Learn Italian with Joy of Languages

Katie Harris and Matteo Alabiso make one of the most effective beginner Italian podcasts around, and they do it by keeping things short and practical. Each episode of Learn Italian with Joy of Languages runs 7 to 18 minutes and focuses on a single, usable concept: how to order coffee in Italy, the difference between "essere" and "stare," Valentine's Day vocabulary, or how to navigate Italian transportation. The dialogue format — Katie as the learner, Matteo as the native speaker — creates a natural back-and-forth that mirrors how you would actually practice with a language partner. The show has grown to 222 episodes and releases new content weekly, with the latest dropping in February 2026. Topics lean heavily toward practical, travel-ready Italian. You will learn to ask for directions, order food, shop at markets, and talk about your family. But the show also covers grammar fundamentals, Italian dialects, regional expressions, and cultural quirks that textbooks tend to skip. With 859 Apple ratings and a 4.8 star average, this is one of the most popular Italian podcasts for beginners, and the ratings reflect genuine quality rather than just brand recognition. Listeners praise the clear explanations, the manageable episode lengths, and the way Katie asks exactly the questions a real beginner would have. Matteo's pronunciation modeling is precise and easy to mimic. If you are just starting out and want a podcast that teaches you phrases you can actually use on your next trip to Italy, this one delivers consistently.