviews with native speakers on different aspects of contemporary Italian life, from fashion to cuisine, from cinematography to the recent immigration crisis. This program also features an exciting "virtual tour" to three Italian piazzas and six Italian towns.

The guiding principle behind these courses is "variety". We have designed many tools that will help you learn in different ways:

Situational videos: a great way to learn authentic conversational Italian.
Voice recognition: become a participant and practice your speaking skills in Italian with immediate feedback.
Grammar charts: study and review grammar through concise, clear and downloadable pdf files.
Short video lessons: learn each new topic, as if in a real classroom, with the teacher’s direct guidance.
Self-correcting activities: practice and test the skills you have just learned.

In short, our program is designed to fit all learning styles. Since 2015, many thousands of online learners like you have successfully completed the three courses in this program (beginner, intermediate and advanced). These courses have also been taught to hundreds of students on our campus. When you learn Italian on edX, you also experience how languages are taught at Wellesley College, a leading liberal arts institution of higher education.

At the end of this Program, you will be able to present yourself as a knowledgeable Italian speaker to any employer, particularly to those companies and institutions doing business in Europe and working in the field of international relations. The language proficiency and the multi-cultural perspective you will have acquired will be impressive assets that are highly valued in all job markets.

In addition, you can present this Professional Certificate to any educational institution as an important recognition of academic achievement as well as language and cultural proficiency.

We hope you will decide to start this new learning adventure and be ready to immerse yourself in the rich culture of Italia, the Bel Paese.

Arrivederci a presto!

Please take note of the following:

We estimate that learners will take about nine months to complete this program. A Course Certificate will be rewarded at the course-level in addition to a Program Certificate once learners meet all requirements for all courses.

In order to best track and manage your progress, please consider that you need to reach a passing score by August 31, 2024, the day when this program will be archived. After August 31, 2024, you will retain access to all course materials, but your scores on graded assignments will no longer be recorded. You can find more information on Course End Dates in this article and on Course Access here.