Language school in Italy - stay at teacher's home. Anyone who has tried it?
Nov 28th, 2009, 07:16 AM
#21
cruisluv - do you mean that you are studying at home or in private classes?
do you have adult education classes in the US like we do here? at my local "college" in Truro you can do anything from flower arranging to badminton or computer studies, as well as languages. just on a Tuesday night, we have a choice of AS level Italian or spanish, beginners portuguese and Japanese, and TEFL. I know that there are classes in German, French, Arabic and Russian as well on other nights.
Tarquin - where do you study? [if you don't mind my asking] what level?
do you have adult education classes in the US like we do here? at my local "college" in Truro you can do anything from flower arranging to badminton or computer studies, as well as languages. just on a Tuesday night, we have a choice of AS level Italian or spanish, beginners portuguese and Japanese, and TEFL. I know that there are classes in German, French, Arabic and Russian as well on other nights.
Tarquin - where do you study? [if you don't mind my asking] what level?
Nov 28th, 2009, 10:41 AM
#22
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,298
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Annhig,
Throughout the years I have done a combination of private classes, group courses at language schools, and on my own with tapes. There are also adult continuing education courses offered mainly at community colleges but at this point my level is higher that what they offer. I guess if I wanted to take a higher level class like literature I would have to enroll in a college. Sounds like you ahve more ooportunities. But to me there is no substitute like being able to spend some time in Italy. I am looking forward to a time I could stay for an extended period of time and do that.
Throughout the years I have done a combination of private classes, group courses at language schools, and on my own with tapes. There are also adult continuing education courses offered mainly at community colleges but at this point my level is higher that what they offer. I guess if I wanted to take a higher level class like literature I would have to enroll in a college. Sounds like you ahve more ooportunities. But to me there is no substitute like being able to spend some time in Italy. I am looking forward to a time I could stay for an extended period of time and do that.
Nov 28th, 2009, 12:54 PM
#23
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just found this thread and thought I would add my experiences studying Italian. I live and work full-time in the US, so my opportunities are limited. Like so many of you, I would like to spend an extended period of time in Italy to really master the language. I subscribe to RAI International TV and try to study independently as time permits. One site I recommend subscribing to is www.learnitalianpod.com.
In 2004 I studied for two weeks at the Galileo Galilei Institute in Florence. They offer private lessons only. I had reached a point in my home studies where I felt I could best benefit from a very small class or private lessons. I chose three hours each morning M-F, 30 hours in total. During the afternoons I visited museums and neighboring towns while staying at a lovely B&B, www.inpiazzadellasignoria.com.
In 2008 I studied in the town of Arezzo for two weeks at www.culturaitaliana.it. The advantage of staying in Arezzo was that I rarely heard any English spoken. Relatively few American tourists visit Arezzo. I rented a studio apartment at www.lacortedelre.com with a splendid view of the Piazza Grande. I enjoyed this experience so much that I returned for another two weeks this past May.
In 2004 I studied for two weeks at the Galileo Galilei Institute in Florence. They offer private lessons only. I had reached a point in my home studies where I felt I could best benefit from a very small class or private lessons. I chose three hours each morning M-F, 30 hours in total. During the afternoons I visited museums and neighboring towns while staying at a lovely B&B, www.inpiazzadellasignoria.com.
In 2008 I studied in the town of Arezzo for two weeks at www.culturaitaliana.it. The advantage of staying in Arezzo was that I rarely heard any English spoken. Relatively few American tourists visit Arezzo. I rented a studio apartment at www.lacortedelre.com with a splendid view of the Piazza Grande. I enjoyed this experience so much that I returned for another two weeks this past May.
Nov 28th, 2009, 01:10 PM
#24
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,298
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
hello Gariem,
Could you elaborate about your experience at the school in Arezzo? How big where the groups, average age, etc.? Or did you again do private lessons? Was Arezzo large enough to keep you entertained or is it easy to visit neighboring towns with public transport?
Thank you for any additional comments.
Could you elaborate about your experience at the school in Arezzo? How big where the groups, average age, etc.? Or did you again do private lessons? Was Arezzo large enough to keep you entertained or is it easy to visit neighboring towns with public transport?
Thank you for any additional comments.
Nov 28th, 2009, 01:44 PM
#25
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi, cruiseluv. I took private lessons in Arezzo as well, but we mixed with other students for optional social events, and I think the average class size was about four students. Our ages were all over the map, from 18 to 65, as were our origins. Students came from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Brazil, Japan, etc. during the time I was there. It was easy to visit neighboring towns by public transportation. Besides the express train to Florence and the local to neighboring Castiglion Fiorentino I often took the SITA bus to visit charming towns like Anghiari (my favorite), Monterchi, and Sansepolchro. See www.sitabus.it. If you are into Art History this is Piero della Francesca country, and his canvases are marvelous. The "Legend of the True Cross" is his materwork in the cathedral of San Francesco in Arezzo.
Nov 28th, 2009, 02:10 PM
#26
A fellow student found this course offered by a language school in Bologna:
http://www.madrelinguaitaliano.com/special_offers.html
we liked the look of it, but sadly it doesn't offer the half-board option when staying with a family which i tend to think would be a very good weay of learning.
but it does offer homestays with a tutor which wsa being discussed earlier in this thread.
Cruisluv - i agree that there is no substitute for actually being in Italy. finding time though it easier said than done!
http://www.madrelinguaitaliano.com/special_offers.html
we liked the look of it, but sadly it doesn't offer the half-board option when staying with a family which i tend to think would be a very good weay of learning.
but it does offer homestays with a tutor which wsa being discussed earlier in this thread.
Cruisluv - i agree that there is no substitute for actually being in Italy. finding time though it easier said than done!
Nov 28th, 2009, 03:56 PM
#27
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 646
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
JenV, The school I liked in Orvieto was: http://www.linguasi.it/.
Tarquin, We chose ABC in Florence by researching for language schools on Google. However, it is also recomended in the 'Eyewitness travel: Top 10 FLorence and Tuscany'. Booking and dealing with ABC has been very easy over the internet. Looking forward to next week.
Ciao!
Tarquin, We chose ABC in Florence by researching for language schools on Google. However, it is also recomended in the 'Eyewitness travel: Top 10 FLorence and Tuscany'. Booking and dealing with ABC has been very easy over the internet. Looking forward to next week.
Ciao!
Nov 29th, 2009, 12:22 AM
#29
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,056
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Annhig, over the past two years I have studied at GCSE level and AS level at Great Casterton Community College outside Stamford in Lincolnshire. As you may have experienced yourself, the GCSE exams were not very challenging, everyone in the group got an A* except the one person who speaks most fluently! Because travel interfered, I did not take the AS exam, which most students just scraped through, so no A level is on offer this year.
It's satisfying to be able to use the language on trips to Italy, but they are usually for one week only and I find that I never seem to get past a certain level of competence, especially speaking. I wonder whether classes in Italy are the answer, or I am just not very good at it.
It's satisfying to be able to use the language on trips to Italy, but they are usually for one week only and I find that I never seem to get past a certain level of competence, especially speaking. I wonder whether classes in Italy are the answer, or I am just not very good at it.
Nov 29th, 2009, 05:42 AM
#30
I find that I never seem to get past a certain level of competence, especially speaking. I wonder whether classes in Italy are the answer, or I am just not very good at it.>>
Tarquin, i'm sure it's just practice. When I was studying German at school, i was lucky enough to be able to go and spend a few weeks living with my penfriend's family. I learnt so much about expressing myself and though it was over 30 years ago, that fluency has never really left me so that I find that i can tune in after just a few hours.
we had the same experience with the GCSE - nearly all of us got A or A* apart from the woman who is married to a Italian and goes there far more often than the rest of us.
what I have found helps me to get a bit of fluency is listening to the michel Thomas tapes - have you ever used them? I've now moved onto the advanced course which is a bit repeticious but still helps to get constructions into my head so that they come more automatically.
it's a shame that your classes have stopped. we had about 20 people doing GCSE last year, of whom about 15 did the exam. nearly the same no. started the AS level but a number have dropped out and we are now down to about 10. I gather that the same has happened with the Spanish, who started with 30! it may be that instead of actually going straight onto the A level, we may try to persuade the college to give us a converstion class - they only ran the AS level because we asked them to and managed to get together a big enough group to make it worth their while.
I haven't done a course in Italy yet but it can't do any harm, can it?
regards, ann
Tarquin, i'm sure it's just practice. When I was studying German at school, i was lucky enough to be able to go and spend a few weeks living with my penfriend's family. I learnt so much about expressing myself and though it was over 30 years ago, that fluency has never really left me so that I find that i can tune in after just a few hours.
we had the same experience with the GCSE - nearly all of us got A or A* apart from the woman who is married to a Italian and goes there far more often than the rest of us.
what I have found helps me to get a bit of fluency is listening to the michel Thomas tapes - have you ever used them? I've now moved onto the advanced course which is a bit repeticious but still helps to get constructions into my head so that they come more automatically.
it's a shame that your classes have stopped. we had about 20 people doing GCSE last year, of whom about 15 did the exam. nearly the same no. started the AS level but a number have dropped out and we are now down to about 10. I gather that the same has happened with the Spanish, who started with 30! it may be that instead of actually going straight onto the A level, we may try to persuade the college to give us a converstion class - they only ran the AS level because we asked them to and managed to get together a big enough group to make it worth their while.
I haven't done a course in Italy yet but it can't do any harm, can it?
regards, ann
Nov 29th, 2009, 06:17 AM
#32
When I was looking for schools a couple of years ago, I was considering this one in Cefalu. There have bee some positive reports here on Fodor's.
http://www.solemar-sicilia.it/
http://www.solemar-sicilia.it/
Nov 29th, 2009, 07:56 AM
#33
I had a quick look at that one, kybourbon.
it looks as if most of their clients are german, but the overall appearances look good- and of course they say that they are not paying the mafia - which is just the topic we were talking about in our Italian lesson last week!
it looks as if most of their clients are german, but the overall appearances look good- and of course they say that they are not paying the mafia - which is just the topic we were talking about in our Italian lesson last week!
Nov 29th, 2009, 11:28 AM
#34
"I find that I never seem to get past a certain level of competence, especially speaking."
tarquin - that was exactly my experience
"I wonder whether classes in Italy are the answer, or I am just not very good at it." For me, it was absolutely the answer - I went as a last resort and absolutely loved it - I cannot emphasize how huge a leap I made in a two week intensive course - it was not so much that I learnt huge amounts of grammar (although I did learn a great deal), it was the confidence.
I attended a school where the maximum number of students in a class is 6. Four hours of lessons in the morning. There were also optional 1:1 lessons available in the afternoon.
To me, it worked very well - you cannot escape in a class of 6, but you get breaks from being the target of attention.
Annhig - I can also strongly back Cruiseluv's suggestion of Saena Iulia in Siena - I have been back a couple of times since I first went and will do so again. I cannot compare it to anywhere else because it is the only school I have been to, but I didn't see the need to change as it had all gone so well the first time.
tarquin - that was exactly my experience
"I wonder whether classes in Italy are the answer, or I am just not very good at it." For me, it was absolutely the answer - I went as a last resort and absolutely loved it - I cannot emphasize how huge a leap I made in a two week intensive course - it was not so much that I learnt huge amounts of grammar (although I did learn a great deal), it was the confidence.
I attended a school where the maximum number of students in a class is 6. Four hours of lessons in the morning. There were also optional 1:1 lessons available in the afternoon.
To me, it worked very well - you cannot escape in a class of 6, but you get breaks from being the target of attention.
Annhig - I can also strongly back Cruiseluv's suggestion of Saena Iulia in Siena - I have been back a couple of times since I first went and will do so again. I cannot compare it to anywhere else because it is the only school I have been to, but I didn't see the need to change as it had all gone so well the first time.
Nov 29th, 2009, 02:05 PM
#35
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 259
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
bookmarking! I really want to do this in the future. I am having a really hard time as an adult going to an adult ed class and learning the language. too much other sutff - like life, work, etc get in the way! not enough time in the classroom. not enough immersion. this might be the best thing for me to do, to learn!
Nov 30th, 2009, 12:12 AM
#36
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,056
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Willit, thanks for telling me about your encouraging experience. I'm sure my problem is largely age (my French from 40 years ago comes to my tongue more readily than the Italian I did last year) and LizaMarie's point of too much else going on in life. Also, I travel with a non-Italian speaker and spend time translating for him instead of expanding my own capabilities. I will look up Saena Iulia and start to plan. Next year's Italian trip is already arranged (the Villa Saraceno, a Landmark Trust property in the Veneto) but maybe I can slip an extra one in. I think it's the only way I will break out of my stumbling incoherence.
Nov 30th, 2009, 02:41 AM
#37
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,021
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nothing beats 'total immersion' in Italy, of course. But for anyone who has reached an intermediate level, watching Italian TV or video-clips can help enormously with comprehension. There's a lot of stuff out there online ...
Steve
Steve
