Italian: Beginners Conversation



Overview

Enhance your Italian conversational skills in a range of simple everyday situations with our elementary-level conversation class, designed for learners with a basic foundation in the language.

The course focuses on developing listening and speaking skills, expanding vocabulary, and improving grammar accuracy in basic everyday situations.

Through interactive activities and tasks, multimedia resources, and constructive feedback, you'll refine your language and improve your speaking skills.

Is this the right level course for you?

To benefit from the course learners will have done one of the following:

  • Completed our Italian Beginners level courses (Part 1 and Part 2); or
  • Studied Italian for two terms or 1 year; or
  • Achieved or are near Level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages in Italian.

New students, who have not completed 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', whose proficiency in the language is appropriate for the course level are very welcome.

Programme details

Course starts Wednesday 22 April 2026

This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Wednesdays, 4.30-6.30pm.

The weekly schedule below is intended to give an indication of the main topic(s) likely to be covered in each session. Please note that these may sometimes change according to the tutor’s discretion to reflect the interests of course participants.

Week 1: Mi presento e ti parlo dei me. Introducing myself and other people, talk about the daily routine

Week 2: Ho una passione per.... Discussing about free time, hobbies and sport

Week 3: In viaggio in Italia! Asking for directions, ordering, booking and renting 

Week 4: Ti racconto cosa è successo…- Talk in the past about events, adventures and misadventures

Week 5: Una giornata in famiglia. Describing people physical appearance and personality

Week 6: La mia casa. Talking about a house and furniture

Week 7: Mare, monti o citta`! - Expressing opinions about the preferred Italian places

Week 8: Indovina la mia vacanza – Talking about past holidays, past experiences

Week 9: I rimedi della nonna- Describe minor ailments and give advice 

Week 10: Cosa cuciniamo oggi?  Talking about favourite food, recipe and cooking tips

Key grammar points

  • Sentence structure, questions and word order
  • The present tense and present perfect of regular and irregular verbs
  • The verb piacere
  • Reflexive verbs and adverbs of frequency
  • The informal imperative form

Key functions

  • Giving and providing basic information about the self and others
  • Discussing and asking about holidays, personal interests, friends, family…
  • Expressing likes and dislikes, giving advice
  • Asking for and giving directions, ordering in a restaurant, booking a room

Textbooks

No textbook required. All course materials will be provided by the course tutor.

Certification

Digital badge

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.

After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add this badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee £300.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. See details of our concessionary fees for short courses.

Tutor

Mrs Stefania Nini Nini

Stefania holds a bachelor’s degree in Educational Sciences from the Catholic University of Milan and a PGCE in Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology. She has been teaching Italian language and culture for 30 years in Italy and in the UK: her teaching experience spans all age and level ranges. She joined OUDCE in September 2017.

Course aims

To assist learners with basic proficiency in Italian in consolidating their conversational skills across a variety of practical everyday situations, thereby laying the groundwork for further study.

Course objectives

  • Improve Pronunciation and intonation to ensure clear communication.
  • Enhance learners' ability to understand spoken language through various activities, such as listening activities, simple dialogues, guided role-plays and tasks.
  • Encourage learners to participate in simple conversations on everyday topics and gain confidence in speaking.
  • Expand vocabulary pertinent to practical everyday contexts and consolidate the application of fundamental grammar structures in spoken language.

Teaching methods

Our language courses promote collaborative learning, encouraging peer interaction and real-life activities. You will learn through participating in engaging activities and tasks in the target language. These are likely to include listening activities, guided role-plays, pair- and small group-work conducted in a supportive, friendly and informal learning environment. The course has been structured to help you primarily to develop your speaking and listening skills.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be better prepare to:

  • engage in basic conversations and ask and answer simple questions.
  • recognise and use key phrases for daily routines.
  • construct grammatically correct sentences to provide basic information and express needs.
  • demonstrate some basic knowledge of the cultural nuances and etiquette of the language.

Assessment methods

Formative assessment will be implemented through a series of class activities ranging from guided role-plays and structured pair-work to less structured dialogues and simple tasks. Learners will be encouraged to participate in class activities to benefit from tutor feedback.

Application

Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.

Level and demands

To benefit from the course learners will have done one of the following:

  • Completed our Italian Beginners level courses (Part 1 and Part 2); or
  • Studied Italian for two terms or 1 year; or
  • Achieved or are near Level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages in Italian.

New students, who have not completed 'Part 1' or 'Part 2', whose proficiency in the language is appropriate for the course level are very welcome.

Find out more about our language levels.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support