Conversations

Dear Friend,

When people speak to you in fast Italian, it can be hard to understand...

I mean really hard!

You know what it's like...

You've been learning Italian for a while, and you thought you'd be able to understand people by now...

You didn't expect to still find yourself panicking whenever you're in a conversation with someone at a normal speed
You didn't expect your confidence to evaporate when you're stuck trying to translate what you heard in your head, and the speaker is already 10 sentences further on
Sure, basic conversations are easy, but you didn't expect to still be overwhelmed by jumbles of words flying at you at 100 mph

After all the time you've spent learning, shouldn't your "brain speed" be catching up by now?

Well, yes… it should...

But not if you keep doing what you're doing!

Why Listening to Spoken Italian Still Drives You Crazy...

I'd like to explain two things:

1) Why you still find it so hard to understand spoken Italian, and
2) Why you've been conned into studying the wrong way

And then a unique, new opportunity to overcome your frustration, transform your listening skills and bridge the gap from beginner to fluent in Italian.

When I'm learning a new language, the struggles with listening always begin around the same time.

At the beginner stage, I don't understand anything, but that's normal — I'm a beginner after all!

Olly Richards speaking at a language learning workshop

So, some time passes, I complete my beginner course, I learn to speak a little and make myself understood...but then I run into a brick wall with my listening comprehension.

People still speak as fast as ever, and however much I study, I can simply never keep up.

When conversations are slowed down, I can often get the gist of what they're saying...but you can't slow things down in real life!

I don't want to have to ask people to repeat 20 times, and I get tired of having this dumbfounded look on my face where all I hear is sounds, or individual words, but the overall meaning is lost on me.

It's no fun!

The worst part? Listening never seems to get any easier!

The cloud takes a very long time to lift… if it ever lifts at all… and it can be thoroughly depressing, as an ambitious language learner, to always struggle to understand.

Can you relate to this?

It happens to all of us!

The question is what to do about it.

After all, you've outgrown your beginner's textbooks, but as you've already discovered, real people don't speak anything like your textbook, so you've got a problem.

When you ask people for advice, especially native speakers of the language, they tell you:

You should watch movies or TV
You should listen to the radio
You should download podcasts

Sound familiar?

Look… I'm just going to say it… this is terrible advice!

I'll go even further… it's harmful advice!

But it took me a long time to accept this. You see, I've always wanted to be able to watch movies and listen to the radio in my languages.

Of course I have!

But as a learner, whenever I tried to watch this "native-level" material, I'd be so overwhelmed by the speed of the conversations, new words, unfamiliar accents, slang expressions and difficult topics that I'd feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and borderline depressed at the fact I couldn't keep up.

What's more, even if I could find something interesting to listen to, it never had any of the supporting material I would need to actually make good use of it… such as a transcript so I could read the words that were being spoken.

Eventually I realised the problem, and it lies in an important concept in language learning theory called "Comprehensible Input".

The Magic of Comprehensible Input

Olly Richards teaching a language workshop

Comprehensible Input

is a term invented by Dr Stephen Krashen, who said that you can only learn new language when the material you're using — your input — is comprehensible.

This means that the level of your material needs to be pitched just right...

So it's not too hard... and you can understand just enough that you can follow along with the gist of the conversation...even if there are some unknown words.

Think of Comprehensible Input as:
"Your current level +1"

When I started to compare the theory of Comprehensible Input to the language material I was trying to use, it was immediately obvious why I was struggling...

My beginner's textbook was too easy for me: "-1" so there was nothing new for me to learn.

But the movies, TV and podcasts I was listening to… along with all the panicky conversations I was trying to have with native speakers… were far too hard for me to understand: "+100!"

So, with these, I would also learn nothing...but for the opposite reason!

Bridging the Gap From Beginner to Advanced

I understood right away that if I wanted to keep improving my listening skills, I would need to find material that somehow bridged the gap between "too easy" and "super advanced".

I wanted material that was interesting and compelling, so I was motivated to listen and understand
I wanted material that was just the right length, so I could practise my listening without getting overwhelmed
I wanted material that was based on real conversations, including common slang and expressions, so I could learn how people actually talk
I wanted full transcripts of all the audio, so I could match the spoken words to the written words
I wanted English translations, so I didn't have to spend all day with my head in the dictionary

...and I wanted all of this at my level +1!

The "Perfect" Italian Learning Material

Needless to say, I struggled to find this material anywhere, so I eventually started making my own.

I would gather friends together and record them talking about interesting topics
I would ask my teachers to record themselves speaking in the language and then write out what they said word-for-word
I even paid people to transcribe easy TV shows I wanted to understand, word-for-word

It worked.

Finally, I had listening material that excited me, transcripts to help me understand, and was learning new vocabulary and natural grammarfaster than ever before.

I spent every day listening, because I'd finally found something enjoyable, that worked!

I soon found myself enjoying my own conversations much more because I wasn't struggling to listen anymore — I was able to cope with listening to fast speech.

I even felt happier and more positive in my life, as I was finally able to relax and appreciate the beauty and music of the language.

And it was all because of one simple principle: Comprehensible Input.

It was:

Audio content that I loved
At just the right level
With transcripts and translations to read along

By this time I had a popular blog and podcast about language learning, and many people were starting to ask about the secrets of improving their listening skills, so they could progress towards more advanced levels in a language.

Of course, I would tell people what I'd learned. I would explain the theory of Comprehensible Input, the importance of listening to natural language while reading the transcript, and the importance of finding compelling material that was exciting to study with.

I would tell people that...and then they would say: "That's fantastic! I know what I have to do! Now, where can I get this material?"

And I had no answer for them.

I Felt Angry...

I explained how I spent countless hours myself making my own material, asking people for favours and pushing the generosity of my friends and teachers to the limits.

But I had no answer for others wanting to learn in the same way in different languages, and honestly, I felt angry.

In the back of my mind throughout was the thought: "I shouldn't have had to do all this myself!"

"People who are trying their very best to learn a new language shouldn't have to torture themselves with material that's too hard, and suffer the endless frustration that comes with it."

After all, it's not your fault that good intermediate listening material doesn't exist!

You might expect publishers to have a go at this challenge, but the truth is publishers are too busy making more textbooks...because they know that's what people will keep buying.

And also, I suppose, it's not easy to make effective, compelling listening material, unless you've learned languages yourself and know what works.

But when you have this material, the results in your listening comprehension can be incredible...

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An Amazing Transformation

For example, I recently created a new Italian course that was designed with the principles of Comprehensible Input from the start.

Right away, I knew I was onto something special, as one new student left the following comment:

And that was all the proof I needed.

Listening to the right material, at the right level, with the right learning support material, not only improves your listening skills quickly, but it makes you happier and more confident, far more likely to reach your language goals.

And so, it's with great pride that I present…

Introducing Conversations

Conversations is groundbreaking new material that helps you understand fast, spoken language, so you can transform your listening skills, take a fuller part in conversations yourself, and reach your true language learning potential.

It's available in 8 languages:

Conversations is the result of over a year of work and a large team of language experts who have poured their heart and soul into making this the most exciting new opportunity for independent language learners in a long, long time.

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In Conversations, you find yourself transported to Italy, in the middle of an intriguing story, told in 20 parts.

A young couple have moved out to a small town in the countryside, leaving behind the big city to start a new life. Of course, things don't go smoothly, and you watch over their shoulder as their chaotic new life unfolds, with comical errors, hostile confrontations and even unwanted romantic propositions to contend with. You follow every twist and turn of the story through in-depth conversations in Italian between the six characters.

Click play to discover the intriguing story that drives the Conversations course...

Conversations delivers what has until now been impossible to find:

Substantial listening material that's tailor-made for intermediate learners to immerse yourself in a world of compelling spoken Italian...

Accompanied by all the learning tools you need to train your ear and transform your ability to understand fast, spoken Italian.

But how? What makes this so special?

Inside the recording studio — each of the 20 conversations was professionally recorded with native speakers.

What Makes Conversations Special?

Good question! There are a lot of elements that make Conversations so special...

Conversations is based entirely on dialogue — people speaking to other people in Italian! This means you can devote your time entirely to listening to spoken language, as if you were permanently surrounded by Italian friends, making it a very natural way to learn.
But it's not just any old dialogue… Conversations tells a compelling story that will keep you motivated and bring you back every day to find out "what happened next"!
The story evolves over 20 chapters, which makes it substantial material that will have you engrossed until the end.

All this time spent listening is what will result in a transformation in your listening skills, as you realise that all that fun you were having was actually extremely effective learning in disguise… which, of course, is exactly what it should be!
The conversation between the characters is completely natural conversation, so you learn a colloquial, everyday style of speech that you don't get from books or other written material, so you can quickly improve your ability to understand and take part in real conversations yourself.
The level of the conversations is not too high. The language used has been carefully controlled so it's ideal for intermediate level learners, so that you can listen without getting frustrated or overwhelmed.

This is Comprehensible Input in action — I've worked closely with experienced teachers to ensure the language in Conversations is expertly pitched at that "+1" level, while also being natural.
The main feedback from early testing was that people wanted more slang and expressions, so Conversations is stuffed full of juicy colloquial language that real people use with their friends and in daily life, which means you'll learn what you don't get in your textbook and learn to cope with casual conversations faster than before.
The characters don't speak too slowly! In Conversations, you get used to understanding fast speech, for 3–5 minutes at a time in each track, so you truly spend time listening to the language and build the ability to concentrate for longer.
Each conversation is accompanied by a complete transcript, so you can see word-for-word exactly what is said. By listening and reading at the same time, you improve your listening comprehension...fast!

You'll be able to keep up with faster passages, identify words you didn't understand, and get used to how pronunciation changes in fast speech — in short, the transcript holds the key to the kingdom!
Every conversation comes with a full English translation, and quick-reference bilingual word lists of all the difficult vocabulary, so you can quickly look up anything you don't understand without losing the flow.

This is smart, efficient material that removes every obstacle you can think of to true learning.

Of course, there is much more besides this… You have:

Beautiful high-quality audio so you can hear the pronunciation clearly as if you were in the room with the characters.
Step-by-step advice from me about exactly how to study with the Conversations material so you can learn to study in the most efficient way.

I could go on, but hopefully you can see by now that what you've got here is an opportunity to improve your language skills that really is something new, exciting, and extremely powerful!

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Olly's Track Record...

In case you're not familiar with my work with languages, I've collaborated with educational organisations worldwide:

Open University, Council of Europe, British Council logos

And been featured in many media publications, such as:

I have a strong track record of producing language learning material of the very highest quality, but this — Conversations — is my proudest work to date.

After using Conversations you'll never be able to go back to the way things used to be… I know I can't.

Start Learning Today — Choose Your Option

Italian Starter

Conversations 1
Italian

$197

USD

$197 per course

Full access to Italian Conversations 1 — all 20 chapters, transcripts, translations, and vocabulary lists.

Start Learning Italian

Italian Conversations 1

Conversations 1 & 2
Italian

$394

$347

USD

$173.50 per course — Save $47

Get BOTH my original Conversations course and the second course (the story is a prequel) — TWICE as much incredible Italian content to transform your listening skills. Our best offer if you're focused on Italian right now.

Get Both Courses

Conversations 1 & 2 — Italian · Save $47

The Polyglot Collection — Save $2,155

Conversations 1 & 2
All 8 Languages

$3,152

$997

USD

Just $62.31 per course — Save $2,155

Get every Conversations course I've ever made — 16 courses across 8 languages — at one fixed price. For serious language learners who are committed to mastering multiple languages.

Unlock All 16 Courses

All 16 courses — 8 languages!

Here's What Students Are Saying...

100% Money-Back Guarantee

Because I'm a big believer in fairness, I offer a 100% money-back guarantee with Conversations.

Unlike your local language school, I'm able to effectively guarantee your learning. This means you can join today and try out Conversations with zero risk — if it's not for you, you can simply email me any time within 30 days, and I'll refund your money… every penny, and you can even keep the material in case you want to come back to it in the future.

Does that sound fair?

Now, as soon as you start working with Conversations and see what happens when you do, I really don't think you're going to want to take advantage of this guarantee, but it's there nonetheless, in case you want it.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What level is Conversations suitable for?

Conversations is aimed at pre-intermediate and intermediate level learners, which corresponds to A2-B1 on the CEFR. Chinese and Japanese versions are slightly higher — closer to B1.

However, you will still be able to enjoy and benefit from Conversations if your level is lower or higher than A2-B1, but please take this into consideration when you use the material.

Why is the course in US Dollars?

I have students from many countries around the world, and the US Dollar is the most widely-accepted currency. But don't worry! You can purchase the course with any debit or credit card, no matter where you live, and your bank will automatically convert the USD to your local currency at the market rate.

Is this a course?

No, this is not a structured language course. Conversations helps you improve your listening skills, so you can understand native speakers talking at a natural speed. Using this material every day will help you quickly improve your listening comprehension, which, in turn, will help you speak more fluently. Please read the description on this page carefully, so you understand the "Why" behind Conversations!

Isn't Conversations quite expensive for only 20 dialogues?

Conversations is unlike any language material you've used before, so don't be deceived by the length. Each dialogue is a substantial conversation — far longer than anything you'll find in your textbook — and contains so much natural vocabulary and grammar that you will have a lot to learn. If you follow the suggested study process that you'll find in the introduction to the material, I estimate that Conversations offers between 150–200 hours of study time, by the end of which your listening skills will be transformed. How many hours of time with your teacher can you buy with $97?

Are the conversations the same across all 8 languages?

The plot in each of the languages is essentially the same, although there is a fair amount of variation in the story in each language to take into account cultural differences. However, this is a big positive! Consider how helpful it is, for example, to read a newspaper in two languages on the same day — the fact that you're familiar with the story means you can get much more value from reading in the second language, because you can learn the vocabulary more easily.

Here's a helpful comment from Elena on this point in the Facebook group: "Well, in the end when we learn languages we often end up listening to the same audio 50 times (at least I do). The excitement of discovering the new story is present when we listen the first time only. It is also fun to see how the same story is translated into different languages."

Move Faster Towards Your Language Dreams

If you think about all the time you've spent on your language learning up to now…

The hours of study, the expensive lessons, the frustration of drawing blanks whenever you try to understand people speaking at normal speed…

If all that Conversations did was allow you to take pleasure in listening to Italian and learn at a level that is just right for you… wouldn't that be worth it?

Of course, it's so much more than that, and the transformation that takes place in your life when you begin to be able to keep up with conversations without losing focus or falling behind, is something special.

I'm excited for you to experience what it feels like to see such a change and surge in confidence in your language ability over a short space of time, and hope Conversations becomes just as meaningful for you as it is for me.

To your success with languages,

— Olly

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Ever Felt Frustrated Listening to Fast Italian?

Conversations Helps You Understand Real Italian & Transform Your Listening Skills in Less Than 90 Days

Why Listening to Spoken Italian Still Drives You Crazy...

The Magic of Comprehensible Input

Bridging the Gap From Beginner to Advanced