• The Open University

Italian for Beginners 1: Meeting, Greeting and Eating

Learn how to order food and drink, greet people, and introduce yourself, in this first Italian for Beginners course.

81,959 enrolled on this course

A busy Italian street, perfect for meeting and greeting people
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours

This free online course is the first of six in the Italian for Beginners program. It will introduce you to the basic language, so that you are able to:

  • order snacks and drinks in a café;
  • greet people and introduce yourself and others;
  • talk about where you live and where you come from;
  • talk about the languages you speak;
  • talk about what you do.

Start to speak, listen, read and write in Italian

During the four weeks of the course, you will learn some of the vocabulary and phrases you need to help you interact with people at a basic level.

You will start to develop the four language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing through a range of activities, which will introduce the language in authentic settings, and audio resources, which will let you hear the language in action.

There are some activities where you will also practice your speaking skills, as it is important that you start speaking as soon as possible.

You will also learn some essential Italian grammar, including some basic verbs, such as essere (to be) and chiamarsi (to call). Finally, you will get some tips and advice on how to develop your study skills, so that you can become a successful language learner.

Take your Italian learning offline by purchasing two hours of downloadable audio files and transcripts made by the course creators at The Open University. These MP3s are a great way to practise your Italian listening and speaking wherever you are. They cover examples and exercises in the same topics as the course.

What topics will you cover?

  • Order snacks and drinks in a café;
  • Greet people and introduce yourself and others;
  • Talk about where you live and where you come from;
  • Talk about the languages you speak;
  • Talk about what you do.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Develop skills in basic Italian for interacting in common communicative situations
  • Engage in simple communication in Italian
  • Apply the language introduced in order to greet people, talk about where you live and what you do
  • Apply the language introduced to talk about languages you speak and order drinks and snacks

Who is the course for?

This course is aimed at people with no prior knowledge of Italian, who want to learn the basic language, and find out about Italy and its regions and culture. This course is taught through English.

Who will you learn with?

Lecturer in Italian at the Open University, author of Italian course books. I'm Scottish but learnt Italian in Italy when young. I love singing, dancing and travelling around Italy.

I am a Lecturer in Italian at The Open University. I am Italian but live in the UK. I love learning new languages, reading novels, walking in the country, listening to music and yoga.

OU associate lecturer and materials writer. I have written materials on business communication, Academic English and Italian.

Who developed the course?

The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

  • Established

    1969
  • Location

    Milton Keynes, UK
  • World ranking

    Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

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Join the conversation on social media

You can use the hashtag #FLItalian to talk about this course on social media.