podcasts to learn italian

Katie (from the UK) and Matteo (Italian) make this podcast with simple language learning tips from Milan. It’s fun and covers the mistakes language learners make. This one is perfect if you want to learn Italian with a friendly English-speaking guide and come out sounding like a natural. Listen

ItalianPod101 from InnovativeLanguage covers the basic through advanced levels of Italian. The episodes are exciting and immersive. One episode I particularly enjoyed is Must-Know Italian Slang Words and Phrases – Expressions to Describe Someone You Dislike. It was one of the most humorous episodes and I learned about how colourful Italian insults can be! 

The dialogues are presented by engaging hosts in a clear, concise way covering many grammatical features and cultural topics. On the website you can sign up for premium content to access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum. Listen

News in Slow Italian, an intermediate level podcast, discusses world news, grammar, and expressions in the form of slowed down audio. Every episode is a virtual immersion into the Italian-speaking world showing grammar and vocabulary in context. The hosts are engaging and they show you that the language is alive and vibrant and waiting for you to dive into it. 

The audio is very clear and easy to follow. On the website there are transcripts for each episode available with grammar, expressions, pronunciation, and quizzes. Listen

https://www.newsinslowitalian.com/

This wonderful podcast is created by Italian teachers Elfin, Silvia and Barbara. The concept is simple. These three women are firm friends and meet each other to discuss what’s new in Italy and Italian life. Their conversations are natural, authentic, and 100% engaging.

If you find their conversations too hard to follow, you can download the transcript and you’ll never miss a word. Listen

La bottega di Babbel

Level: Intermediate

What’s Ferragosto? When was pizza invented? How is Christmas celebrated in Italy? Eager to find out some curious facts about Italian customs and traditions? Then tune in to our host Gianluca discussing all things Italian with learners and native speakers. Boost your language skills and discover fascinating facets of the Italian life at La bottega di Babbel! Read more in Babbel Magazine

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This podcast is almost entirely in Italian and is mainly designed for intermediate learners although you can easily select your level and choose to listen to episodes that are right for you. The website includes transcripts as well as helps learners learn colloquialisms in the “Usi Colloquiali” (Colloquial Uses) section. Host Davide mixes stories from his own life with handy new vocabulary – a winning mix! Listen to Podcast Italiano

Arkos Academy

Arkos Academy is mainly for the intermediate and advanced levels of learning Italian. The audio is mostly in Italian and the recordings are at a slower than normal pace, which allows you to really focus on strengthening your listening skills. There is also a lot of information on Italian culture and society, along with transcripts from each lesson on the website so that you can follow along and actively practice both your listening and reading at the same time.

As an added bonus, the Arkos Academy website offers a directory of private native teachers and excellent articles about Italy in Italian. 

The Italiano Automatico podcast is great for upper intermediate and advanced learners of Italian. It’s total immersion combined with lots of interesting topics and explains idiomatic and colloquial expressions. It is the companion podcast to the popular Italian learning website Italiano Automatico by Alberto Arrighini.

La Linguacciuta

For Advanced learners of Italian and are you passionate about language and linguistics? Are you maybe learning a new language? Listen to Ilenia Zodiaco’s podcast on the oddities and wonders of linguistic communication. Her stories will intrigue you and satisfy your curiosity about the fantastic world of languages.

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4 Verticale

Language: Italian Level: Advanced

This is Babbel’s Italian podcast that breaks the monotony of a learning method based just on books and professors. Your hosts Giulia and Stefano will accompany you on the discovery of foreign languages through fun anecdotes, stories and studio guests. Read more in Babbel Magazine

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An Italian podcast with a twist: In Da Costa a Costa, host Francesco Costa covers American politics in the Italian language, offering an in-depth look at the USA from the Italian perspective. The episodes are well-produced and a pleasure to listen to, and will give you plenty of interesting material to listen to. They are created for native speakers, so most suitable for the more advanced learners. Website

This show is ideal for learners at any level. The podcast host Cher Hale is super charming, and she provides fun, useful content for Italian learners about the language and the culture.

The show covers a variety of topics way beyond your usual textbooks. Check out Cher’s episodes on How to Write a Love Letter in Italian, Phrases to Buy Jewelry in Italy, or her Tips for Navigating the Train System in Italy.