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Accessibility statement
An image to illustrate Elementary Italian 1: in campo! short course
If you enjoy immersing yourself in Italian culture, exploring cities, shopping, asking for directions and discovering recipes, marketplaces, art and landscapes, Elementary Italian 1 (LGXI004) is a perfect next step. This 16-unit course helps you expand your Italian phrasebook and deepen your understanding of the language. You’ll develop essential vocabulary and functions for describing things, shopping for food or leisure, getting around town and arranging to meet friends. Learning is supported through guided activities that build both confidence and fluency. On completion, you will receive a digital badge to share on social media, in email signatures or as a certificate.
Starting from learning key vocabulary and expressions, you’ll progress unit by unit towards being able to hold longer conversations and understand more of the Italian language in different situations. You'll explore activities such as shopping for food or clothes, making a telephone call and arranging to meet someone, and asking and giving directions.
You will have the opportunity to develop and consolidate your Italian through a rich variety of practice activities. The course covers language and learning techniques as well as culture, and you’ll also have two dedicated revision units to practise what you have learned, including:
You will focus on specific grammar points including:
You'll also be introduced to aspects of Italian life and culture, such as:
Please note that although this course is non-accredited, it can be used towards the module Making your learning count (YXM130) to gain OU credits.
After completing this course, you should be able to:
The course is designed to help you achieve a level of language proficiency equivalent to level A2 of the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR).
The course is taught entirely online, with the aid of a learning adviser to offer support where needed. You will have access to online forums that you are strongly encouraged to participate in, as they are an excellent source of support and information. These forums combine peer support with input from the language specialist learning adviser(s). Other support is available via the StudentHome website and Computing Helpdesk.
The course is made up of 16 units, with each unit expected to take about 3–4 hours to study. In total, you’ll need around 64 hours to complete the course.
You can begin at any time during the life of the course and study at your own pace. The course will be open to you for a time period of between 6 and 18 months depending on your course registration date and you will be advised of the specific time limitations upon enrolment.
All learning materials are delivered entirely online and there is no formal tuition for this course.
Your study is self-directed and you’ll have access to a course website, which includes:
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
There are no entry requirements for this course.
However, it's beneficial if you have some basic knowledge of Italian, similar or equivalent to the language, skills and vocabulary practised in Beginners Italian 1: primi passi (LGXI001), Beginners Italian 2: in cammino (LGXI002) and/or Beginners Italian 3: stai andando bene! (LGXI003).
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact us.
The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet you are advised to contact us about support which can be given to meet your needs.
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying LGXI004 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
StartEngland fee
At anytime before 31/07/2026£195
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2026/27 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
You can start this course anytime.
You can start this course anytime.
Level info