Italian Pod 101 Reviews

ItalianPod101 is a web based teach yourself Italian resource primarily consisting of hundreds of fun and practical lessons for Italian learners in either audio or video format. These lessons can be accessed wherever you have access to a computer with internet or you can download them, put them on your mp3 player iPhone or iPad and access them 'on the go'. In this way, you can convert time otherwise spent sitting on the bus or walking the dog, into productive Italian learning.

From beginner to advanced, ItalianPod101 offers a wide range of lessons sorted by either category or theme. Users can choose to follow a set course, or pick from a range of themes. Each lesson comes with a PDF transcript, lesson checklist and notes allowing you to pick out words you did not quite catch or go over grammatical concepts that you are still unsure of. Premium users can access a review section for each lesson which includes vocab lists, expansion exercises, review questions, flashcards and voice recorder. There is also a Word Bank which is a very useful feature with which users can store words and grammar they would especially like to remember. Furthermore, Premium users can convert this information into personalized flashcards. All users also get access to an audio dictionary and the vibrant online student community in which users can interact with other Italian learners to discuss the finer points of the lesson.

ItalianPod's voice recorder allows you to record your voice and then compare the playback to that of a native speaker, helping you perfect your accent. Although the speech recognition technology of some of the other products in this category is significantly more advanced, at least this gets you speaking and ensures an awareness of the oral aspect. However, if you are willing to splash out the $26 per month for the PremiumPlus subscription you will have access to 1-on-1 live instruction hours and professional assessment as well as a personalized self study curriculum; the next best thing to having your own personal Italian tutor and at a much cheaper price!

What we really liked about Italianpod101 was the fact that it boasts all the features of more advanced software whilst being highly portable and reasonably priced. Also, depending on your level and the amount of time and effort you can commit to learning Italian, the package can be tailored to your needs. The 7 day free trial is a great way to ensure that this is the right teach yourself Italian product for you, we definitely recommend you try it out as at the very least you will certainly learn something, even in 7 days.  Flexibility is a defining characteristic of ItalianPod. you can choose which lessons to do when, what level to study at and what specific themes you would like to focus on. We especially liked the customizable RSS feeds with which users can download new content, relevant to their interests, as it becomes available. ItalianPod is one of the only products in this category to make the most of this technology. 

Due to the flexibility that ItalianPod offers, a linear, structured approach to Italian learning is sacrificed. It can be tempting to rush through lessons as the structure does not force you to go over newly learned material as is required in order to properly internalize it. This can be aggravated by the amount of material on offer and the fact that you pay a monthly subscription; we couldn't help but get the feeling that we had to get our money's worth by progressing as fast as possible. Furthermore, due to the amount of material on offer, users may feel at a loss as to what to study when and whether they are progressing. Although progress tracking quizzes and tools do help you to orientate yourself, users will have to upgrade to PremiumPlus in order to really use Italian Pod as a comprehensive Italian learning solution. This said, boasting a healthy selection of resources, flexibility and a low price, ItalianPod will make an excellent addition to any structured Italian course or a great standalone teach yourself Italian product for those who have a clear idea of what they need to study or are willing to subscribe to PremiumPlus.

Check out our #1 rated site instead! Why not check out Rocket Italian, our top rated Teach Yourself Italian Guide and winner of our prestigious Gold Award! You can also check out our Top 10 Teach Yourself Italian Guides here!

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