This site is dedicated to self-learning Italian from scratch. We will try to make it the most interesting and useful for everyone who is interested in this beautiful language and, of course, Italy itself.

Interesting about the Italian language.
History, facts, modernity.
Let's start with a few words about the modern status of the language; it is obvious that Italian is the official language in Italy, the Vatican (simultaneously with Latin), in San Marino, but also in Switzerland (in its Italian part, the canton of Ticino) and in Several districts in Croatia and Slovenia, where a large Italian-speaking population lives, Italian is also spoken by some of the residents on the island of Malta.

Italian dialects - will we understand each other?

In Italy itself, even today you can hear many dialects, sometimes it is enough to travel only a few tens of kilometers to encounter another of them.
Moreover, dialects are often so different from each other that they can seem like completely different languages. If people from, for example, the northern and central Italian “outback” meet, they may not even be able to understand each other.
What is especially interesting is that some dialects, in addition to the oral form, also have a written form, such as the Neopolitan, Venetian, Milanese and Sicilian dialects.
The latter exists, accordingly, on the island of Sicily and is so different from other dialects that some researchers distinguish it as a separate Sardinian language.
However, in everyday communication and, especially, in large cities, you are unlikely to experience any inconvenience, because... Today, dialects are spoken mainly by older people in rural areas, while young people use the correct literary language, which unites all Italians, the language of radio and, of course, television.
It may be mentioned here that until the end of the Second World War, modern Italian was only a written language, used by the ruling class, scientists and in administrative institutions, and it was television that played a big role in the spread of the common Italian language among all inhabitants.

How it all began, origins

The history of the formation of modern Italian, as we all know it, is closely connected with the history of Italy and, of course, no less fascinating.
Origins - in Ancient Rome, everything was in the Roman language, commonly known as Latin, which at that time was the official state language of the Roman Empire. Later, from Latin, in fact, the Italian language and many other European languages ​​arose.
Therefore, knowing Latin, you can understand what a Spaniard is saying, plus or minus a Portuguese, and you can even understand part of the speech of an Englishman or a Frenchman.
In 476, the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, abdicated the throne after the capture of Rome by the German leader Odoacar, this date is considered the end of the Great Roman Empire.
Some also call it the end of the “Roman language”, however, even today disputes still rage as to why exactly the Latin language lost its relevance, because of the capture of the Roman Empire by barbarians or was it a natural process and in what language? spoken towards the end of the Roman Empire.
According to one version, in ancient Rome by this time, along with Latin, the spoken language was already widespread, and it is from this popular language of Rome that the Italian that we know as Italian of the 16th century comes from, according to the second version, in connection with the invasion of the barbarians Latin mixed with various barbarian languages ​​and dialects, and it is from this synthesis that the Italian language originates.

Birthday - first mention

The year 960 is considered the birthday of the Italian language. This date is associated with the first document where this “proto-vernacular language” is present - vulgare, these are court papers related to the land litigation of the Benedictine Abbey, witnesses used this particular version of the language so that the testimony would be understandable to as many people as possible, up to this point in all official papers we can only see Latin.
And then there was a gradual spread in the ubiquitous life of the language vulgare, which translates as the people's language, which became the prototype of the modern Italian language.
However, the story does not end there, but only becomes more interesting and the next stage is associated with the Renaissance and with such well-known names as Dante Alighiere, F. Petrarch, G. Boccaccio and others.
to be continued...

On line translator

I suggest that all guests of my blog use a convenient and free Italian online translator.
If you need to translate a couple of words or a short phrase from Russian to Italian or vice versa, you can use the little translator on the sidebar of the blog.
If you want to translate large text or need other languages, use the full version of the online dictionary, where there are more than 40 languages ​​on a separate blog page - /p/onlain-perevodchik.html

Italian language tutorial

I present a new separate section for all students of the Italian language - Italian language self-instruction manual for beginners.
Making a blog into a full-fledged Italian tutorial is, of course, not easy, but I try to give the most convenient and logical sequence of interesting online lessons so that you can learn Italian on your own.
There will also be a section - an audio tutorial, where, as you might guess, there will be lessons with audio applications that can be downloaded or listened to directly on the site.
How to choose an Italian language tutorial, where to download it, or how to study it online, you will find information about this in my posts.
By the way, if anyone has ideas or suggestions on how best to organize such a tutorial on our Italian blog, be sure to write to me.

Italian on Skype

Secrets of how you can learn Italian on Skype for free, whether you always need a native speaker, how to choose a teacher, how much it costs to learn Italian via Skype, how not to waste your time and money - read about all this in the section “Italian language on Skype.”
Come in, read and make the right choice!

Italian phrasebook

Free, Fun, with a native speaker - a section for those who want to learn words and phrases on certain topics.
Join, listen, read, learn - voiced Italian phrasebook for tourists, shopping, airport, everyday situations and much more
in the section "

In Moscow, almost any foreign language can be learned absolutely free or for a small symbolic amount. But you will have to be patient, because... There will be many such people willing, but there will be much fewer places where they teach for free. Moreover, the more popular the language, the longer the queue of people wanting to learn it. The queues can be quite long. There are other difficulties, for example, in some schools training is available only to students, in others they require at least basic knowledge of the language you have chosen to study. But, in any case, with a certain amount of persistence, becoming a student at a free language school is quite possible.

Below we present to you 12 such schools.

1. German language courses in the Russian-German House

Initially, the courses were created for ethnic Germans living in Russia and wanting to learn the language, as well as learn more about the history of the resettlement of Germans to the territory of our country and their compatriots to the territory of Germany. But now the groups are recruiting everyone, the only condition is that the non-target audience (that is, not ethnic Germans) here should not exceed 10% of the total number of listeners. During the courses, you will not only learn the language, but also learn more about the culture and traditions of Germany, and personally take part in festivities on the occasion of one or another German holiday. And everyone knows what fantastic benefits this immersion effect brings to language learning!

These courses can be considered full-fledged language training, since they follow a standard schedule for language schools: you will need to come to double lessons lasting 45 minutes twice a week. Parents and children can learn the language together - there are separate groups for adults and children.

Recruitment for groups begins in August; if you decide to enroll, you must leave an application on the organization’s official website and wait for feedback.

Courses can be attended twice a week.

For those who, for some reason, cannot fully study the language, but would like to join German culture, the Russian-German House provides special events: concerts, lectures, exhibitions and other cultural performances dedicated to German culture. You can find out about the schedule of such events.

Address: Moscow, M.Pirogovskaya, 5, of. 51.

2. Gaelic language courses at the Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​and Regional Studies of Moscow State University

Do you love Celtic culture? Then Gaelic (in other words, Scottish) language courses will be a great exotic find for you! Here you can get acquainted with the culture and epic of the Gaelic peoples, Irish ballads, and learn a lot about the life and cultural life of the Celtic tribes. The training takes place in an interesting playful way; for example, students are introduced to Celtic music through performances by folk groups.

The Gaelic language is taught by both Russian-speaking teachers and invited Scottish, Irish, American and New Zealand native speaker storytellers. The courses are intended for students of all ages - from children to pensioners. But, of course, the main audience for such classes are students and young professionals - those who love something new and unusual, but do not have the opportunity to pay big money for their hobbies.

Frequency of classes: four times a month.

Address: Moscow, Lomonosovsky Prospekt, 31

3. Chinese language courses at the interuniversity Chinese language faculty of Moscow State University

Russia's rapprochement with China has been progressing rapidly in recent years. For those who want to stay in trend and master the language of the Celestial Empire, exotic language training has started at the most famous Russian University. The opportunity to study the language free of charge here is provided only to those students who study on a budget at any Moscow university. For all other categories, paid training is provided.

In terms of intensity, these courses can be easily compared to Chinese language courses in the best language schools. They also have one significant advantage - students who show the best results have the opportunity to go on an internship to China.

Interviews for those wishing to enroll in courses are held at the end of September. To register for an interview, leave an application on the official website.

The courses last 3 years and must be attended twice a week in the evenings.

Address: Moscow, st. Mokhovaya, 11

4. Hindi courses at the Nehru Cultural Center at the Indian Embassy

For fans of exoticism and exotic languages, Indian language courses - Hindi - have started in an authentic island of India in the very center of the metropolis. The main goal of the courses is not only to learn the language, but also to immerse yourself in Indian culture. This is not just a place where language courses are held, it is a full-fledged cultural center with the opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere of Indian practices. Here you can learn yoga, Indian dancing, try your hand at playing national musical instruments and, of course, communicate with native-speaking teachers.

Training is conducted 6 days a week from 14 to 19 hours. You need to find out from the teachers what time and day of the week your group’s classes will fall on. By the way, all teachers of this center are native speakers!

Unfortunately, for some internal reasons, distributing information about the course schedule in the online space is not encouraged. Perhaps this is due to the large influx of applicants and the peculiarities of the start of training. The fact is that classes begin as groups are recruited - which, of course, is difficult to predict. The number of groups varies from 5 to 25 people.

Therefore, if you want to enroll in a group, you need to come to the cultural center in person.

In order to become a full member of this Indian community, you must obtain a membership card. Its price is 500 rubles per month. But you must admit, it comes out much cheaper than paid courses.

Address: Moscow, st. Vorontsovo field, house 9, building 2

5. Hebrew courses “Ulpan” at the Israeli cultural center.

Here residents of the capital, as well as other Russian cities, can learn Hebrew absolutely free. As in other cultural centers, education here is based on immersion in Jewish culture and, accordingly, organic learning of the language. The main emphasis in these courses is on controversial speech. You will be taught how to communicate while traveling and communicate with Hebrew-speaking friends through correspondence. All students receive the materials necessary for their studies absolutely free of charge, and groups are selected depending on the level of the students. Registration for courses is available twice a year: in winter and summer.

If you want to learn Hebrew, just leave a request on the official website. From the moment the new recruitment starts, the coordinator will begin calling those interested in order to clarify the details.

Recruitment is carried out in 2 entry-level groups. Each level is designed for 72 academic hours. Upon completion of training, everyone who has no more than 20% absences from classes can take an exam to receive an official Certificate.

Address: Moscow, st. Nizh.Radishchevskaya, 14/2, building 1, 3rd floor

6. Japanese language courses at the Japan Foundation at VGBIL named after. Rudomino

The approach to language learning in Japanese language courses in the library of foreign literature is pedantic and thorough. The course of study lasts 4 years, and the schedule of classes is formed by analogy with the schedule in paid language schools. Each lesson lasts two academic hours.

Registration for groups is available twice a year. For those wishing to sign up for training, a mandatory condition is to fill out a special form. The completed form must be sent to the course representative by e-mail. At the same time, the number of places is limited, and those who sent an application earlier are eligible for training. There are 5-7 vacant places in the group of each level, so we can assume how high the competition for one place is.

After the application is approved, candidates undergo a linguistic test, and the list of applicants is announced in September. Those with zero level of knowledge of the Japanese language are assigned to groups for beginners. Those who show a higher level of knowledge (for example, who have previously studied a language) can be immediately enrolled in the 2nd or 3rd year, attached to existing groups.

Classes are held 2 times a week with a break for the summer holidays in July and August.

Address: Moscow, st. Nikoloyamskaya, 1, VGBIL building, 4th floor

7. Project “Italia amore mio”

This language project was developed jointly with the language school BKC International. It is not a full-fledged language course, but rather a club of interests where you can improve your language skills and make new acquaintances.

The project is aimed at those who have a certain language base and can carry on a conversation on a particular topic in Italian.

Conversations take place twice a month, the topics of the conversations are always different. The meetings are conducted by experienced teachers of the BKC language school, and guests from Italy participate in the meetings as native speakers. If you want to test your level, free testing is available during the event.

There is no need to make an appointment in advance; you just need to show up at the appointed time at the appointed place - and enjoy making new acquaintances, getting a lot of impressions and, of course, improving your Italian.

Address: Moscow, st. Vozdvizhenka, 4/7, building 1 (Moscow bookstore)

8. Foreign language courses at Tsiferblat

If you like to study in a relaxed, unobtrusive atmosphere, then language meetings at the Tsiferblat anti-cafe are what you need!

There are 2 “branches” of this anti-cafe in Moscow, both located in the center of the capital (on Pokrovka Street and on Tverskaya). Each anti-cafe has its own schedule, which can be found in the VKontakte communities (

There are organizations in Moscow that provide everyone with the opportunity to learn foreign languages ​​for free, and not only European, but also very exotic ones.

WowLocal Moscow

You can communicate with foreigners in English in the popular LocalPoint club, which is opened by the WowLocal organization. This is a company whose main function is to help foreign tourists navigate the vast city of Moscow. Conversations in the club are conducted mainly on topics that relate to moving around the metropolis, sightseeing and various tourist concerns. This is an excellent opportunity to practice everyday conversational speech and refresh your memory of terms that are relevant when traveling. Classes are held twice a month, the schedule can be found online.

Moscow, st. Myasnitskaya, 22, building 1, entrance from Bankovsky Lane

Classes in the English language club of the popular educational network Oxbridge are held at the Medvedkovo Book House twice a month and at the Biblio-Globus store on the first Fridays of the month (starts at 17.00). The club's teachers are leading Russian methodologists in foreign linguistics; not only adults, but also children can study here. The form of classes is lectures, learning to read and perceive information in English by ear. Anyone can receive a club membership certificate. You can come to classes without a prior registration.

Moscow, Zarevy Ave., 12; st. Myasnitskaya, 6/3, building 1

You can learn the Gaelic language, get acquainted with the culture and folk tales of the Gaelic peoples, and listen to ancient Irish ballads in a special course at Moscow State University (Department of Foreign Languages). Lectures are given by representatives of the Gaelic Scientific Society, Irish and Scottish linguists, and Celtic musical creativity is illustrated by performances by folk groups. Classes are held four times a month and can be attended by guests of any age.

MSU courses are free only for students who are already studying at some other universities on a budgetary basis; all others are charged a fee. Classes are evening, the full cycle of training takes 3 years. For the best students, a language internship in China is provided. To be accepted onto the course, you must successfully pass an interview (held in September). Those who have already studied Chinese before may be allowed to enroll in the winter, for the second half of the first year.

Moscow, Leninsky Ave., 6

The college provides high-quality liberal arts education in the fields of law, literature, philosophical disciplines, history, etc. It has the status of a state institution that issues master's level diplomas (1st stage), studying here for 2 years. The college has departments with Russian and French languages ​​of instruction, but the first enrolls only 60 students. To study here, you need to already be more or less proficient in French, and also go through 4 rounds of the summer entrance selection process. Senior students and university graduates study for free.

Moscow, st. Leninskie Gory, 1

The work of the Won Gwan Sejong Cultural Center is under the patronage of the Korean government. Korean language training lasts 3 years, students study twice a week. Becoming a student at the center is not easy: at the beginning of the semester, you need to be among the 600 who signed up and go through a three-week educational demo and testing. Studying is free, but to receive a certificate, you need to complete 2 courses for levels of varying degrees of difficulty. In addition to learning Korean, students can also take up taekwondo and meditation.

Moscow, st. Ostryakova, 9-a

The chance to enroll in free Japanese language courses at the Japan Foundation center is given to everyone twice a year. The training lasts 4 years, excluding the summer months. Applications are accepted from applicants over the age of 17 and under 40 years old, then candidates undergo tests that determine their general level of linguistic preparation. Those who have previously studied Japanese can be admitted to the training center based on test results and enrolled in senior courses in existing groups.

Moscow, st. Nikoloyamskaya, 1, VGBIL, 4th floor

The main contingent accepted for courses at the Russian-German House consists of Russian ethnic Germans. During the courses they will have the opportunity not only to learn the language of their ancestors, but also to learn the history of the life of Germans on Russian territory. Those who do not have German roots, but want to learn German for free, are also accepted for courses, but in an amount of no more than 10% of the total number of students. Applications are accepted in the summer on the organization’s website.

Moscow, st. Malaya Pirogovskaya, 5

Language courses at the Library named after. Turgenev are intended for those who already know German or French at the school graduate level. During the classes, knowledge is improved and speaking skills are acquired. The course program includes not only direct language teaching, but also increasing the general cultural level. The literary base of the curriculum is the classic works of the best writers of Germany and France. Registration for testing of applicants takes place in August and early September.

Moscow, per. Bobrov, 6, building 1, 2

The center of Indian culture not only teaches the Hindi language, but also conducts yoga classes and teaches how to play Indian musical instruments. Hindi courses accept students from 18 to 60 years of age. Information about courses is not distributed online; to find out the schedule and sign up for classes, you need to come to the center in person. The organization operates a system of membership cards - a kind of subscription worth 500 rubles per month. For card holders, any classes at the center are free.
Moscow, st. Vorontsovo pole, 9, building 2