Register now for our 2025 winter term!
- Multiple levels
- Small class size – max. 12 students
- Native-speaking & experienced instructors
- Affordable tuition – $380 per level
- 4 terms per year – each 10 weeks long
- Convenient downtown location or online
Learn Italian! Study at the International Language Institute in Washington, DC or online
The Italian Language Program at ILI consists of four 10-week terms throughout the year. We offer 6 different levels from beginner to intermediate. Our Italian classes take place once a week in the evenings. Our teachers are all native-speaking and experienced. The Italian Language Program integrates speaking, listening, reading and writing. We maintain small class sizes to enable adequate time for conversation in every class. To find your level, please refer to the level description or use our self-evaluation guide. If you have further questions, please call Jane Edwards, ILI’s Foreign Language Coordinator, at 202-686-5610 extension 105. Enroll now!
Live, Instructor-led In-Person or Online Italian Classes
Learn Italian in person or online from a live instructor using Zoom. All online classes are instructor-led, in real-time, allowing for the same live interaction as our in-person classes. Some of our classes are a combination of in-person and online students. We have 360-degree cameras in the rooms enabling online participants to feel part of the class. This hybrid class environment allows students to engage with each other and the instructor and to practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking the Italian Language.
Schedule Register Now!
Register now for our 2025 winter term!
| 2025 Term: | Session Dates: | Registration Deadline: |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | Jan. 13-Mar. 22, 2025 | Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 |
| Spring | Apr. 7-Jun. 14, 2025 | Monday, Mar. 24, 2025 |
| Summer | Jun. 30-Sep. 6, 2025 | Monday, Jun. 16, 2025 |
| Fall | Sep. 22-Dec. 6, 2025 | Monday, Sep. 8, 2025 |
Italian Level Description
The emphasis of this beginner class is on pronunciation, vocabulary building, basic grammar and basic conversation. This course is for those students with little or no ability in the language. Introduction to basic listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course. Dialogues, readings, and cultural notes included are depicted in what life is like in Italy today. Previous Italian not required.
Offered on: Thursdays: 6:15 - 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: To introduce Italian to students who never took Italian at school or had the Italian language in their lives at all. The students in this level will experience Italian for the first time and will enjoy learning word by word in a dynamic way.
Learning Outcome: The students will be able to identify words and expressions in Italian. They will be able to say or express basic ideas, sentences and desires in simple present tense. They will learn enough vocabulary to continue with Italian Basic 2.
Topics: Regular and irregular verbs in the present tense; articles; basic questions; uses of essere and avere; prepositions; origins, and structures; phonology and alphabet; pronunciation guide; the accent mark; noun gender; greetings; days of the week; numbers from 1 to 100; colors ; telling time; the house; a school; the city; the bar; foods.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One, $48 including tax. Part I (ch. 1-5); Part II (ch. 1-3).
Offered on: Thursdays: 6:15 - 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: To introduce Italian to students who never took Italian at school or had the Italian language in their lives at all. The students in this level will experience Italian for the first time and will enjoy learning word by word in a dynamic way.
Learning Outcome: The students will be able to identify words and expressions in Italian. They will be able to say or express basic ideas, sentences and desires in simple present tense. They will learn enough vocabulary to continue with Italian Basic 2.
Topics: Regular and irregular verbs in the present tense; articles; basic questions; uses of essere and avere; prepositions; origins, and structures; phonology and alphabet; pronunciation guide; the accent mark; noun gender; greetings; days of the week; numbers from 1 to 100; colors ; telling time; the house; a school; the city; the bar; foods.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One, $48 including tax. Part I (ch. 1-5); Part II (ch. 1-3).
This course is the continuation of the Basic 1 level and for students who have taken formal instruction a while ago, or have previous informal exposure to the language. Building of the basic foundation provided in the introductory level, students will learn to introduce themselves and conduct simple conversations on a range of everyday subjects. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course.
Offered on: Mondays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: To continue to introduce the Italian language to students who took an introductory course or students who took some basic Italian previously. The students in this level will learn to express their ideas orally in the simple present tense of the most common regular and irregular verbs.
Learning Outcome: Students will be able to say or express their ideas, sentences and desires easily at a basic beginner’s level. They will engage in conversations about home, describing things, and around town. They will learn enough vocabulary to continue with Italian Basic 3. Students will learn how to conjugate the most common action verbs.
Topics: Common vocabulary for around the house and around town; direct pronouns; colors; adjectives; demonstrative pronouns; personal pronouns; possessives; negative expressions; indirect pronouns; plurals; simple and articulated prepositions; structure of the interrogative sentence.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One & Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One + Reading & Comprehension, $85 including tax. Part I (ch. 6-8); Part II (ch. 4-7).
Offered on: Mondays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: To continue to introduce the Italian language to students who took an introductory course or students who took some basic Italian previously. The students in this level will learn to express their ideas orally in the simple present tense of the most common regular and irregular verbs.
Learning Outcome: Students will be able to say or express their ideas, sentences and desires easily at a basic beginner’s level. They will engage in conversations about home, describing things, and around town. They will learn enough vocabulary to continue with Italian Basic 3. Students will learn how to conjugate the most common action verbs.
Topics: Common vocabulary for around the house and around town; direct pronouns; colors; adjectives; demonstrative pronouns; personal pronouns; possessives; negative expressions; indirect pronouns; plurals; simple and articulated prepositions; structure of the interrogative sentence.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One & Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One + Reading & Comprehension, $85 including tax. Part I (ch. 6-8); Part II (ch. 4-7).
At this level students will continue to build upon the foundation of the language that they acquired in Basic 2. This level continues to build up necessary grammar skills that will enable students to understand, read, write and translate sentences and paragraphs. This course is well-suited for students that have completed at least one semester of college-level Italian or the equivalent in a language institute. Students will learn to easily use the present tense, along with more complex vocabulary and grammar. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will continue to be addressed throughout the course.
Offered on: Wednesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: Students will continue with the Italian basic program with more difficult and much deeper structure for building sentences. To make students use Italian taught in the previous level by continuing to build and use more difficult and much deeper sentence structures. The students in this level will express their ideas by using a solid vocabulary foundation that includes the use of many adjectives and adverbs.
Learning Outcome: The students will be able to have a basic conversation based on daily routine activities. They will be able to say or express their ideas with a full command of adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases. They will be able to understand and be understood while expressing likes and dislikes. The average student will have acquired an active vocabulary of approximately 1,200 words together with many more words in speech and writing. The student is ready for intermediate level courses.
Topics: The plural of verb tenses; relative pronouns; Italian cuisine; political system; at work and socializing; adverbs; adjectives; prepositions; impersonal constructions; jobs; home; transportation; Italian nightlife; comparative and superlative clauses and uses.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One & Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One + Reading & Comprehension, $85 including tax. Part II (ch. 8-10), Part III (ch.1), Part IV (ch. 9-10).
Offered on: Wednesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: Students will continue with the Italian basic program with more difficult and much deeper structure for building sentences. To make students use Italian taught in the previous level by continuing to build and use more difficult and much deeper sentence structures. The students in this level will express their ideas by using a solid vocabulary foundation that includes the use of many adjectives and adverbs.
Learning Outcome: The students will be able to have a basic conversation based on daily routine activities. They will be able to say or express their ideas with a full command of adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases. They will be able to understand and be understood while expressing likes and dislikes. The average student will have acquired an active vocabulary of approximately 1,200 words together with many more words in speech and writing. The student is ready for intermediate level courses.
Topics: The plural of verb tenses; relative pronouns; Italian cuisine; political system; at work and socializing; adverbs; adjectives; prepositions; impersonal constructions; jobs; home; transportation; Italian nightlife; comparative and superlative clauses and uses.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One & Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One + Reading & Comprehension, $85 including tax. Part II (ch. 8-10), Part III (ch.1), Part IV (ch. 9-10).
This low intermediate level course starts with a conversational grammar review which presupposes a basic knowledge of Italian. Emphasis will be placed on using this grammar in conversation. This class is ideal for those who studied Italian a long time ago and need a refresher. This class is also meant for those students who have studied basic grammar but don't feel as though they can adequately use it in conversation. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course. Students will review vocabulary, such as nouns, adjectives, adverbs and names.
Offered on: Thursdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: To introduce students to a variety of strategies for learning Italian at home or office and practice at the institute. They will use common expressions and will learn much more, altogether idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs.
Learning Outcome: Students will be able to have a normal conversation based on daily events and express their ideas in written and oral ways. This level will refresh the previous knowledge of regular and irregular verbs in the present tense and introduce the past tense while expanding the grammatical structures learned.
Topics: New verb conjugations of irregular verbs in the present tense, the progressive forms, the use of adjectives, repeated events in the past, object pronouns, reflexive constructions, numbers, gender and plural nouns, idiomatic expressions of everyday life and talking about yourself and at home, and several readings about everyday topics.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One & Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One + Reading & Comprehension, $85 including tax. Part III (ch. 2-6), Part IV (ch. 10), Part V (ch. 1, 3).
Offered on: Thursdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: To introduce students to a variety of strategies for learning Italian at home or office and practice at the institute. They will use common expressions and will learn much more, altogether idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs.
Learning Outcome: Students will be able to have a normal conversation based on daily events and express their ideas in written and oral ways. This level will refresh the previous knowledge of regular and irregular verbs in the present tense and introduce the past tense while expanding the grammatical structures learned.
Topics: New verb conjugations of irregular verbs in the present tense, the progressive forms, the use of adjectives, repeated events in the past, object pronouns, reflexive constructions, numbers, gender and plural nouns, idiomatic expressions of everyday life and talking about yourself and at home, and several readings about everyday topics.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One & Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One + Reading & Comprehension, $85 including tax. Part III (ch. 2-6), Part IV (ch. 10), Part V (ch. 1, 3).
This course is for the student who is at a mid-intermediate level. Students at this level need to have a solid basic foundation of the language and are looking to expand their knowledge of the more complex forms of Italian. This level will teach students the difference between the present perfect and the past participle. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course.
Offered on: Tuesdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: To become much more comfortable understanding and using the proper verb tenses as they relate to moods in Italian. To provide you with an interesting insight into Italian cuisine from all regions of the country, and to talk about other people and what they do.
Learning Outcome: Students will be able to comfortably explain past events during routine conversations while expressing likes and dislikes. Students will acquire a wider use of idiomatic expressions using phrasal verbs and will become comfortable expressing themselves in Italian.
Topics: Various uses of the personal infinitive, present perfect and past participles, and infinitives as verbal objects, imperatives, giving and understanding directions, demonstrative adjectives, time and time expressions, restaurants and menus, possessive adjectives and pronouns, readings about everyday topics such as food and others.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One & Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One + Reading & Comprehension, $85 including tax. Part III (ch. 7-15), Part IV (ch. 10)
Offered on: Tuesdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: To become much more comfortable understanding and using the proper verb tenses as they relate to moods in Italian. To provide you with an interesting insight into Italian cuisine from all regions of the country, and to talk about other people and what they do.
Learning Outcome: Students will be able to comfortably explain past events during routine conversations while expressing likes and dislikes. Students will acquire a wider use of idiomatic expressions using phrasal verbs and will become comfortable expressing themselves in Italian.
Topics: Various uses of the personal infinitive, present perfect and past participles, and infinitives as verbal objects, imperatives, giving and understanding directions, demonstrative adjectives, time and time expressions, restaurants and menus, possessive adjectives and pronouns, readings about everyday topics such as food and others.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One & Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One + Reading & Comprehension, $85 including tax. Part III (ch. 7-15), Part IV (ch. 10)
This is the final, conversational based, grammar course. This course is for students who are at a high intermediate level and don’t feel ready for the more advanced levels. Students at this level are able to handle everyday conversations with ease but are eager to expand their cultural and idiomatic knowledge of Italian, as well as wrap-up their learning of advanced grammar. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course.
Offered on: Wednesdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: This level will end covering all the grammatical structures needed to send the student into real-life situations speaking Italian and to get them ready for the more advanced courses. To have full command of the language most important verb tenses.
Learning Outcome: Students will be able have a conversation with native speakers about different subjects using the right conjugation and the right words when talking or expressing specific points of view. They will become familiar and comfortable using the more compound verb tenses. We will expand their knowledge of idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs together with the use of the passive voice.
Topics: Introduction to compound verb tenses such as, the past, the imperfect, the future, reflexive verbs, the gerund, dependent clause vs. personal infinitive, popular proverbs, comparatives, pastimes, adjective and adverb clauses, impersonal expressions, -ear & -iare verbs, points of view, shopping, likes and dislikes, the preposition da, adjective/adverbs molto, poco and troppo, and several readings about everyday life topics.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One & Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One + Reading & Comprehension, $85 including tax. Part IV (ch. 1-6)
Offered on: Wednesdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now!
Objective: This level will end covering all the grammatical structures needed to send the student into real-life situations speaking Italian and to get them ready for the more advanced courses. To have full command of the language most important verb tenses.
Learning Outcome: Students will be able have a conversation with native speakers about different subjects using the right conjugation and the right words when talking or expressing specific points of view. They will become familiar and comfortable using the more compound verb tenses. We will expand their knowledge of idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs together with the use of the passive voice.
Topics: Introduction to compound verb tenses such as, the past, the imperfect, the future, reflexive verbs, the gerund, dependent clause vs. personal infinitive, popular proverbs, comparatives, pastimes, adjective and adverb clauses, impersonal expressions, -ear & -iare verbs, points of view, shopping, likes and dislikes, the preposition da, adjective/adverbs molto, poco and troppo, and several readings about everyday life topics.
Textbook: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One & Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian All-in-One + Reading & Comprehension, $85 including tax. Part IV (ch. 1-6)
Program Details
$380 ($400 in 2025) for a 10-week one level class per student. Au-Pairs can receive a 10% discount on tuition with proof of their status. Enroll now!
May be purchased at the time of registration or at the Institute before or on the first day of class. All prices quoted include a 6% DC sales tax and all prices are subject to change at any time. Tax-exempt organizations or individuals need to provide proof of sales tax exemption before being charged. No retroactive refunds of sales tax. Once received by the student, books and other materials are the property of the student and are non-refundable.
Regarding placement, we recommend that you go to our self-evaluation guide on our website. Kindly read through each description of each level. If you feel that you are able to fulfill all the tasks described in one level, then move on to the next level and so on, until you reach a description of tasks that you are unable to fulfill. That would correspond to the level of classes in which you should enroll. If, once enrolled, you should not feel comfortable at that level, you can transfer to another level, availability permitting. We do not offer placement tests.
Regular group classes meet once weekly in the evening (6:15-8:45 pm ET) or on Saturday mornings (10 am-12:30 pm ET) for 10 weeks. Each session is 2.5 hours. All class hours are U.S. Eastern Time (Standard or Daylight Saving). Classes cancelled due to holidays, instructors’ sickness, or other unforeseen circumstances are made up at the end of the regular term unless the entire class can arrange for a make-up on another day of the week.
In-person at ILI and online via Zoom. Our classes are usually held in person at Rhode Island Ave NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20036. Classes are also offered online via Zoom. We are within walking distance from the Metro's Dupont Circle (South exit) and Farragut North stations. Parking garages are close by and parking on the street is available after 6:30 pm.
Minimum 3, maximum 12 students. We recommend signing up as early as possible so we can adequately plan for all classes. If the minimum enrollment of at least 3 students per class is not met, we will have to cancel that class after the registration deadline has passed. In case of a cancellation, students will be given the opportunity to change classes, postpone their enrollment or request a full refund.
Our program requires each student to participate in weekly quizzes, which will be graded, based on a “Pass” or “Fail” system. There will be a final quiz that will measure the sum of the instructional objectives for the course. Grades are verbally communicated to students at the end of each class/course, and are marked on the attendance/performance sheet. Students must have completed and passed at least 70% of the quizzes to move to the next level.
It is important for students to attend every class meeting. It is also important that they arrive on time for class. We cover a lot of material in each class. The instructor cannot repeat material for students who are absent or come late. Students will be marked absent when they do not come to class. Missed group classes may only be made up if the same level is being offered on another day and the class is not at full capacity. Students who arrive 15 minutes after the advertised starting time will be marked late. For every 3 times that the student is marked as late, it will count as a missed hour. If we notice that a student’s attendance is in danger of falling below 70%, we will issue an attendance report to the student.
Per request, we can issue certificates of completion after the term has ended. The certificate can be ordered at the front desk. In order to be eligible to receive a certificate or pass to the next level, you are required to attend a minimum of 70% of the classes and have a “Passing” grade. We will need a couple of days in order to verify your attendance and passing grade before issuing the certificate.
ILI’s foreign language group programs are accredited by ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training), and we also offer 2.5 Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) per every successfully completed course, 5.0 for the accelerated courses. Upon request, our Certificates of Completion can include the CEU’s earned per semester.
No refunds are issued for any reason after the registration deadline for the term (see Schedule above). Classes cancelled due to holidays, instructors’ sickness, or other unforeseen circumstances are made up at the end of the regular term unless the entire class can arrange for a make-up on another day of the week. Individually missed group classes may only be made up if the same level is being offered on another day and the class is not at full capacity. Otherwise there is no make-up for individually missed classes.
The International Language Institute reserves the right to cancel any class if deemed necessary. Prior to commencement of class, students will be given a full refund. In the event of cancellation after the commencement of class, the pro-rata portion of the unexpended tuition will be refunded. The prorated amount of refundable monies will be determined by the ratio of classes completed to the total number of classes in the scheduled program. The International Language Institute reserves the right to assign substitute instructors whenever necessary.
Classes are cancelled in accordance with federal government closures for the entire day due to inclement weather. Please check public announcements on radio, TV and the internet; or call ILI at (202) 362-2505. Closures are also posted on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ILIinDC. We rarely follow early dismissals. ILI is closed for the following holidays: Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day. Group classes will not meet on these holidays and the missed class(es) will be made up at the end of the term.
Please contact our Foreign Language Coordinator, Jane Edwards, at (202) 686-5610 ext. 105 or at [email protected].