Week in Italy – Language Course??
 

I’d appreciate it if anyone has information about very short-term Italian language courses in Italy — only one week! I’ve just started searching online, but so far am finding only longer courses.

I’m going to Italy in June (my 3rd trip). I know I’m very late in doing this, but I have to make a quick decision whether to go earlier on my own before meeting up with a friend. I had a wild idea of taking a language class for about a week. Yes, I realize that I certainly would not learn a lot in only one week, but I’d love to supplement the few phrases that I’m learning via books/tapes and hopefully feel a little bit more comfortable (less pathetic!) speaking in Italy. Am I crazy?! Is it not worthwhile?

Well… if this idea does not materialize, I’ll take suggestions of a place that will be comfortable for a non-Italian-speaking woman traveling alone. I’ve been to Rome, Florence & Venice; and when my friend comes, we will be in Rome and then go to the Amalfi Coast or Sicily (depending on timing). Any ideas are appreciated and of course I’m searching this site — I’ve found Fodor’s travelers’ insights so helpful in the past!

Many Thanks!

I attended Saena Iulia in Siena for a two week course, but a few people were only doing a weeks "introduction".

I can highly recommend the school itself, and Siena is a great place to stay.

The website can be found at http://www.saenaiulia.it/index.php

Istituto Venezia, in Campo Santa Marguerita, Dorsoduro, Venice.

www.istitutovenezia.com/

V,

I was just reading a trip report on the Slowtrav website yesterday from a couple who took a 4 day course somewhere on the Ligurian coast. www.slowtrav.com

I believe the site also has links to courses!

Buon viaggio

Thank you, all, for these excellent ideas! I will definitely check them out.
I'm starting to get so excited about the trip!
Grazie,
~V

VDK, I know that Perugia in Umbria is another place with many language schools, and it would be easy to take the train from there to meet your friend in Rome.

I have been briefly to Perugia twice, and really liked the city. It has a large student population, which in my opinion adds to the energy (note: I am not a student but am a teacher, so I actually like the student vibe) and has interesting architecture, art, history and of course - chocolate!

Here's the thing, VDK-very few Italian language schools (or any other language schools for that matter) offer just one week's instruction-Istituto Venezia happens to be the rare exception-there are a zillion Italian language schools in Italy, I know, as a former language major, I keep up on these things. The reason is, you can't really learn anything in language classes for one week, but two weeks, at 4 hours of classroom instruction a pop, you can make progress in the language, is the thinking, particularly if you do some study on your own ahead of time.

But if you can find a week program that suits you, then you should do it-even a week has value, to teach you about the culture and customs, to get a bit of a handle on idioms, and to make friends from around the world. The Venice program, particularly, has a rich listing of cultural activities at the school that are really excellent.

The Venice school looks interesting. Their budget intensive is only from July to early Oct, which I heard are not the best times to go to Venice.

At least there should still be sunlight in the summer hours when you finish at 8:30 PM.

But I would think it would be cheaper and maybe more convenient to take a class at a community college or even something like Berlitz?

There are also CD-ROMs. I've subscribed to two podcasts for learning Italian but really, unless you have a structure, you're not going to study or practice consistently on your own.

There are other reasons to go to a language school than just language learning, believe it or not. Some people just go for the cultural activities that such schools always have on their agenda, as well as classes that they offer in art, cinema, design, whatever interests you, they have.

One only need look at the Istituto Venezia's website for the cultural activities planned for May to know that-it provides a huge insight into the city, and the country that you will NEVER get from a straight language learning course.

scrb-I have to add something about the Istituto Venezia's website, and its cultural tours-they are led by the most remarkable tour guide I have had anywhere in the world-a born and bred Venetian artist-Marco Tagliopietra-who looks for all the world like the artist Prince in the 80's, except that he has long straight black hair, pulled back in a ponytail, and with his white shirts, and his theatrical style-he is a mesmerizing guide to the city-very very knowledgeable on his art history-he conducts his tours only for the school, I believe, always in Italian. Marco IS the Casanova of Venice, and the girls fall for him one after another-like dominoes! Ha-I just remember him putting the moves on this young girl, and of course, he had to speak to her in the default language of English, since she was a beginning student of Italian! Oh that was funny-and so cute! We were all standing on that bridge by the Teatro Goldoni, and all these Venetians would pass by and greet Marco, and look at us curiously, since he was speaking to us in Italian, and we didn't look like locals! That was fun, and I learned things I never would have known from any guide book, that's for sure.

This is the cultural listing for May:

http://www.istitutovenezia.com/en/it...es_venice.html

I would do it, although 20 hours is a big commitment for one week.

But I believe it said the beginners can only take classes at the beginning of the month.

I'm going towards the end.

I heard July is too hot in Italy so I've been planning for late May trips.

Hi VDK,

Last year I attended Italian classes at Koiné school in Lucca. Although I was there for 2 weeks my friend went for only 1 week. I loved Lucca but the school was only OK. Maybe it was because when I went most of the regular teachers were on vacation ( I went in August). Also, If you are a beginner you will probably like it more than me as I am advanced intermediate and was looking for more of a challenge.

To me the best classroom was living in Lucca itself. Everybody was happy to speak to me in Italian, which I did not find to be the case in the larger cities as Roma and Firenze.

I think if you only have one week to devote to the classes is better than zero weeks , so go for it.

Another school I considered going was Saena Iulia in Siena. I think they also offered 1 week classes.

Good luck!

Many Thanks to all for helpful suggestions! I'm still researching the language class options and appreciate all your ideas. It may be that my timing is off and I'll just be 'forced' to go back to Italy in the future with a longer timeframe to take a class!
At least I did, just now, purchase my ticket and decided to go a week early--so I hope to find a course, but if not I'll just figure out somewhere to go for a week on my own before meeting my friend in Rome.
Thank you all! And enjoy your travels...or fantasy travels!

I read about this cooking school in Sorrento a couple of years ago -- same situation as you, I was meeting friends and thought I had a week or so on my own.

I ended up doing something different, but here is the name of the school:
www.mamicamilla.com

Sounds interesting and they have week classes. If you go to Amalfi Coast it may be backtracking for you, unless your friend meets you there and then you do Rome.

Just another possibility...