Hello,<BR><BR>I am interested in trying one of those language schools in Italy (Florence in particular), where you can take classes for a week or so. <BR><BR>I think this would be a fun way to start to learn the language, and also get to know some fellow travelers who are trying to learn Italian.<BR><BR>Has anyone done this, and can suggest a company that specializes in this? I know that there must be numerous companies/schools out there, but I don't know where to look to find them.<BR><BR>If anyone has tried something like this, can you also let me know how the day is structured, and are there optional excursions to take when you are not in class?<BR><BR>Any other tid-bits would be greatly appreciated!<BR><BR>Thanks very much!

I studied at the Michelangelo Institute in Florence for a month. All in all it was an incredible experience. I don't suggest home stays because the students that did that had problems. Most were left in the apartment while the family went on vacation. The point is to have them help with the language. I wouldn't recommend the Michelangelo Institute because they tried to put too many students into the class. The most we were supposed to have was 10. They had 13 and then tried to put two more in. They could have had two normal sized classes but didn't want to hire another teacher. We went to class from 9 to 1 with a 20 minute break and it is intensive. We studied a lot but got a lot out of it. The experience of living in Florence was wonderful. Yes, they have dinners and excursions. I have heard the Koine Center in Florence is very good. If you can swing it, I would suggest a longer stay than a week. We met people from all over the world and still keep in contact with many of them.

I did 3 weeks with the Koine Center in Orbetello; I know they also have schools in other areas. The teachers were dynamite. Classes were 4 hours in the morning and there were (optional) excursions nearly every afternoon, plus spontaneous dinners, passegiatas, and clubbing in the evening. Students' ages ranged from 19 to about 65. Class size was small, about 8 per class, and there was plenty of homework!

You might also want to check out the Istituto Dante Aleghieri (www.languageinitaly.com). They seem to have a good extra program of art history, cooking, history of Italian cinema, opera, as well as excursions. They have schools in Rome, Sicily, Milan, Siena, and more.

Hello Karen!<BR><BR>Used to study at the Dante Alighieri at Via dei Bardi.<BR>Quite fine, depending on the teacher. It also depends on youself, how serious you take it and how eager you are to make progresses, of course.<BR><BR>I also took art lessons and loved them a lot. Usually, we went out to a museum and were given tons of details about some paintings, we would never have learnt otherwise.<BR>Only negative point, a lot of Swiss (like myself) students, so we were quite tempted to speak German.<BR>Had a marvellous time while there.

Thanks everyone so far for their responses! If anyone else has tried language schools in Italy, please let me know which ones and your experience.<BR><BR>Thanks!

for Karen

I studied 4 weeks at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Florence, 2 weeks at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Siena, and 3 weeks at Babilonia in Taormina (Sicily). The LdV school in Florence is quite large - I think there must have been over 200 people taking classes there in Sept-Oct. I found the teachers to be quite good. The school in Siena is quite a bit smaller, but also good. The standard course in both LdV schools includes 1 hour 45 minutes of grammer, a 1/2 hour break, and 1 hour 45 minutes of &quot;conversation&quot; each day. Both schools also have optional afternoon, evening, and weekend events scheduled for most days, with all guides speaking in slow and simple Italian.<BR><BR>My experience at Babilonia in Taormina was similar but I think the quality of instruction was a liggle higher and the school was smaller but seemed more professional. They place a huge emphasis on speaking and listening, which are, of course, much harder than reading and writing. They have really nice facilities and daily activities as well, and they give you free access to the internet. If you go to Taormina, you should make sure it is at a time of year when you can take advantage of outdoor activities (early spring and fall). Sicily is beautiful.<BR>

One final note: make sure that you obtain your Permesso di Soggiorno per Stranieri (Tourist permit) within 8 days of arriving in Italy. The police are really cracking down on tourists in the language schools with regards to this. In order to get the permit, you need to have 5 photos, purchase a tax stamp at the tobacconist (around 10 euro), have a valid passport, and have proof of travel/health insurance. Actually, all tourists are supposed to do this but in reality most don't. In Taormina, the police actually came to the school to make sure that all students were legal.