Elementary Italian 3: all'opera!

This 16-unit online course lets you continue your journey learning Italian and exploring Italian society and culture. As an elementary level course, you should have some knowledge of Italian already, either by studying Elementary Italian 2: avanti tutta! (LGXI005) or because you have learned Italian to a similar level elsewhere. You’ll carry out guided online activities covering new topics including working life, emotions, social media and the weather. The course has no formal assessment, but you’ll test your knowledge by completing a quiz in each unit.

After successfully completing this short course, you will receive a digital badge. This can be shared on social media, added to email signatures or act as a certificate.

Standalone study only

You will not be awarded credits for studying this course. It is available for standalone study only and cannot be counted towards an OU qualification.

Short course

Short course code

LGXI006

Credits

This is a non-credit bearing course.

What you will study

This 16-unit course covers both language points and learning techniques, as well as aspects of Italian society and culture. Two of the 16 units (8 and 16) are dedicated to revising what you have learned.

Some of the main topics that you will study during the course include:

talking about working life
talking about workplaces
talking about personal experiences of migration
talking about percentages
agreeing and disagreeing
giving orders using the informal imperative
talking about social media
expressing strong emotions
talking about the weather
expressing an opinion
linking sentences using che
giving advice using the informal imperative
direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns
relative pronouns che, chi.

You’ll also be introduced to aspects of Italian life and culture, such as:

flexible working
employment contracts
the Italian manufacturing sector
migration from south to north
the new Italian migrants
Italian heritage communities in the UK
AIRE (Registry of Italians Residing Abroad)
Italians online
environmental organisations in Italy
the Veneto region
the region and island of Sicily
the Marche region.

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.

You will learn

After completing this course, you should be able to:

communicate with speakers of Italian in a limited range of predictable and simple contexts relating to everyday situations
understand and use basic and more complex Italian language points (for example, questions, statements and instructions), and common vocabulary relating to work and the workplace, social media and more
recognise and use basic and more complex Italian phrases in formal and informal communication
show a basic level of intercultural communicative competence, including an awareness of Italian culture and society.

The course is designed to help you achieve a level of language proficiency equivalent to level B1 of the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR).

Learner support

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.

If you have a disability

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 LGXI006 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.

Regulations

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.

Entry requirements

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), Beginners Italian 3: stai andando bene! (LGXI003), Elementary Italian 1: in campo! (LGXI004), and/or Elementary Italian 2: avanti tutta! (LGXI005).

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact us.

Course length

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.

Register

Start	End	England fee	Register
At anytime before registration end date	Jan 2026 - see Entry requirements for more detail	£195.00	Registration closes 31/07/2025 Register

Ways to pay

Credit/Debit Card – We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.

Sponsorship – 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 2024/25 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.

Can you study an Access module for free?

Depending on eligibility and availability of places, you could apply to study your Access module for free.

To qualify, you must:

be resident in England
have a household income of not more than £25,000 (or be in receipt of a qualifying benefit)
have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above or successfully completed 30 credits or more of OU study within the last 10 years

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you've started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we'll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible and funded places are still available.

If you're unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069, or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don't worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

monthly payments through OUSBA
part-time tuition fee loan (you'll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

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:

a unit-by-unit study planner
course-specific materials and activities
audio content
discussion forums
support from language-specialist learning advisers.

Computing requirements

You'll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11), or macOS Ventura or higher.

Functionality may be limited on mobile devices. For example, voice recorder activities, which are common in language short courses, may not work on iOS/Apple devices.

Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.

Our OU Study mobile App will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It's not available on Kindle.

It's also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use specific applications, you'll also require a desktop or laptop as described above.