Pimsleur Italian Basics: lessons vs. surprise fluency test... easy! We’ve been working through the first ten lessons of the Pimsleur Italian Basic Course, and the experience has been refreshingly straightforward. The audio-only method keeps things intuitive, with our hosts guiding us through core phrases and responses. Each lesson flows seamlessly into the next, building vocabulary and pronunciation naturally without overwhelming us. We were pleasantly surprised by how quickly our confidence grew—by the tenth lesson, we felt comfortable holding simple conversations. The “surprise fluency test” after each unit was particularly validating, as our grasp of the material felt surprisingly solid. This course is more than just a language lesson; it’s a gentle push toward real-world communication.