Learn Italian for free?

If you browse the web or search the internet for information about how to learn a language, it is very easy to find adverts and links sponsoring sites that offer the opportunity to learn languages for free. But is it really the case, and what is actually offered?
My opinion is that most of these free materials are likely to be useful to you and not a waste of time only if you see them for what they are, namely additional tools useful to provide an extension on a professionally structured language learning programme.
If you are looking for a complete language course for free, that is a complete learning package that will lead you from beginners’ stages to a working knowledge of a foreign language or further, you will be very soon disappointed.
First of all, the links that offer free language learning resources typically offer materials at the beginners’ levels and do not provide a consistent progression perspective beyond that. The second obvious fact about these learning resources is that a tailored feedback on your learning is not available.
The websites that provide free learning resources come in mainly three categories. The first type is the most useful and includes sites like BBC languages and Open University, among a few others. Some of these sell their own products and use the web as a shop window but are serious reliable sites, whose content is created and maintained by professional linguists. You can find well devised listening exercises, videos and downloadable materials that really make the time you spend browsing worthwhile. The second type includes most of the sites that sell long distance language courses and will make the first two or three units of a course available in order to convince you to buy the whole package. These sites are on average less quality than the ones previously mentioned. They can come in handy as well if you are looking for the random grammar exercise or topic but, again, their use is limited. The third category of sites boasting free learning is the one where a language course is sold and a community of users is also available. In this case, what is given for free is the opportunity of practising the language with other learners or native speakers. In the second case you will be expected to engage in some kind of language exchange activity, where you help other learners with their English or else. In order to take a real advantage of these online communities you need to have a lot of time to dedicate to online speaking and writing, since you will have to invest a considerable amount of it for the benefit of other students and will not be constantly focussed on your own learning. Sites like Livemocha, Busuu, and Lang8 are an example. Good luck with your browsing!