7 Best Resources to Learn Italian with Subtitles in 2024
Learning Italian with subtitles is an engaging and often addictive way to boost your language skills.
You’ll be picking up tons of new vocabulary and supercharging both your listening and reading comprehension skills at once.
But accessing reliable Italian subtitles isn’t always easy. How do you do it, and can you really learn Italian with subtitles?
We’ve turned the internet inside-out and consulted experienced Italian learners to find out where those subs are hiding.
Here are the best places to learn Italian with subtitles.
Contents
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
1. Netflix
If you have Netflix, you’re already golden. This is probably the easiest way to access Italian subtitles on all your favorite shows as well as original Italian content.
Having trouble finding the Italian goods? That’s because Netflix is designed to give you content in your own language.
Just follow these two steps to change the language settings:
- Log into Netflix and make a new profile. This will be your Italian language profile.
- Go back and select “Manage Profiles” from the menu. Choose your new profile, then choose “Italian” from the drop-down menu as your preferred language.
It’s that simple!
When you log back in, you’ll now see the strange and wonderful place that is Italian Netflix. Many videos will be in Italian and will include the option to add subtitles. Others will be in English with Italian subtitles, and others still will be dubbed in Italian.
Choose an option best suited for your learning level, then simply watch and learn.
2. FluentU
FluentU has a library of short, authentic videos that span a wide range of topics from movie clips and commercials to inspirational talks and news segments. These video clips are all sorted into various difficulty levels and topics, to make it easier to find content that’s suited to your interests and skill level.
Each video clip on FluentU offers interactive subtitles that allow you to hear the native pronunciation of individual words, as well as their usage in various contexts.
As you watch a video, hover over any word in the subtitles. The video will automatically pause and show you a popup card detailing the definition of the word in the context of the video you’re watching, example sentences, grammar info and an associated image.
From here, you can add the word to a flashcard deck of your making. This will allow you to test yourself on your understanding of the word at a later time, as well as see other videos where it’s used for additional context.
Subtitles are available in both Italian and English, and you can turn either on or off to suit your needs. And, since all the subtitles are vetted by language experts, you know the words and their meanings you’re seeing are accurate.
3. Internet Bookshop Italia
The Internet Bookshop is an online book, film and music shop that makes the best of Italian media available to the rest of the world. This is a great place to find a wide variety of Italian DVDs and Blu-rays that come pre-packed with Italian dubbing and subtitle options.
The site is easy to use, has a lot of great offers (some under 10 Euros, or about 12 USD) and ships worldwide.
Start by browsing the Italian and international film selection on the site.
When you’ve found a movie or show you’d like to buy, click the title and read the information on the next page. Make sure to click Maggiori Dettagli (More Details) near the top of the page to display the language and subtitle information.
Here, you can check under Lingua audio (Audio language) and Lingua sottotitoli (Subtitle language) to make sure it has Italian listed in both spots.
When you’re ready, click aggiungi al carrello (add to cart) and your choice will automatically go into your cart. Just click the familiar cart icon in the top right corner of your screen to check out.
Internet Bookshop Italian also makes it easy to browse. Even if you only know one Italian actor or director, you’ll be able to search for their name and find all their films. This site also gives you recommendations based on your searches, so you’ll be able to delve into new content even if you’re a newbie.
We recommend searching for Matteo Garrone, one of Italy’s finest modern directors and winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.
(Warning: If you’re purchasing DVDs, make sure your player is able to play DVDs from other regions.)
4. TED Talks
All talks are available with Italian subtitles, though they are presented in English. This provides a unique opportunity to learn Italian with subtitles by comparing the grammar used by the speakers with the verb forms in the subs.
TED Talks presenters use more complex grammar to describe their hopes for the world, which means the verbs in Italian will change to describe probability, possibility and conditional ideas.
These more complicated structures can be difficult to pick up in an Italian-only video, so these talks are very useful in providing a baby step to a more difficult level.
There are a lot of videos to choose from, but if you don’t know where to start, try John McWhorter’s “4 ragioni per imparare una nuova lingua” (“4 reasons to learn a new language”).
5. ItalianSubs
What now?
Worry not. There’s a super easy way to turn all your movies and shows into fresh Italian content. All you have to do is download the subtitle file and add it to your existing video file.
It works like this.
- Type the name of the movie or show you want to watch with subtitles in the upper lefthand search bar. When you’ve found it, click it to download (it’s free and legal).
- Find the video file on your hard drive and drag it to your desktop. Create a new folder and drop the video and the new subtitle file into the folder.
- Open your preferred video player and drop the file inside. The video should start playing with the subtitles. If the subtitles aren’t showing up, look for a subtitles button or menu and select them.
This is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to rapidly go from having no Italian videos to a full library.
6. BBC Languages
First, they have awesome multimedia courses that take you by the hand and teach you the basics of the language. Then they have authentic video programs, like Rai TV, that immerse you in the language itself.
Witness Italian as it’s used by native speakers. Watch programs regularly consumed by Italian speakers. And they come with awesome subtitles, so let’s all take a moment to thank whoever donned their headphones and took the time to transcribe them.
BBC Languages is famous for their interactive language learning course “La Mappa Misteriosa.” Go on an adventure and solve a mystery, learning Italian along the way.
Each of the 12 episodes has a set of vocabulary terms and learning focuses, paired with drills and exercises. Complete an epic quest and take your Italian to another level at the same time!
7. YouTube
- Children’s stories can teach you basic vocabulary and are easy to follow along with their simple plots and repetition. Check out BookBox’s Italian Children’s stories with subtitles.
- Movie clips: YouTube’s movie clips often involve the high points of the movie or some pretty interesting dialogues. For example, this clip from “Life Is Beautiful” is fat with language content.
- Music videos: Music videos give you a visual story with some catchy harmony. The subtitles often go by fast so have the lyrics in your hand to follow along−ideally a copy of the English and Italian versions. And don’t forget to sing along! Why not start with the hit song “Let it Go”?
- Language lessons: You’ll find Italian language lessons on YouTube that come with helpful subtitles, like the informative videos from Learn Italian with Lucrezia. Watch the video first for the language lesson, then you can go deeper and study the subtitles themselves.
- Vlogs: YouTube features native Italian speakers who take you into their daily routines and share their heritage, language and culture. They use lots of slang, idioms and everyday expressions which are good to know. Some of these vlogs, like the street interviews by Easy Languages have subtitles made especially for non-Italian speakers.
How to Prepare for Subtitled Italian Learning
Before you break out the popcorn and put on your jammies, there are a few things you have to know if you want to learn Italian with subtitles.
Study time isn’t rest time.
First of all, this isn’t a popcorn and jammy affair. Having zombies for teachers is pretty cool, but you still have to do your coursework (zombie teachers love brainy students).
You may be watching your favorite shows and movies, but remember that when you’re learning Italian with subtitles you should consider this study time and not leisure time.
Doing a mentally straining activity when your brain is in relaxation mode will lead you to dislike that activity, so make sure you keep your Italian binge watching separate from your free-time binge watching sessions.
A good learning environment is key.
Before you start watching, make sure you’re in a quiet space free from interruption. Learning with subtitles means you need to keep your eyes on the screen. Try putting your phone on airplane mode and telling any family or roommates to leave you alone for a bit.
Sit upright and keep a pencil and a notebook in front of you. You’ll want to write down any new words as they cross the screen. A good dictionary is also essential.
It’s not for the uninitiated.
And one last thing: learning Italian with subtitles isn’t recommended for absolute beginners. You’ll want to do a crash course in Italian before pressing play. Try one of these online Italian courses to get started.
Tips for Learning Italian with Subtitles
You’ll need more than open eyes and ears to get the most out of learning Italian with subtitles. Follow these steps and you’ll be sure to pick up and retain all the new words you encounter.
- Choose the right video. While comedies and dramas are fun to watch, they often contain a lot of fast talking, slang and wordplay. That’s great if you’re upper intermediate or advanced! Otherwise, shoot for action or horror for simpler dialogue, or choose a video in a field that you know a lot about already.
- Watch with English subtitles first. This will give you some context and help you understand the unfamiliar words you hear. You’ll want to know what happens in the video so you can connect the dots once you watch it in full Italian mode.
- Watch actively with Italian subs. Now the fun begins! Turn on those Italian subtitles and watch closely, pausing when necessary to jot down new words. Rewind if you need to and don’t hesitate to revert back to the English subs to find equivalent phrases for the parts you don’t understand. Study what you wrote down before moving on to the next step.
- Watch passively with Italian subs. Now watch the same video again, but try to stop less often. It should be easier to understand this time around. If you get lost, go ahead and pause or rewind, but otherwise, try to forge ahead. The idea isn’t to understand everything but to recognize what you wrote down before and start filling in some of the blanks.
- Watch without subtitles. You might have to repeat steps three and four a few times before getting here, but the goal of this exercise is to be able to understand without the need for subtitles. Don’t worry, it gets easier over time!
Watching the same video or movie again and again might seem daunting, but you don’t have to do it all at once! This process may take you a week or longer, but that’s okay.
If you want to move a bit faster, choose a half-hour TV show or a short video instead of a feature-length film.
Learning Italian with subtitles is a great habit to develop, but with all this newfound knowledge and culture, it would be a waste not to join the conversation!
Take your studies to the next level by joining a Facebook group like Recensioni di film (film reviews) or a site like tvblog.it where you can review, discuss and comment on your favorite movies and shows.
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
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