I’ve been using Babbel to learn Italian for months. The app has real audio pronunciations and images that help me visualize what I’m learning. It’s a great app, I’m not going to deny that, but after using Claude Projects, I’m going to cancel it. Claude taught me the same grammar rules and gave me the same memory tips Babbel did. Besides, I can use Claude for more than just language learning, such as research or creating interactive visuals. Once I realized that, I didn’t see a reason to keep paying for it.

I can customize what I learn, so I focus on what matters most first

Instead of following a fixed lesson plan, I decide what to work on every time

When I created Claude Projects for learning Italian, I wanted it to teach me the basics in an easy-to-follow way. I also wanted to sound as close to a native speaker as possible, so I asked Claude to focus on how words actually sound, not just how they’re spelled. I told Claude to help me avoid the typical mistakes beginners make when writing or speaking Italian.

That’s why, when I was learning numbers, Claude told me that the biggest mistake was saying “ventiuno” instead of “ventuno”, which is a clear giveaway. As I was starting out, I mostly focused on learning the basics, even if that meant sounding like a beginner. Now I can work on both at the same time and actually pull it off. I’m not just learning faster, I’m catching the mistakes that would usually slow me down.

I can ask the same questions as many times as I need without holding back

Instead of pretending I understand and moving on, I ask until it sticks

When I used to teach English in Spain, there was always that feeling of having to cover as much material as possible. Students would say they understood, but I never really knew if that was true. That kind of pressure to keep moving is something I don’t have to deal with when using Claude Projects to learn Italian. I can stop, ask again, and take my time without feeling like I’m wasting someone’s time.

I also like how I’m not rushing through a lesson just to move on, so I leave each lesson actually understanding it. There’s also no embarrassment if I say a word wrong or misunderstand something. I can go back over it and keep going. Without that pressure, I can concentrate on the lesson so the info sticks.

I can upload my own files so the lessons fit what I’m actually learning

Instead of sticking to one path, I can add files that actually help me learn

Most Italian courses decide what you study and in what order. It only goes so far, but I kept running into mistakes that the courses didn’t address when I needed them to. So, I put together a PDF covering the most common mistakes Italian beginners make, and uploaded it to my Claude Project. After that, Claude grabbed whatever it found useful and ignored the rest.

When I added the file, Claude mentioned that it already had key points from my lessons, such as the tu vs. lei distinctions. It also said it added useful ideas for later lessons, like adding articles in lesson six. Thanks to the PDF, it added il, la, lo, l’, i, and le with the noun-pairing method.

I can switch topics in the middle of a lesson and still pick up where I left off

I can learn what I want when I want to and not wait for the right chapter

I get that language-learning apps have the lessons planned out for me. But I love how I can take a detour into another topic and then return to the original lesson with Claude. While I was in the middle of my Italian course, after covering politeness phrases, I asked Claude if we could jump into giving directions.

It gave me the most commonly used phrases for that and what native speakers usually say in these situations. When we were done, I told Claude to continue to the next lesson. That’s when Claude reminded me we hadn't done the quiz for the previous lesson. I did the quiz and moved on to lesson six. I find this really helpful because I can cover the topics I’m most likely to use now and leave everything else for later.

Claude Projects is my go-to learning tool from now on

With Claude Projects, I can continue learning Italian and take detours whenever I need to. I can tell Claude to test me as much as I want, or make it as easy or as hard as I need. That’s important to me because I’m not stuck waiting for the app to catch up to what I want to work on. You can’t find that kind of customization in typical language-learning apps. I also like that I can add files to the course with the information I want, or have Claude swap them out if I change my mind. At that point, I don’t feel forced to follow a course path that makes me feel like I’m wasting my time.