Survival Italian
Everything you need
to get by in Italy
No textbook required.
You don’t need to be fluent to enjoy Italy. You need the right words, in the right situations, said with enough confidence that people understand you.
That’s exactly what this course gives you.
1
Al bar
Ordering coffee, pastries, and getting the ritual right.
2
Al ristorante
Reading a menu, asking questions, paying without confusion.
3
In albergo
Check-in, requests, solving small problems at the front desk.
4
Sui trasporti
Trains, buses, tickets, and asking for directions.
5
Al mercato
Buying food, understanding quantities, chatting with vendors.
6
Orientarsi
Finding your way, understanding signs, asking locals.
Each module gives you the phrases that actually get used — not the ones that live only in phrasebooks. You’ll hear real Italian, practise key conversations, and leave each lesson with something you can use immediately.
What’s included
Audio with native-speaker pronunciationFull dialogue and Minus 1 practice for every module.
Downloadable phrase sheetsOne page per module. Print it or save it on your phone before you travel.
Practice exercisesShort quizzes you can complete in a few minutes.
6 self-contained modulesComplete them in any order. Come back to any module any time.
Who is this for?
- You’ve never studied Italian and want to start somewhere practical.
- You have some basics but they don’t feel useful in real situations.
- You’re travelling to Italy and want to feel less lost and more confident.
- You’ve been to Italy before and want to do better next time.
Want to keep going after this?
Join a group conversation session or book a one-to-one lesson on italki to practise in real time with a teacher who has 30 years of experience.
Curriculum
- 5 Sections
- 35 Lessons
- 10 Weeks
Expand all sectionsCollapse all sections
- Module 0- Welcome to Survival Italian3
- Module 1- Al BarThe bar is the heart of Italian daily life, fast, friendly, and built on ritual. In this module you learn to order coffee, pastries, and drinks, pay at the till, and get the small things right that locals notice. No grammar. Just the Italian you’ll use on your first morning in Italy.7
- Module 2- Al RistoranteYou will learn how Italian menus are structured, how to book a table by phone, how to order confidently, how to handle dietary needs, and how to read your bill without surprises. You will also pick up the cultural knowledge that separates a tourist from someone who actually knows how things work — the coperto, the contorno, the vino della casa, the apericena, and why the doggy bag does not exist.11
- 3.1Lesson 1- How an Italian menu works
- 3.2Lesson 2- Booking a Table
- 3.3Lesson 3- L’aperitivo
- 3.4Lesson 4- Talking to the waiter
- 3.5Lesson 5- I Vini
- 3.6Lesson 6- The bill
- 3.7Lesson 7- The words that save you
- 3.8Lesson 8- Al Ristorante – Practice Dialogue
- 3.9Module 2 — Al ristorante · Grammar I want, I’d like, I’ll have
- 3.10Module 2 — Al ristorante · Grammar – The menu is talking to you
- 3.11Module 2- Quiz10 Questions
- Module 3- In Albergo/ In appartamentoMost travellers today don’t just book hotels. This module covers both: checking in at a hotel and dealing with a host when you’ve rented an apartment. The language overlaps more than you’d think — and the key phrases that get things sorted are the same either way. You’ll learn how to check in, ask about WiFi and breakfast, report a problem, and leave on time. You’ll also pick up two essential grammar structures: c’è / ci sono for describing what’s there (or isn’t), and the past tense for when something has gone wrong.9
- 4.1Lesson 1- How Italians (and tourists) actually stay
- 4.2Lesson 2- The words you’ll actually need
- 4.3Lesson 3- Dialogue- Check-in in Albergo
- 4.4Lesson 4- Dialogue- Check in in Appartamento
- 4.5Lesson 5- Grammar- C’è/ Ci sono
- 4.6Lesson 6- Grammar- Something’s wrong
- 4.7Lesson 7- C’è un problema con la doccia (in Hotel)
- 4.8Lesson 8- C’è un problema con il riscaldamento (In appartamento)
- 4.9Module 3 Quiz9 Questions
- Module 4 — Getting AroundItaly has one of the best rail networks in Europe. Trains are fast, frequent, and — once you know the system — surprisingly easy to navigate. Buses and metros vary by city. Taxis are straightforward if you know what to say. This module gives you the language for all three. You’ll learn how to buy a ticket, ask about platforms and times, get on the right bus, and tell a taxi driver where you’re going. No guesswork, no pointing at screens. By the end you’ll be able to move around an Italian city — and between cities — without needing anyone to rescue you.7
Instructor
Free
