By Michael Cristiano Last updated: April 2, 2024

9 Italian Software Immersion Programs to Bring Italy to Your Home

One of the most effective ways to learn Italian is by immersing yourself in the language.

Immersion allows you to learn not only grammar and vocabulary concepts, but also the Italian culture and how the language is actually used.

However, immersion isn’t limited to traveling to or living in Italy, you can get the same immersive experience in your own home with Italian language courses or even Italian language learning apps.

In this post, we’ll share nine Italian software programs to immerse you in the language and bring Italy to your own home!

1. Pimsleur
2. FluentU
3. Michel Thomas
4. Transparent Language
5. Instant Immersion Italian
6. Rosetta Stone
7. Rocket Italian
8. Fluenz Italian
9. Berlitz Italian

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

1. Pimsleur

Pimsleur offers five levels of Italian for beginner- to advanced-level learners. This means that regardless of whether you’re just starting out in Italian, refreshing previously learned language skills or clawing yourself out of the intermediate-learner plateau, Pimsleur offers an immersion course for you.

Through 80 hours of lessons, you can learn Italian with a near-native accent. The program utilizes native Italian speakers to teach lessons, act out common conversational situations and employ typical Italian sentence structures.

If you’re looking for a basis in the language, Pimsleur’s beginner lessons include dozens of useful basic phrases, common vocabulary and elementary grammar structures. For more advanced learners, lessons focus on listening to authentic speech at native speeds, speaking, reading native content and practicing complex sentence structures.

Pimsleur offers a number of different subscription plans for a range of prices.

See our full review of Pimsleur here.

2. FluentU

FluentU is an immersive language learning program that surrounds you with the Italian language and culture through authentic Italian videos. These videos were created by native speakers for native speakers, so you’ll be exposed to vocabulary and slang that you wouldn’t find in a textbook.

Every video has interactive captions verified by language experts. The captions can be customized to suit your needs, toggling Italian or English versions as you like. You can also click on any word as the video plays to find an in-context meaning, a pronunciation guide and more videos with this word being used.

Any word can also be added as a flashcard to decks of your creation, and then studied through personalized quizzes.

Videos are categorized by skill level, topic and format to make it easier for you to find the right videos to suit your needs and interests.

You can use FluentU in your browser or download the iOS or Android app to take the learning on the go.

3. Michel Thomas

Michel Thomas was a well-known figure in the language-learning community. He was a psychologist and linguist with over 50 years of experience teaching languages around the world.

As such, learning Italian with the Michel Thomas method boasts an Italian immersion software program that “works with your brain.” While that may sound like fancy pseudo-science, the Michel Thomas method uses a technique that builds on previously–learned content and uses context to teach relevant language skills.

There are six Michel Thomas audio courses for Italian. The first, “Start Italian,” is a self-proclaimed “taster” course that helps you to learn how to construct basic Italian phrases. This includes common Italian vocabulary and survival phrases that are perfect for that last-minute trip to Italy. In fact, you can complete this course on the flight over there!

The subsequent Italian courses are substantially longer. Each course consists of eight to 10 hours of audio, increasing in difficulty as you advance through the levels. If you are interested in investing in multiple audio courses, you could opt for the bundle which includes five courses.

Like Pimsleur, the Michel Thomas Italian immersion software covers the beginner to high intermediate level.

4. Transparent Language

Unlike the Michel Thomas course, Transparent Language’s Italian course is an online platform where users pay a monthly or yearly subscription for access to their Italian-learning program. The Italian immersion software boasts an easy-to-use platform that’s ideal for individuals, corporate organizations and even government agencies.

All Italian learners start with a “Welcome” lesson where they get a taste of the program. With Transparent Language’s algorithm, the software learns more about the user and adjusts its learning path as the learner progresses. Further, as the Italian level advances, learners can also choose the paths they want to follow, studying the vocabulary and grammar of their choosing.

Regardless of your level, lessons include dialogues, practice activities and transcripts for you to make the most out of your learning experience.

Best of all, Transparent’s software includes Italian speaking practice. For the speaking portion, the program will give you a sentence or a word in Italian with a supplementary audio file. The learner then records their own rendition and the program helps adjust pronunciation and accent.

If Transparent Language sounds like the right Italian immersion software program for you, some libraries even offer free access!

5. Instant Immersion Italian

Instant Immersion is a program that really fits the bill based on its name alone.

This series of language programs aims to get students at any skill level to a conversational level of Italian. If you want to learn Italian for social reasons like business or travel, this is a great program to go with.

Instant Immersion has a very thorough course for a pretty affordable price considering the amount of content. Students from different backgrounds can find something new to learn here with the software’s three difficulty levels.

The program also comes with audio lessons and workbooks to help ensure that the material you study sticks. As a bonus, audio lessons can be taken anywhere, which suits a busy lifestyle.

The software covers the basics: speaking, conversational skills and business settings. Instant Immersion is a great start to understanding everyday Italian conversation and how to fit in with native speakers, all on the lower end of the price scale.

6. Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is one of the most well-known language programs in the world, and many have seen success with it.

This software aims to impress with its unique teaching method. Unlike some programs, Rosetta Stone teaches a new language by emulating the way you learned your first one.

Using tools like image association and a more “natural” way of picking up a new language, the program aims for a more organic experience, not unlike heading over to Italy for the first time.

Of course, Rosetta Stone is a little easier than taking an extended trip to Europe.

It has several levels of difficulty that allow you to start along with your own experience level, and it will not throw detailed conversation at a beginner. In this way, Rosetta Stone is both immersive and balanced so that anyone can pick up a new language even if the method is a little unorthodox compared to a standard language class.

Rosetta Stone also provides targeted accent training to improve pronunciation, and stories from the Italian culture to show you how native speakers experience their language. The program is available both on home computers and mobile devices.

See our full review of Rosetta Stone here.

7. Rocket Italian

Rocket Languages is another well-known language software course that offers an Italian program. The program uses a comprehensive approach that creates immersion through a number of different methods.

Users who choose Rocket do not just get the basics like flashcards and audio lessons (though those are definitely there). Rocket offers specific cultural lessons in its program to give context to the Italian language and grammar, with the goal of helping to achieve fluency.

The program also offers pronunciation practice to make sure that you sound natural when you speak in conversations. Culture and pronunciation are vital to getting Italian right, so these are big keys to immersive learning.

Rocket Italian prepares its students for real-world situations, and users can practice with their fellow students on an online forum. Lessons can be accessed on the go on mobile devices, and students can utilize specially-made recall tools to ensure that the lessons they learn are thoroughly absorbed and not just memorized.

Click here to read our full review of Rocket Languages.

8. Fluenz Italian

The Fluenz Italian software aims to teach through a combination of methods. This includes videos, quizzes, writing and conversational training.

The program allows you to learn from native speakers in an audio-visual format, coupled with more standard learning methods like vocabulary reviews and topic-based exercises. Immersion mostly comes from the authenticity of the program, allowing you to work with native speakers who guide users through proper speaking and cultural context.

Fluenz can be used on a number of different devices, and users can download video tutorials and workouts from their computers onto their mobile devices.

Users are prepared for real-world scenarios like ordering coffee and meeting new people. Fluenz aims for its users to understand Italian on a comprehensive level, not just by memorizing phrases but by being able to construct the language through a strong knowledge of it.

If you want a thorough Italian experience with an audio/visual emphasis, Fluenz is the way to go.

9. Berlitz Italian

Berlitz is a company arguably best known for its nifty phrasebooks, but they also have a set of language software that you can pick up.

The Berlitz language program combines standard lessons such as practice sessions and easy access to actual instruction in live digital classes. Students can get their share of immersion by learning from native speakers in online classrooms.

Unlike other software programs, Berlitz also allows you to take your lessons off the computer screen. Besides the standard inclusion of mobile accessibility and online classes, Berlitz has a number of language centers across the country where students can improve their immersion by practicing in a real-world setting, all without having to get their passports.

Berlitz works well for people who like to combine the digital and the real, making for a diverse and immersive experience.

The program has a number of courses available, depending on your experience level and needs.

Now you’ve seen nine different programs, it’s time to start immersing yourself in the Italian language!

You can have an immersive learning experience wherever you are by using these Italian software immersion programs.

In bocca al lupo! (Good luck!)