Babbel Italian Review 2024: Read the Review Before Using It

“Tutto considerato, questo corso mi è stato veramente utile.” It means “All things considered, this course was really helpful to me.”

This statement is in Italian, and I learned it from Babbel. This statement was absolutely true for the Babbel Italian course. Although I had learned the basics already, Babbel helped me learn the advanced level. While learning Italian, I understood why Babbel is the oldest running platform on the internet. If you also want to advance your Italian language, you must choose Babbel. Here, I will share how it helped me become fluent in Italian.

How is the course created?

While choosing a platform, it is very important to understand how the course is developed. First, let us talk about the levels in the course. The platform helps those having zero knowledge to get advanced in Italian. In short, even if you are a beginner, you will love this platform. Each level of the course has 2-8 units in it and each unit covers multiple thematic topics. Further, the units are divided into 5-15 lessons.

For the Babbel Italian course, there are 100 lessons available. Try to be consistent by completing a single lesson every day. I rarely found this task a difficult one. This is because the lessons were 10-15 minutes max. With each lesson, several interactive drills focus on developing important skills. It also involves digital flashcards, considered the best language teaching approach. In addition to that, the following are the exercises that you will encounter during the lessons-

• Matching pairs
• Fill-in-the-blanks
• Multiple-choice questions
• Completing mock conversations,
• Matching phrases to images
• Short grammar exercises

The platform provides the same content in multiple ways, which helped me to interact with the content on the platform. This technique really helped me stay engaged with the content. 

Babbel Italian Subscription Option

Babbel is a subscription-based platform that has a 20-day money-back guarantee. This period is not a free trial. Your money will be debited the time you apply for membership. But if you think it is not worth it, you can get a refund. When I signed up for the membership, I was unsure if I would enjoy the platform or not. But after using it, I was really satisfied with the money I paid. At that time I had a subscription plan for 1 month. But there are several options that you can choose from. The following table shows the price of subscription plans-

Duration of the plan	Pricing
1 Month	$13.95 per month
3 Months	$9.95 ($29.85 per month)
6 Months	$8.45 ($50.70 per month)
12 Months	Lifetime Plan
Lifetime PLan	$299

If I compare them with other resources, I would say the Babbel cost is quite affordable. Unlike other platforms, it is a complete package for learning Italian. After taking the plan, if you think it is not suited to your lifestyle, you can always use the 20-day money-back guarantee feature. 

Remember the above pricing is for self-study on Babbel. There is also a live classes option on this platform. The pricing of it is different. It depends upon the following features-

• Levels
• Days
• Time
• Duration
• Teacher

While using the Babbel live feature, one thing was sure, the teachers are nice on the platform. Again it comes with a 20-day money-back guarantee. But I think taking the live classes is a really good choice. 

Features of taking Self Study classes for Italian course

Taking the self-study plan gives you specific features to learn Italian. Here are some of them-

• Course curriculum developed by more than 150 experts
• You can have customized curriculum and progress-tracking features 
• Tools to help in long-term memory goals
• Lots of podcasts, videos, and cultural lessons for quick learning and insights.
• My favorite one – Interactive games.

Features of taking live classes for Italian course

The subscription for live classes also includes the feature of taking self-study classes. Here are the additional benefits of taking Babbel live-

• Unlimited classes – Why I wanted to choose Babbel Live to check if it actually gives unlimited live classes. To my surprise, it does without any hidden cost.
• It allowed me to choose the class according to my choice. I remember I had booked the classes at the last minute many times.
• The live class session is among a small group of learners i.e. of 6 members. The instructors of the class are certified.
• Of Course, it allows me to practice what I had learned in the class with the mentors I got.

What are the benefits of the Babbel Italian course?

Every platform has its own advantages. There is no different case for using Babbel to learn Italian. Here is a list of the plus points of why I like it-

• The biggest reason why I love it is the availability of self-study and live classes. Not all the platforms have such features. But Babbel has it.
• The price of the Babbel live plan is worth it. I have used iTalki and Preply before. I know how much price a student has to pay for taking up classes on it.
• There was clarity about which lesson to go on. I do not have to worry about the path of course. The course was developed properly.
• The platform has a lot of interactive lessons. Also, the exercises were created in the form of games which kept me engaged with the content. 
• The way Babbel uses Grammar in its courses is commendable. Very few platforms provide grammatical information. Babbel is just like Lingodeer, there are huge grammatical explanations.
• Babbel also has a review system. If you think there is a need to revise the previous content, this is the best feature to use.

What are the drawbacks of the Babbel Italian course?

Having so many benefits does not mean there are no drawbacks. Although there are very few things that I dislike about Babbek Italian course, I have mentioned them as well-

• I think the platform can work more on verbal practice with a self-study plan. In live classes, students can still practice with the teachers. But what about the students who have chosen the self-study plan? There are not many exercises for them.
• Again my second problem comes with the self-study plan. There is almost zero advanced-level content. Even after taking the subscription plan, I could not find it. So, what is the fun of taking it? In such a scenario, I would choose other free platforms.

Is the Babbel Italian course worth it?

Babbel is a platform that provides two services-

• Self Study 
• Live classes 

From the benefits and drawbacks discussed above, you must understand whether you should use it or not. If you are on a budget, try taking a self-study plan. If you enjoy self-study, you will love this feature a lot. The only thing I didn’t like about this plan was there was not much content for advanced-level learners. After completing the course, I really thought it was not enough. So, I took the Babbel live platform.

I have used both of them. Earlier I didn’t know that taking Live classes would include all the features of Self-study in it. I would say, that if you do not have a specific budget, you must try. Having the live classes will really help you in developing your language skills. Taking up unlimited classes was one of my ways to make proper use of the platform. The tutors I got were so amazing. Unlike other tutoring platforms, there were no big groups. It was limited to 6 students only. My instructor gave individual attention to each student in the group. 

Important: If you can’t afford the platform, try to look for other online Italian courses. Although, all the paid platforms that I have used to learn Italian, I think Babbel is the best one.

Alternatives to learn Italian

Italian is a language that is common among language learners. When I was learning the language, I myself tried multiple platforms. Here are some of the platforms that helped me learn Italian a lot-

1. uTalk – Best for visual learners

I believe visual learning is a great way to learn something new easily. Whether learning a language or learning any other thing, this is one of the best approaches. uTalk works on this approach. Every time you hear a word or phrase, you must match it with the picture.

2. Rocket Languages – Engaging Approach

The Italian course is divided into several chunks to make you understand the content. Several features made it easy to understand the language. If you want to know more about Italy, get cultural knowledge. Many extra fun activities are making it an engaging way to learn the language. 

3. HelloTalk – Best for language exchange program

If you know the basics, then give a try to HelloTalk. This is a platform where you can practice the language with another person. There is a free and paid version of this platform. The free version of the platform has a limited number of translations. You can send requests to real people and see if they are the ones whom you can practice with. 

Conclusion

If you want to learn Italian, you must use Babbel. The course is designed in such an engaging manner that helps you to learn the language faster. There are multiple exercises designed to teach you properly. It is not like other traditional platforms that provide courses only. There is also a Babbel live feature, where you can be taught by a live tutor. You do not have to worry about which lesson to choose first. It has a proper structure of lessons to teach you Italian. 

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