Italian Course Level Structure

Introductions and everyday basics - Units 1 - 2

You’ll learn to greet people, introduce yourself and others, ask and answer basic personal questions and exchange details such as nationality, age, phone number and email. You’ll also practise ordering in a café and expressing simple wishes.

Language focus includes pronunciation and the alphabet, formal and informal language, essere and avere, masculine and feminine nouns, singular and plural forms and regular present-tense verbs ending in -are and -ere.

Work, Hobbies and Accomodation - Units 3 - 5

You’ll learn to discuss work, professions, workplaces, hobbies and free-time activities. You’ll express likes and dislikes, make suggestions, book hotel accommodation and manage simple complaints or problems.

Language focus includes definite articles, regular -are, -ere and -ire verbs, fare, mi piace and mi piacciono, asking for reasons and the difference between bene and buono.

Cities, Directions and Travel - Units 6 - 7

You’ll learn to describe a city and its monuments, ask for and give directions, discuss holidays and transport and understand basic travel information. You’ll also practise asking for and telling the time.

Language focus includes revision of regular and irregular present-tense verbs, prepositions and location, and the modal verbs dovere, potere and volere.

Past Experiences, Family and Daily Life - Units 8 - half of 9

You’ll learn to write and discuss a short biography, talk about past events and experiences, describe your family and relationships and explain your daily routine.

Language focus includes the passato prossimo, direct object pronouns, possessive adjectives, reflexive verbs and using present and past forms together.

Travel, Accomodation and Preferences - Arrivederci 1, Unit 12; Arrivederci 2, Unit 1

You’ll review key A1 topics and develop your ability to discuss travel, accommodation, homes, sport, culture and leisure. You’ll understand advertisements, make arrangements and express interests and opinions.

Language focus includes adverbs ending in -mente, impersonal si, adverbs of quantity, the present progressive with stare and the relative superlative.

Holidays, Childhood and Shopping - Units 2 -3

You’ll discuss holidays, childhood memories and past events and become more confident shopping for clothes and describing colours and styles.

Language focus includes the imperfetto, the contrast between imperfetto and passato prossimo, past forms of piacere, demonstratives, direct object pronouns with the past tense and relative and absolute superlatives.

Health, Advice and Invitations - Units 4 - 5

You’ll learn to describe people, discuss parts of the body and health problems, give advice and manage invitations, congratulations and social occasions.

Language focus includes the informal imperative, negative commands, sapere and potere, indefinite adjectives and pronouns and the relative pronoun che.

Lifestyle, Food and the Conditional - Units 6 - 7

You’ll discuss quality of life, compare living in the city and countryside, ask for and offer help and talk about houses, housemates, food and recipes.

Language focus includes direct and indirect pronouns, formal and informal imperatives with pronouns, the conditional and the expressions volerci and metterci.

Media, Technology and Work - Units 8 - 9

You’ll discuss news, mass media, technology, employment and job interviews. You’ll express opinions, report a news story and describe your work, responsibilities and ideal job.

Language focus includes deeper work with the conditional, the passato prossimo of modal verbs, stare per, prima di plus infinitive and verbs followed by prepositions.

Relationships, the Future and Social Life - Units 10 - 11

You’ll discuss love, feelings, uncertainty, future plans, shared living, neighbours, stereotypes and cultural differences. You’ll also practise reacting with surprise, relief and disbelief and keeping a conversation moving naturally.

Language focus includes the future tense, si with reflexive verbs, riuscire, the relative pronoun cui and expressions such as ce l’ho and ce l’hai.

The Senses, Identity and Made in Italy - Units 1 - intro to 2

You’ll discuss the five senses, tastes, emotions, gestures, volunteering and the idea of Made in Italy. You’ll also review important A2 grammar and vocabulary.

Language focus includes sapere and conoscere, passato prossimo and imperfetto, fare or lasciare plus infinitive, expressing permission and prohibition and the differences between adjectives and adverbs such as buono, bene, migliore and meglio.

Generations, Family and Storytelling - Units 2 - 3

You’ll discuss generations, family relationships and cultural change and tell more detailed stories using a wider range of past forms.

Language focus includes the trapassato prossimo, connectors such as mentre, siccome and visto che, pronominal verbs including farcela and andarsene, direct and indirect pronouns, combined pronouns and ne.

Happiness, Opinions and Inventions - Unit 4

You’ll discuss happiness, quality of life, feelings, opinions and new inventions.

Language focus includes the congiuntivo presente and congiuntivo passato, giving you more precise ways to express opinions, emotions, doubt and personal reactions.

Italian Art, Design and the Conditional - Unit 6

You’ll discuss Italy, beauty, art, fashion, cinema and design while learning to make polite requests, express desires and give advice.

Language focus includes the condizionale presente and condizionale passato and further work with se and quando.

The Italian Language, Media and Reported Speech - Units 7 - 8

You’ll explore the history and development of Italian, modern language use, humour, social networks and television.

Language focus includes suffixes and altered nouns, indirect or reported speech and reporting what another person has said.

Media, Humour and Relative Pronouns - Unit 8

You’ll continue discussing mass media, text genres, humour, jokes, stress, holidays and celebrations.

Language focus includes reported speech, revision of che, constructions with quello or ciò plus a relative pronoun and language used in humour and wordplay.

Traditions, Stereotypes and Hypothetical Situations - Unit 9

You’ll discuss traditions, customs, nationalities, stereotypes, travel and Italian brands.

Language focus includes indefinite adjectives and pronouns, the present and imperfect subjunctive, the second conditional and connectors followed by the subjunctive, including sebbene, affinché, nonostante and prima che.