Italian language and cultural school for foreigners
Italian courses in Florence
Our Italian language courses
Intensive course
4 hours a day from Monday to Friday
The study of grammar, syntax and idiomatic forms. Practical usage of what has been studied through controlled exercises with vocabulary work.
Semi-intensive2 hours a day from Monday to Friday
This Italian language course was created to fill language gaps: either in grammar and syntax or in oral and written expression and understanding.
Super-intensive6 hours a day from Monday to Friday
The first four hours are the same as for the intensive lesson. The last two hours are mainly dedicated to oral expression and comprehension or to the development of specific cultural themes.
Italian language courses "A","B" and "C" are for a minimum of two weeks.
There are six levels for every type of course.
There are normally 7-8 students in a class, with a maximum of 12.
Individual courses
Commercial Italian course
10 hours over two weeks
Acquisition of structures and vocabulary necessary for business negotiations.
10 hours over two weeks
Lessons in the classroom with slides and video, plus guided tours of the works of the artists studied.
Private lessons 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 hours a day, minimum one week.
This language course was created for those with little time on their hands to study the language or those who have specific professional or study interests and wish to learn terms and structures related to their field.
Hours for all courses are 50 minutes long.
On the first day of the Italian language course, with the exception of absolute beginners and those wishing to attend private lessons, all students take an assessment test to determine their level. Every two weeks there is a test to proceed to the next level.
The entrance test consists of two parts: one written and one oral. The written test includes sections of various levels which help in establishing the level of writing skills of the student. The sections are of different types: Cloze (fill in the blanks) on grammatical structure, vocabulary exercises, composition of sentences, text transformation exercises, open-ended questions, written comprehension, writing exercises.
During the interview, the examiner will interview the student and fill in a grid with questions on reason for studying the language , usual occupation, previous experiences of learning languages and so on. The interview is a fundamental tool for verifying the student's oral skills, some students exhibit very different levels with respect to the various skills.
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Examples of this are, a sound knowledge of grammar and a reduced ability of oral communication, as is often the case for Eastern students, or excellent skills in oral communication but a lack of knowledge of structures and a consequent difficulty to correct common errors in grammar, as is the case for those students who have been living for some time in Italy but have not studied the Italian language. By means of testing, the student's level of Italian is determined and the formation of classes can then be done. According to any specific needs that may arise, students can be assigned to two different classes, one for the grammar and written skills and another one of a different level for conversation and oral skills. In some cases, the school organizes additional afternoon classes for small groups, conducted in the mother tongue of students, in order to reinforce learning and accelerate integration into the group. This is especially true for beginners of Asian origin.
Depending on the level, teachers review the progress of individual students as established by the program using observation, testing of Italian comprehension written and oral, written composition, vocabulary exercises and structured exercises on grammar covered during the course. There is no testing for written skills for first three levels. The test results are transferred to a special grid according to whether the objectives related to individual competence have been reached (R) or not reached (NR).
The end of the course: certificates and diplomas
Course attendance certificate
At the end of every Italian language course the student receives a certificate of attendance indicating the period and the number of course hours.
C.I.L.S. Certificate of Italian as a Foreign Language
Our school is an authorized training center recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for
the preparation of the CILS exam.
Evaluation tests are planned on the five skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing and metalinguistic skills) for students wishing to take exams to obtain the CILS. The tests were made on the basis of information provided by the University for Foreigners of Siena.
Feedback
At the end of each Italian course students are asked to fill in a questionnaire which is made up of four sections; the course, the activities, the office, and the housing. Students are asked to indicate their level of satisfaction for each one. Regarding the Italian language course for example, the categories are general satisfaction, organization of lessons, activities, materials used, level of interaction with the group.
The questionnaire is designed to provide all staff members, teachers and non, feedback on their work that allows them to adjust their lesson planning , to adapt their methods , to try out new proposals and to check the suitability of housing. Finally, the questionnaire allows management to assess the work of teachers. In the event that several students express dissatisfaction, the problem is discussed with the teacher concerned so as to develop new strategies.
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