Italian is a gift for many learners: pronunciation is regular, words are spelled the way they sound and English speakers already know plenty of Latin-based vocabulary (importante, possibile, famiglia). TV shows and films speed things up because you understand some of it from the very first episode.
The advantage and the trap
The advantage: you understand early. The trap: it is easy to “think” you understood and miss the differences, especially with words that look familiar. The fix is to pay attention to differences, not just similarities.
False friends that fool English speakers
| Italian | Looks like | Means |
|---|---|---|
| camera | camera | room |
| parenti | parents | relatives |
| libreria | library | bookshop |
| fattoria | factory | farm |
| morbido | morbid | soft |
| educato | educated | polite |
| annoiato | annoyed | bored |
Recommended shows and films
| Title | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Summertime | Young characters, current Italian, summer setting |
| Baby | School and daily life in Rome |
| My Brilliant Friend (L’amica geniale) | Excellent, with passages in Neapolitan |
| Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella) | Classic film, clear speech |
| Cinema Paradiso (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso) | Classic film, everyday vocabulary |
Availability varies by country and service.
Watch out for dialects
Italy has strong regional dialects. Shows like Gomorrah (Neapolitan) and Suburra (Roman) are excellent, but much of the speech is not standard Italian. For study, start with productions in standard Italian and save the dialect ones for later.
How to study
- Watch with Italian subtitles and a translation.
- Write down the false friends you come across.
- Notice the patterns that link Italian and English words, like “-zione” and “-tion”.
- Repeat lines out loud to catch the melody of Italian.
In Telidioma, choose Italian as your study language: the Italian subtitle sits on top and the translation below, with click-to-translate on every word. The false friend warnings help with exactly the traps in the table above. For Spanish, see learning Spanish with TV shows.
Frequently asked questions
Is Italian easy for English speakers?
It is one of the more accessible languages. Pronunciation follows regular rules and much formal English vocabulary has Latin roots shared with Italian. The main challenges are verb conjugations and gendered nouns.
Why can't I understand some Italian shows?
Many productions use regional dialects, such as Neapolitan in Gomorrah or Roman in Suburra. Dialects can differ so much from standard Italian that these shows are subtitled even in Italy.
What are common Italian false friends for English speakers?
“Camera” means room, “parenti” means relatives (not parents), “libreria” is a bookshop and “fattoria” is a farm, not a factory.