Practise your Italian in a conversation that suits your level
Giovanni is built on the way we teach in Coffee Break Italian, so practising with him feels like the lessons you already know, except that now you’re the one putting the Italian into words. No app to download: it works on any phone or laptop.
At your level
Giovanni works out where you are as you chat and adjusts to you, whether you’re just starting out or already confident in Italian.
Friendly corrections
He gently fixes your Italian and explains why, the same warm way Mark and Francesca do in the lessons.
Anywhere, any time
It’s all by text, so you can practise on the bus, in a queue or last thing at night, wherever you couldn’t talk out loud.
The Coffee Break way
Giovanni is built on our lessons and our way of teaching, so what you practise links up with the podcast, the courses and Coffee Break Italian TV.
Ask Giovanni anything, in English or Italian
Stuck on the difference between sapere and conoscere? Want to rehearse ordering a coffee before your trip? Paste in a sentence and ask if it’s right.
Giovanni explains it clearly, then gets you practising straight away.
Because it’s all in writing, you get time to think before you reply, and every correction stays on the screen to look back on. Finding the words in writing also helps them come more easily when you speak.
quick question, does conoscere go with nouns and sapere with verbs?
Pretty much, yes! Conoscere is for people and places you know: conosco Firenze. Sapere is for facts, or knowing how to do something: so parlare italiano.
Want to try two? Fill the gaps:
Io ___ cucinare la pasta.
Io ___ un ristorante in centro.
so… conosco?
Brava, both right! One more, a bit trickier: how would you say “Do you know Marco?”
Sai Marco?
Nearly! Marco is a person, so it’s Conosci Marco? You’d only use sapere with a person for a fact about them, like Sai dove abita Marco?
Wherever you’re coming from, Giovanni meets you there
Pick the one that sounds most like you.
New to Italian
I want to start using Italian
You haven’t learned with us before, and maybe you haven’t learned Italian at all. Giovanni can start you off in English.
- Start from your very first words, no experience needed
- Have a go without the fear of getting it wrong
- See for yourself what the Coffee Break way feels like
I follow Coffee Break Italian
I listen, but I want to actually use it
If you enjoy the podcast and the videos, Giovanni helps you turn what you hear into words of your own between episodes.
- Put the words and grammar from each episode into practice
- Build the confidence to use it, not just understand it
- The same teaching you already trust, now one to one
I’m already learning with you
I’m working through a course or Coffee Break Italian TV
If you’re already learning with us, Giovanni gives you extra practice alongside your course or Coffee Break Italian TV.
- Rehearse what you’re covering in your current level
- Get unstuck the moment a question comes up
- Keep your Italian ticking over between study sessions
Giovanni teaches the Coffee Break way
Giovanni is built on the way Coffee Break has taught languages for 20 years, so the explanations, the pace and the encouragement all come from our lessons.
The technology simply means you can practise with him whenever you like.
Step 1
Say hello
Open the chat and type a message in English or Italian.
Step 2
Chat, ask, practise
Have a conversation, ask a grammar question, or rehearse an everyday situation.
Step 3
Keep going
Come back whenever you have a few minutes. Giovanni picks up where you left off.
A few quick questions
Do I need to be good at Italian already?
Not at all. Giovanni works from complete beginner upwards and adjusts to you. If it’s your first day, start in English and he’ll ease you in.
Is Giovanni part of Coffee Break Italian TV or the courses?
No. Giovanni is his own thing, with his own subscription, so he isn’t included in Coffee Break Italian TV or the courses. We’re putting the final details together and will share them soon.
Will he correct my mistakes?
Yes, gently. Giovanni points out slips and explains the fix, so you learn as you go rather than just being marked wrong.
Can I talk to Giovanni out loud?
No, Giovanni is text only, and that’s deliberate. You can chat anywhere, even where you couldn’t speak out loud, you have time to think before you reply, and every correction is there in writing to look back on.
Learning another language too?
Allora, facciamo due chiacchiere?
A few minutes of conversation at your level helps you move from knowing Italian to using it.
Start chatting with Giovanni