How Free Tools and Daily Moments Can Change Your Life in Ispra
Learning Italian can be one of the most rewarding experiences for anyone who moves to the Lake Maggiore area. Yet for many, getting started is not easy. Motivation may be low, the fear of not being good at languages can be present, or daily life simply gets in the way. This is exactly why it helps to remember how much everyday life changes once you begin to understand even a little bit of the local language.
Perfection is not the goal. The first satisfying moments appear in small, simple situations: having a friendly chat at a café, ordering at a restaurant, exchanging a joke, speaking with someone in the parking lot, talking to shop assistants in fashion stores, or greeting neighbours during a walk with your dog along the lake. During a football match, a local event, a hike, or while practicing your hobbies, the ability to use even basic Italian becomes a natural bridge to people, relationships, and confidence.
As you progress towards A2 or B1 levels, new opportunities start to open up: professional collaborations, local projects, friendships, cultural exchanges, and sometimes even jobs. Many spouses and partners of JRC staff receive invitations to formal and informal dinners, networking events, and community gatherings where even a few Italian phrases make a real difference in how easily they integrate.
It also helps to keep in mind some interesting facts about the Italian language. Italian is spoken by more than 85 million people worldwide, including communities in Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Croatia, Slovenia, and the global Italian diaspora. It ranks among the world’s top twenty most widely spoken languages and is considered one of the most beautiful and melodic languages. Italy is the third-largest economy in the Eurozone, with a population of about 60 million, and its culture has shaped art, music, gastronomy, fashion, and design for centuries. Understanding the language means gaining access to this deep cultural heritage.
We are not experts, but we have been exploring some tools and applications that could help on the path to learning languages. Keep in mind, however, that there may be many more options available.
Fortunately, starting to learn Italian does not have to be difficult, especially because many free apps make it easy to learn at your own pace. For level A1, the following tools are helpful and accessible.
Duolingo is ideal for complete beginners. It is simple, playful, and friendly, helping you learn your first words and expressions through games and short exercises. Real conversation practice is limited, and the free version includes advertising, but ten minutes a day is enough to develop a routine.
Memrise offers vocabulary and pronunciation practice through short videos with native speakers. Suitable for A1–B1 learners, it focuses less on grammar and some advanced functions require payment. Repeating the phrases out loud can greatly improve retention.
Busuu combines short lessons with everyday themes, listening exercises, and the option to receive feedback from Italian users. It is well structured and suitable for A1–B1 levels, though some functions require a paid subscription. One lesson a day works well for steady progress.
HelloTalk is dedicated to real conversation. It allows you to chat directly with Italian speakers in a language exchange format. It requires a bit of courage but is one of the most effective ways to learn. You can start with very simple daily messages.
Drops is useful for visual learners and focuses on vocabulary through images and mini-games. The free version is limited to five minutes every ten hours, which still works well for building vocabulary gradually.
Lingodeer offers clear lessons and simple grammar explanations, accompanied by high-quality audio. It is suitable for A1–B1 learners. Advanced content requires payment, but the basic lessons are excellent for slow and steady learning.
Clozemaster becomes useful after your first few weeks of study. It provides sentences with missing words that you must fill in, helping you learn vocabulary in context. It is not ideal for complete beginners and the interface may feel technical, but it is effective for memorisation.
iTalki, in its free version, offers brief educational videos and the possibility to find a language partner. Interactions feel authentic and progress becomes visible quickly. Paid classes with teachers are optional.
All these mobile apps can be combined flexibly, and long-term progress depends on consistency rather than study time. Even a few minutes each day can build a strong routine, and over time you will notice how much more you understand in your daily life.
This article is written for the Empower JRC community, a network created specifically for spouses and partners of JRC Ispra staff. Empower organises social events, professional workshops, training sessions, and collaborative opportunities. Its purpose is to create meaningful connections, offer support during career transitions, reduce isolation, and make integration into local life easier. With more than 130 members from over 20 countries, Empower hosts regular meetings, activities, and projects. Supported by JRC Ispra, it has become essential in helping newcomers feel welcomed and included in the Varese area.
For those who have recently arrived in Italy and may feel uncertain, this community has already made a significant difference, from building friendships to initiating new projects and discovering opportunities. Members often describe Empower as a supportive environment that offers encouragement and a strong sense of belonging.
“As a Romanian student learning Italian through English, my learning journey is sometimes more complex than it might appear. The language used in class is not my daily working language, and I am still improving my English skills. This means that when the teacher asks me something, I often know the answer immediately in Romanian, but I need to translate it in my mind into English and sometimes again into Italian before I speak. It is a small mental exercise that happens in just a few seconds, yet it adds an extra layer to every interaction.
I also see how each learner in our group faces a different kind of challenge. Some of my classmates are native English speakers, but they come from countries where their mother tongue has no connection at all with Italian. They need to memorise completely new words, like bicicletta, while for me this comes naturally because Romanian has bicicletă. Many Romanian and Italian words feel like close cousins: mare/mare (sea), casa/casă (house), famiglia/familie, or similar verb patterns like parlare / a vorbi. Even the grammar feels familiar, which is a real advantage in the beginning.
This linguistic proximity helps me, while others rely on different strengths. In the end, we all learn side by side, each starting from a different point, but sharing the same goal: to integrate, to communicate, and to feel at home here.
Learning Italian is not just about vocabulary and grammar. It is about navigating cultures, building confidence, and creating bridges within our international community around Lake Maggiore. Through this article, I hope to encourage others to take their first steps, embrace their own rhythm, and discover that every new word—no matter how small—opens the door to new experiences and meaningful connections.”
Valentin T., volunteer @ Empower JRC Communications Team
Learning Italian is part of this journey. Not for perfection, but to open the doors to people, experiences, and a new way of living in and around Ispra.
If you are part of the JRC community and would like to connect, learn, grow, or simply meet new people, Empower is here for you JOIN US. And Italian – even in its simplest form – can be your first step toward a richer experience in your new home.