Short course
Italian: Beginners – Part 1
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates:
30/09/2026 - 02/12/2026
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
Join this interactive course to learn Italian language and explore its culture. For complete beginners as well as those who have learnt some Italian expressions and phrases through travel or socialising.
To support the development of communicative skills, the course offers a balanced progression in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Each session features practical, meaningful activities – from practice exercises, interactive tasks, and guided listening to problem‑solving scenarios. Learners engage with authentic language, collaborate with classmates, and build confidence through varied, hands‑on activities that mirror real‑world communication.
The course is pitched at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and completion of the course will help you meet some of the level requirements.
Is this the right level course for you?
This course is for complete beginners as well as those who have learnt some expressions and phrases through travel or socialising.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Level and demands
Pitched at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Find out more about our language levels.
Course aims
To enable participants to communicate at a very basic level with speakers of the target language in a limited range of practical, real-life settings.
Course objectives
- To help students develop the language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing for very basic routine communication in the target language.
- To enable students to use a range of high frequency vocabulary and grammar structures for very basic routine interaction in the target language.
- To equip students with an initial appreciation of the culture and civilisation of the country (or countries) in which the target language is spoken.
Programme details
Course starts Wednesday 30 September 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: Come ti chiami? Introducing oneself and finding out about other people
Week 2: Di dove sei? Asking for and providing information about one’s place of origin; countries and nationalities
Week 3: Vorrei un caffé! Ordering in a café and a restaurant
Week 4: Che lavoro fai? Work and professions
Week 5: Ti presento il mio amico… Giving and asking for personal details
Week 6: Che cosa fai nel tempo libero? Discussing free time and leisure activities
Week 7: Mi piace! Expressing likes and dislikes
Week 8: Cosa c’è nella tua cittá? Travelling in Italy
Week 9: Che ore sono? Asking for and giving directions; asking and telling the time
Week 10: Buone feste! Traditions and festivities
Key grammar points
- The basic sentence structure and word order
- Present tense of the regular and irregular verbs
- Verb piacere
- Adverbs of frequency
- Simple and compound prepositions
Key functions
- Introducing oneself in social situations and asking about other people
- Giving basic information about the self and others
- Expressing likes and dislikes
- Asking for and giving basic directions
- Telling the time
Teaching methods
You will learn through practical, task‑based classroom activities that encourage the active use of the target language. Sessions typically integrate meaningful scenarios, pair and small‑group work, and collaborative problem‑solving in a supportive and friendly environment. These tasks bring together speaking, listening, reading, and writing, enabling you to apply the language purposefully in real‑world situations.
The course is designed to build your spoken and listening abilities while deepening your understanding of cultural nuances, etiquette, and everyday usage. We will work with new grammatical structures through meaningful, communicative tasks, and you will continue developing your reading and writing skills both in class and independently through self‑study.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be better prepared to:
- use very simple phrases and utterances to provide basic personal information, such as name, address, family members and nationality;
- interact in a very simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly;
- understand the gist of very short, simple written texts and audio/video excerpts containing the highest frequency vocabulary items and basic grammar structures;
- produce simple phrases and very short texts using basic structures and vocabulary items.
Assessment methods
You will be set optional assignments to consolidate your learning and to allow you to progress at your own pace.
Mrs Stefania Nini
Stefania holds a Bachelor 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’s Italian language team in September 2017.
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 | £315.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.
Preparatory reading
- New Italian Espresso- textbook Beginners and pre-Intermediate / Gruppo Italiaidea
Textbooks
To participate in the course fully, you will need access to the following textbook:
- New Italian Espresso-Beginner and Pre-Intermediate-Italian course for English speakers- textbook, Gruppo Italiaidea, Alma Edizione; ISBN: 9788861827240
Module code: O26P565XIW
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.