We bet you have heard at least one Italian song in your lifetime.
Come on, you have surely heard of the mega-hit “Time To Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman.
It has such an unforgettable melody and memorable lyrics, right?
Even if you don’t speak Italian, you’ll instinctively hum to the melody when Andrea starts singing the part “Con te partiro” which means with you I shall depart in Italian.
For many of us, that’s our first encounter with Italian. We think of it as a beautiful foreign language that we often hear in Western movies and music.
In between, we might pick up a word or two. From two words, we might end up with another twenty, and another twenty.
Then we began to pause. Two questions set in.
Should we continue to learn? How far should we take this?
If you are interested to master Italian, you are in the right place.
In this article, we will guide you step by step to kickstart a fruitful Italian learning journey.
You’ll learn extensively on the elements of understanding the process of finding a reliable Italian tutor, exploring some of the best Italian learning resources and price range of Italian lessons as well as learning more about various Italian language proficiency exams.
How To Have Affordable Italian Lessons
When it comes to language learning (this applies to any language), you might want to start thinking in terms of range.
Time range. Scope of learning range. PRICE RANGE of your Italian lessons.
It’s good to decide in advance your maximum budget if you are planning to enrol in a language school or if you are opting for private tutoring.
Granted that there are many Italian classes offered in the market, you might be on the fence as to how to decide on your maximum budget and how to look for a cost-effective option.
Here is a list of pointers that you can take note of that determines the price range of Italian lessons.
- The location that you are staying: Language learning in big cities (like Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru) would cost more as compared to smaller cities.
- The qualification/tutoring experience of the teacher: Hiring a certified native Italian language professor would certainly cost more than a student tutor who is still in university or a Malaysian bilingual Italian English tutor.
- The level of your Italian learning: As you progress from an absolute beginner, beginner to an intermediate or advanced learner, the cost of lessons would increase too.
- Frequency of lessons: Depending on your schedule and preferences, your Italian lessons could be conducted weekly, bi-weekly, or bi-monthly. For example, if you are only taking conversational Italian lessons for travelling purposes, you might not need to sign up for monthly lessons.
- Scope of lessons and intensity of language learning: Are you currently preparing to pursue an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Italy? Or are you learning the language because your significant other is from Italy?
- The teaching methodology and mode: Do you prefer to learn in a classroom setting with other students? You might want to enjoy one-to-one private lessons in the comfort of your home. Are you open to online Italian lessons? Online Italian lessons are generally more affordable than group lessons at language schools.
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Having said that, here are some price ranges of Italian lessons that you can expect at various learning institutions and platforms in Malaysia.
- If you wish to enrol in a language school in Kuala Lumpur, you should anticipate at least RM120 per hour or prepare up to RM700 per month.
- If you prefer to hire a home or online tutor via a tutoring platform like Superprof, the hourly rate can start from RM80 per hour. Of course, if your language teacher is certified and heavily degreed, you may pay more – those diplomas are not free, after all!
Continue reading to find out some of the best ways to find a reliable Italian tutor.
What Are the Characteristics of A Good Italian Tutor?
So many Italian teachers are offering their services, how can you choose the “right one”?
We have listed three main keys that will help you to make the right decision.
Key number 1: EXPERTISE
The Italian tutor that you plan to hire must be able to demonstrate professional proficiency in the language. That means he or she should be capable of teaching the following:
- The entire Italian alphabet and the right pronunciation for each of them
- Various Italian grammar rules and vocabulary according to the contexts
- Italian verb conjugation, usage of adjectives
- Listening comprehension
- How to read and write in Italian
- Effective translation of Italian and English
Key number 2: EXPERIENCE
The next thing you should inquire about is the tutor’s teaching experience or their years of learning Italian.
If you are learning Italian from scratch, it would certainly help if your tutor is an experienced teacher.
That way, he or she would know exactly what an absolute beginner needs and relate better to their struggles. He or she would also know the right learning materials and adjust their teaching pace according to the student’s progress.
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Key number 3: COMMUNICATION
Last but not least, you’ll certainly want to learn from someone with whom you can communicate effectively.
That’s why many students either opt for a native Italian tutor who is effectively bilingual or a Malaysian who has experience studying or working in Italy. That way, you will be able to ask away any questions and the tutor will be able to break down the complex concepts in a way that you can understand.
Another important feature of communication is also the availability and accountability of the tutor.
For example, you don’t want to have a tutor that is always “missing in action” or replies to your message after a week. That’s why it helps if you can read the reviews left by former students of the tutor to know about the tutor’s work ethic and attitude in general.
The good news? You can find the information on all these three keys of an Italian tutor by heading to Superprof.
Finding a home tutor and online Italian tutor via Superprof
It’s super easy and convenient to find an Italian tutor with Superprof.
All you need to do is just follow 3 simple steps.
- SEARCH
Once you are on the Superprof homepage, you can start viewing the tutors’ profiles freely. A glance at the tutor’s profile will reveal the tutor’s basic information such as their tutoring experience, qualification, hourly rate, preferred teaching mode, current location as well as their past students’ reviews.
Most of them will upload their latest photo, so it’s not all that “mysterious”.
- CONTACT
Once you have decided to hire them after reviewing their details, you can proceed to contact them. Superprof tutors have a fast response time (indicated in their profiles) and they will soon reply to your query.
- ORGANISE
You can start arranging your lessons arrangements with your tutor. Once that is finalised, you can sit back and wait for your first Italian lesson.
Find out more about the journey of finding a reliable Italian tutor in this article.
What You Should Know About Italian Exams/Language Proficiency Certificates
Once you have taken all your basic, intermediate and advanced Italian lessons, you might want to see where you actually stand according to a recognized language standard.
Perhaps, you might be preparing to study in Italy or work in Italy one day.
What you can do is start researching the exact Italian language qualification or language proficiency certificates that are relevant to you.
For example, you might want to take the A-Level Italian subject as a private candidate during your pre-university studies in Malaysia.
To do that, you can start browsing the latest format and marking scheme of this subject. After knowing what will be tested, you can start preparing for the exam by doing lots of past year papers or hiring an Italian tutor to have a more systematic learning plan.
Apart from the A-Level Italian subject, you can also sit for the Certification of Italian as A Foreign Language (CILS) or the Certificate of Knowledge of Italian Language (CELI).
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Both of these language certificates are recognized by the government of Italy for education and working purposes.
You can read more about the preparation for Italian exams and language certificates here.
Amazing Online Resources to Study Italian
Most of us spend plenty of hours on the Internet every day.
Extensive research has shown that millennials spend on average 8.5 hours engaging with online content while Gen Zs spend around 10.6 hours daily consuming mobile content.
Therefore it is not a surprise that online education is on the rise in recent years, especially since the pandemic occurred.
Here are a few amazing online platforms that you can utilize to master Italian comprehensively.
Websites and Blogs
Many educational and entertaining websites on Italian culture and the Italian language exist.
For example, you’ll find many blogs by students who have studied abroad in Italy or those who chose to relocate to a village in Italy at a later age. It’s very interesting to read about their first-hand experiences in the country and gain some practical language-learning tips. You’ll see Italy through a different lens.
Other than that, you can also get free information on where to find the best pizza, pasta and gelato in different Italian cities.
Don’t forget, all this information might come in handy when you get the opportunity to visit Italy one day too!
Youtube channels
If you are an audiovisual learner, Youtube is certainly your educational playground! You can find a wide range of Italian-focused Youtube channels on specific Italian learning tutorial videos featuring an instructor, animation videos or PowerPoint slides. The sky is the limit.
The best thing about learning a language through Youtube is that it is free of charge, extremely accessible and you can review it anytime and anywhere you want.
You don’t have to be fixated on one Youtube channel and can freely explore as many Youtube channels as you want. If you find that you prefer the video style and teaching method of a specific Youtube channel, you can then focus on their videos.
Online short courses
On the other hand, if you are someone who likes a pre-planned lesson structure with a flexible learning pace, you should certainly opt for online Italian courses.
There are many online course platforms that you can explore such as Future Learn, Domestika, Khan Academy, Skillshare and many more.
Online Italian courses are amazing because you can review the learning outcomes at a glance and see if it is a good fit for your learning expectations.
For instance, you might register for an Italian online course that focuses more on Italian culture comprehension and conversations if you are planning a holiday to Italy at the year’s end. Likewise, you might enrol for an Italian course that highlights reading and writing skills if you intend to pursue your tertiary education in Italy in the future.
One thing to note is that most online short courses come with a standard fee if you are opting for unlimited access and a certificate of completion. So be sure to check if the price of the course fits your budget and learning timeline.
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Online tutors
We have mentioned earlier the relevance of private tutoring.
If you would like the best of both worlds by combining private tutoring and online education, then an online Italian tutor is the answer!
You’ll be surprised that many online native Italian tutors are equally dedicated to offering their experiences and expertise to Italian learners across the globe, including Malaysia.
Online tutoring is a great fit for you if you are looking for a flexible and convenient learning experience.
All you need is just a mobile device and a stable Internet connection to start learning. Not to mention that online lessons are generally more affordable than physical language lessons. It is seriously a great investment!
Dive deep into other Italian learning resources here.
We have reached the end of this article. We hope that you have found the above information useful and you’ll be inspired to take your passion for Italian to the next level.
For now, it’s time to say goodbye.
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