Italian courses London

Learn to speak Italian in London

"A man who does not like Italy is always more or less a barbarian." (Félicien Marceau)

Want to learn Italian? Good for you, Italy is a beautiful country and culturally and gastronomically rich.

To speak Italian or any other living language, it is best to immerse yourself in the culture of the country and, if possible to do so, directly in the country itself! But that's not always possible. Fortunately, though, in London, Italian courses are not lacking in number or substance.

The Italian Cultural Institute in London

The Italian Cultural Institute in London is a major player in learning Italian in London and its suburbs. They are "the official Italian governmental body dedicated to promoting Italian language and culture in England and Wales". They undertake a wide range of activities in order to do so including: 

• Organizing concerts, exhibitions and cultural events
• Encouraging cultural and scientific collaboration between the UK and Italy
• Supporting initiatives for the Italian language and cultural development on the Italian community in the UK

And of course, they also offer top of the notch Italian language courses! Including: 

• 10 week courses for students with Elementary, Intermediate or Advanced Levels
• 2-5 week Intensive Courses are also available which are a great way to advance quickly
• Workshops for 1-3 weeks
• Conversation Club which runs for 10 weeks
• a Summer Term for 5-10 weeks
• and a Teaching Italian Course for advanced students for 5 weeks, for those who are wanting to learn how to teach Italian to others

All of the classes available are conducted in Italian and provide training in all basic communication skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) with an extensive study of grammar as well. Their teachers are all university qualified and native speakers and their classrooms are equipped with video and audio equipment, while also giving the possibility of working online. Class sizes are very reasonable at about 6-14 students. A great way to learn Italian quickly and acquire serious language skills in the Latin language.

Also good to know, the institute also offers many other opportunities for those interested in learning Italian or who are already adept:

• job opportunities
• awards and competitions
• internships and scholarships
• and opportunities to study Italian in Italy itself Ideal for beginning or perfecting your linguistic skills!

Other London Associations and Schools

Italian language teachers are not lacking in the city of London: between universities, private schools, associations, or even clubs, you will always find a teacher ready to help you learn this romantic language. Whether you want to improve your skills or start out from square one, London is full of places where Italian is in the spotlight.

The University College London (UCL) offers 10 week Italian language courses that are open to everyone and will help you to communicate effectively in Italian. They will help you to learn Italian as it's spoken in everyday situations and improve and develop your skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking. The classes are 20 hours overall, 2 hours per week, and are held once a week on weekday evenings from 5-7pm. They are taught at various levels, from complete beginners to advanced learners.

While you are enrolled at the UCL for an evening course, you'll also be able to access the self-access-center where you can look at books, films, documentaries, course videos and audio recordings in a wide variety of languages to really accentuate your learning.

The standard fees for external students are:

one term (10 lessons) - £370

two terms (20 lessons) - £665 (10% discount)

three terms (30 lessons) - £890 (20% discount)

Another university, the University of Arts (UAL) London offers courses in different languages, and for our interests, this would be namely the Italian, Arts and Culture Language Courses. They will "expose you to authentic language through listening and reading activities with an emphasis on functional uses."

The courses are 8 weeks long and explore a number of interesting tops such as architecture, fashion and society, and design, as well as improving you general language and communication skills. Expect to be in class from 6-8.30pm one night a week and to pay £215 per semester including all learning materials.

Here's a list of some of the many other schools and associations available to check out!

International House London - is part of a world organisation, made up of more than 150 independent schools in over 50 countries worldwide offering the same philosophy and teaching approach. 

• The Paul Noble Language Institute- all of their language courses are held in central London and they offer a variety of courses including 2-day intensives, 1-1 classes, and business courses
• City Lingual- a "boutique supplier of business language training, in-company language clubs, and language courses for individuals, providing bespoke language learning solutions to busy people" 
• The Language Class- established in 2001 they focus on language tuition and multicultural training through the use of the latest and innovative educational methods 
• Cactus Language Courses London- the Cactus organization is run by a team of multilingual language and travel enthusiasts has over 20 years experience in language teaching and have trained over 150,000 to date in language courses around the world 
• Vivere I'italiano- means 'living Italian' and is a language school that specializes in Italian only and offers to take you further than textbooks and guidebooks by through language and culture courses combining aspects such as cooking, art and cinema, literature and politics
• Happy Languages- where you can learn online, in face to face classes or check out some of the fantastic events they offer

And that's the short list! There are so many other great Italian language learning options in London, and let's check out just one more...!

Why Not Learn Italian With a Private Tutor?

It is also possible to progress quickly by choosing to use a private tutor. Many platforms like Superprof offer to connect learners and students needing training with qualified tutors in a specialized field.

At Superprof, more than 400 teachers are available in London to teach Italian, be it for mastering Italian in a professional context or to train and help students to improve their skills for an exam, upcoming trip or just for fun!

On average, on the Superprof platform, Italian classes are from £9-£20 per hour, with the lower ranges being offered by choosing a tutor with a little less experience, or with a non-native speaker for example. Thus, we can find rates below 10 € per hour!

Take advantage with Superprof, as the majority of our tutors offer the first course for free, an ideal way to gauge the methodology and personality of the teacher.

By now, hopefully, you've understood that Italian language teaching and learning can take many different forms.

From private organizations to school and associations, intensive courses, evening classes, group lessons and private lessons, there are many options available for each language level and need.

It would make sense for each individual learner to establish their training plan and choose the most appropriate method for their personality and learning objectives. There is no point, for example, in having long-term training in a language school if you just want to get by and have some Italian skills before you go on a few week trips to Sicily or Sardinia. Conversely, if you want to speak Italian fluently, long and/or intensive courses are the best ways to progress quickly!