Learn to speak Italian in Italy

Join us in the Italian lakes and Milan this spring to practice speaking Italian in a fun and friendly environment. We'll be by your side all day to give you encouragement, gentle corrections and explain things in a simple way. 

You're learning Italian and you: 

  • Feel like you know a fair amount of words and phrases for a beginner/intermediate and you're familiar with many grammar rules, but you...

  • Aren't confident in your ability to speak the language beyond simple greetings. 

  • Feel quite frustrated with your Italian because you don't have much chance to practice

  • You get stuck—between nerves and mind blanks, there’s always some word missing.

  • Can speak a little, but feel like you need to learn much more before you can have a proper conversation. 

How will I learn Italian?

By speaking it. A lot. 

We'll be speaking in Italian as much as possible because this is the best way to get better at speaking Italian. 

We won’t be doing typical lessons, with a blackboard and school books. Instead, we'll be speaking Italian while we explore Italy and live like Italians.  

You’ll improve your Italian the natural way, through fun and spontaneous communication, just like children do. 

After a few days in full Italian mode, something clicks: you start thinking in Italian and your speaking flows.

We'll be there to help you overcome anything that gets in the way: mind blanks, finding the right words, feeling shy, understanding grammar and verb conjugations — whatever you need.

Join us in Italy this spring

1. Beginner: April 16th (sold out)

Every day will be a little different, but here’s an example of what we’ll be doing:

  • Accommodation

  • All the food at the apartment

  • Travel in Italy during the immersion, including a boat trip across to the islands in Lake Maggiore

  • A day trip to Milan 

  • A day trip to Mottarone in the Italian Alps

For 6 nights, you’ll stay in an apartment in the centre of Stresa, shared with 1/2 other students and an Italian teacher. Each apartment has a big balcony with a lake view where - weather permitting - we'll be doing our Italian sessions. You’ll have your own private bedroom so you won’t wake anyone up, just in case you start talking Italian in your sleep :)

As for the food, we'll provide breakfast at the apartment, then—depending on what we’ve got planned for the day—either an Italian lunch or dinner.

What’s included:

What’s not included:

  • Flights and transfers to Stresa - we'll give you all the info you need to get here smoothly! 

  • Meals outside the apartment. But don’t worry, eating out in Italy is tasty and great value when you know where the locals eat (we do!)

We’ll be doing some very cool stuff in and around the area, including: 

  • Exploring Italy like a local: markets, food, art and history. 

  • Visiting the must-sees: Milan, the Alps and the lakes. 

  • Hanging out and sipping a Spritz by the lake. 

  • Learning how to make pasta (+ other Italian delights).

  • Tasting cheese and drinking Italian wine. 

Most importantly: we’ll spend time living the Italian lifestyle, enjoying each other’s company and of course, speaking Italian the whole time.

No classrooms, boring role plays or fake dialogues.

No one saying “turn to page 26.”

Just real people and real conversations in Italian

You’ll improve your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation through speaking.

  • You’ll start chatting in Italian over breakfast.

  • After breakfast, we’ll explore the area - markets, nature, art - and we’ll be speaking with locals all throughout the day.

  • Later, we’ll head back to the apartment and cook an Italian lunch.

  • After lunch you get a couple of hours of personal time — perfect time for a nap or an ice cream run. 

  • Afternoon/early evening, we'll do language sessions on the balcony, where you'll have the chance to ask questions and focus on problem areas of your Italian. 

  • For dinner, we’ll go out for aperitivo or go to an Italian restaurant. 

You CAN speak Italian

Imagine you’re in a place where you have to speak Italian because nobody speaks to you in English.

What would happen?

You’d get creative and speak, starting with the bits of Italian you already know. And you’d improve really fast.

To learn Italian, you need to practice using the language in a safe environment where you’re not afraid to have a go. This is the best way to learn something new.

A place where you can try to speak. No fear of sounding silly. And no reverting to English.

Where it doesn’t matter if you make mistakes — you’ve got a lovely group of people around to support you and help you say it right next time.

SAVE YOUR SPOT


You'll also get a semester of Italian courses to prepare for your trip.

Package price: $1795

It really is the only way to move beyond the books and the grammar rules to begin comfortably using the language. I appreciated the friendly, encouraging environment in which to practice. It was also fun to spend time with other people who also like learning Italian.

- Cathy - Italian Immersion 2019

I'm not sure I could do that. 

What if I feel nervous about speaking?

I am much more confident in speaking. I stayed in Italy for another week and told vendors that I was learning to speak in Italian. All were helpful and people in general were delighted that I was willing to learn. 

In Siena when we stopped to sit and rest on the shady side of the main piazza, I sat next to an elderly native lady, and said, "Sto imparando l'Italiano". She was delighted, and then we had a lovely chat in Italian!

One of the take-aways from the immersion is that I got over my need to be perfect and did a lot of chatting in Italian during the week as we continued on in Italy.

- Cheryl - Italian immersion 2019


Secure your place today by paying the $400 deposit.

The remainder is due in two installments: March 1st and April 1st

To make sure your Italian is in tip-top shape for when you come to Italy, you'll get a 3 month membership to our online Italian school.

The online school is a blend between self study and speaking practice. Each day, we'll send you a lesson: reading, listening, grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation. 

A few times per week, you'll practice speaking in our conversation room. It's not live, so you don't need to worry about timezones: you can answer questions on your own time via video messages, audio or text chat. 

Importantly, you'll work with real Italian teachers (that's us!) via our course platform. 

Katie set up the online school because she wanted to add something crucial that she felt was missing from most online courses: opportunities to practice speaking and get support from teachers who can answer your questions :)

Included: a semester of online Italian courses (worth $600)

I really loved the entire week. Katie and Stefano were ever so gently helpful. I laughed so much and enjoyed all of our activities, so I can’t choose just one thing, but I have already made cavatelli (the pasta we learned to make by hand) for my husband.

- Cheryl - Italian Immersion 2019

Who will help me speak Italian?

Katie learned Italian as an adult. She knows what it feels like to start speaking Italian from scratch and explains things simply and clearly. She'll be cheering you on all week. 

Presenter of the Easy Italian YouTube channel and the 5 Minute Italian podcast, Katie believes that the best way to learn a language is by speaking it.

Like most people, she struggled with languages. In fact, she studied Italian for two years at university and was so bad she almost got kicked off her course! 

It was only after moving to Italy that she realised she could learn languages faster (and enjoy it more) by chatting to native speakers than by sitting in a classroom. 

After years of struggling with classes and books, this was a revelation! So she vowed never to attend another language class. Instead, she put herself in situations where she could practice having real conversations. 

Using this method, she’s learnt Italian, Spanish, French + some Chinese and German, without stepping foot in a classroom. 

Katie’s mission: to help you feel confident speaking Italian as quickly as possible.

Katie Harris

Stefano Suigo

Italian teacher Stefano is a well-known polyglot personality online. He has a unique teaching style where he helps students improve their speaking skills quickly and teaches Italian grammar through conversations. 

A fun and patient teacher, Stefano's enthusiasm for his native language is contagious - he's always happy to explain, just ask ;) 

Stefano knows how to learn languages (he speaks 10!) and loves helping students get to the next step on their Italian journey.

Stefano will be joining us for the nearly intermediate immersion

Matteo Alabiso

Naples born and bred Matteo is on a mission to share the Italian language and culture with people from all over the world. After years of studying English grammar at school and not getting very far, he discovered a passion for languages after practising speaking English with Katie's friends and family. That’s when he realised languages are meant to be lived, not studied. 

In many ways, Matteo’s a typical Italian. He’s a fantastic cook, knows a lot about wine and loves being by the sea. But not always - he’s soft spoken, always arrives early and doesn’t talk with his hands. 

Matteo wants to help you get off the beaten tourist track, discover the real Italy and of course, speak Italian! 

The practical stuff

Levels and dates

Ci vediamo presto!

Katie, Matteo and Stefano

The remaining $1395 is due in two installments: March 1st and April 1st

Italian immersion spring 2020: doors are open! 

No worries! It's normal to feel a bit scared of speaking at first. But here's what a week can do for your confidence:

Join us in Italy this spring

SAVE YOUR SPOT

You'll also get a semester of Italian courses to prepare for your trip.

Package price: $1795

Secure your place today by paying the $400 deposit. 

The remainder is due in two installments: March 1st and April 1st

There was no "how do I benefit from my afternoon if nothing is organised for me". This happens when you go to a school. I have done weeks at Italian schools where afternoons and evenings were a problem. 

I learned more than I have ever learned at a school. With Stefano and Katie as my tutors, everything was possible! 

- Suzanne - Italy immersion 2019

2. Nearly intermediate: May 2nd - 8th 

This level is for you if: 

  • You know a fair amount of words and phrases but you're not confident in your ability to speak the language beyond simple greetings.
  • You often know the words, but it's hard to get them to come out of your mouth when you need them! 
  • You've come across many grammar rules, but you don't always know how to use them correctly. 
  • Your main challenges are: getting the confidence to speak and knowing when to use which forms. 

Sample itinerary

Accommodation, food and travel

I learned more than I have ever learned in a school 

Exploring Italy

I really enjoyed the experience and making new friends in Italian! I think I even dreamed in Italian on the plane back :) 

- Riina - Italy immersion 2018

"This is the most Italian I've gotten to speak compared to all the other times I've been to Italy. And it was a lot of fun!" 

- Tom - Italy immersion 2018 

Questions about your level? Contact katie@joyoflanguages.com

Questions about the accommodation, trips or anything else? Contact katie@joyoflanguages.com.

You'll be speaking Italian all day, from morning until evening. To make sure you get as much personal attention as possible during the week, we have small groups with one Italian teacher per 2 - 3 students. 

The maximum group number is 6, which means that we can get around easily and avoid that touristy feeling - there will be no tour guide walking in front of you holding a flag! It's all about blending in and living like Italians. 

Most of the time, the tuition will happen on the spot during conversation. While you're speaking Italian, we'll help you find the right words to express yourself, give you gentle corrections, answer your questions and explain things in a simple way. 

In the afternoon, we'll have mini language sessions where we focus on what you (or we) feel you need to keep making fast progress in your Italian - this can be anything from prepositions - is it di or da? - to tips on how to understand native speakers. 

Italian tuition

I have read and agree to the terms of service

You'll also get:

Real Italian conversation course 

(worth $600)

Pay the $400 deposit to secure your place

You're almost in Italy!

2nd - 8th May