Italian Courses


 

Study Italian 1-to-1 in Florence in 2024

Since 1959 we have focused on our students’ goals: communicating in the Italian language in everyday life in Italy, at work, at university, or returning home with a solid background in the Italian language.Hard Rock Cafe Florence - Picture of Hard Rock Cafe, Florence - Tripadvisor

In order to reach these goals,  we developed a method that combines  a communicative approach with strong attention to the structures of the language and conversational vocabulary.

Thanks to our 1-to-1 lessons, all students can understand and speak Italian during the classes, using the Italian language to communicate from the very first class.

Our Motto: “Experiencing culture through language”

Why Florence?

Welcome to Florence, the capital of the Renaissance! While the cultural and historical impact of Florence  may seem overwhelming, close up, however, Florence is one of Italy's most atmospheric and pleasant cities, retaining a strong resemblance to the small late-medieval center that contributed so much to the cultural and political development of Europe. It was here that artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked, as did poets such as Dante and Boccaccio.

Florence is not just a beautiful city full of art, history and culture, but is also one of the most important business centers of Italy where many small and medium enterprises produce sophisticated products from fashion to handicrafts, from machinery to high technology. The Chianti area, between Florence and Siena, is one of the most beautiful regions in Italy and a famous wine production area.

Florence is internationally renowned for being the birthplace of modern Italian language and also for being the emblem of Italian culture.

But the contemporary Florence is a different reality: it is also a cosmopolitan city, populated by students coming from every corner of the world who wish to deepen their Italian language and culture studies.

Studying in Florence is much more than a traditional learning holiday.

Here, you will have the opportunity to go for a walk along the city streets and discover in every corner the stunning works created by the greatest masters in history of Florence art: from Leonardo da Vinci to Michelangelo Buonarroti.

And if you’re studying art, there’s no other city in the world which can give you the right inspiration like Florence; it is enough to take a look around and between Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery, it seems to be in a huge art history book!

Picture in your mind for a moment how extraordinary it could be learning a harmonious language like Italian in a city where history comes to life in every alley. Without realizing it, you will get lost among the narrow centre streets, and will find out Dante Alighieri’s house!

And if you feel like going shopping after your Italian lessons? Well, you’re in the perfect place. In Florence, fashion is a real art, it is part of the cultural heritage of the city. Here and here only you can find the prestigious shops and boutiques of the greatest Florentine stylists: Ferragamo, Cavalli, Gucci, Prada, Enrico Coveri, Patrizia Pepe, Emilio Pucci, all representatives of the Italian fashion in the world, as well as the precious and esteemed jewelry workshops located on Ponte Vecchio.

Location and Facilities

The American Language Center is located in Piazza della Repubblica, just a short walk from the world-famous Duomo. Our facilities include several multi-purpose classrooms, offices, student lounge, library, and a terrace overlooking the historical city center.

Piazza della Repubblica, La Storia - Visita-Firenze.it

Personalized Individual Courses (1-to-1)

Every student has his or her specific interests and rhythms. Individual courses are the best choice for those who want to take a more personal approach to language acquisition or for those who wish to organize the lesson schedule to meet his/her own needs.
We seek to satisfy every need and organize individual courses in general Italian as well as specific Italian courses in literature, art, business and commercial Italian, tourism, Italian for systematic study.

Individual Italian courses are perfect if you want to learn Italian quickly, without distractions and with a dedicated teacher, but they also meet the needs of managers, diplomats, professionals, artists and professors or university researchers.
Highly-qualified native Italian teachers, a carefully planned syllabus and a flexible studying program are the keys to success: you’ll enjoy your individual lesson and seeing your Italian improving so quickly.

The timetable for our individual Italian courses is drawn up to fit in with your schedule. Weekend courses are also available.

Each course is designed to adapt to the specific requirements of you, the student. It is tailor-made to your individual needs and interests, and will progress at just the right speed for you. At the beginning of the course you will sit down with your teacher and discuss your requirements and goals. During your course, you may alternate teachers to give you exposure to different accents and/or to learn vocabulary specific to your interests. Note that it is sometimes possible to start your individual course on a day other than a Monday.  5/10/20/30 lessons a week, with timetable and starting date chosen by you.

Teaching Method and Levels

Our Teaching method takes full account of modern methodologies  and is oriented towards the Foreign Language Concept of the Council of Europe. Our approach is communicative, functional and enjoyable!

In a welcoming atmosphere the school teaches according to an innovative method based on an entertaining and communicative approach allowing the teacher to create a study program by which students can learn while enjoying themselves. This method combines scientific rigor with the use of a modern, dynamic and motivating teaching style. Grammar is taught at times intuitively, at times deductively according to the needs of the learner and also in a contrastive way, that is, comparing the differences in structure between the student’s mother tongue and Italian when the two languages greatly differ. The oral language (listening and speaking) is predominant, but reading and writing are also taken into consideration because they help reinforce what we learn. Students will be taught different memorization techniques to improve their power to remember vocabulary, which is the basis of language learning. Songs, opera extracts, poems, tongue twisters, newspaper articles, television ads and films will all allow students to get a taste for Italian culture as well, since every language reflects the culture from which it originates. Last, but not least, the rhythm and pace of your learning will be individualized according to your needs. We want you to feel at home with us while discovering a foreign country!

All our classes are conducted in Italian and provide training in all basic communication skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing - with a systematic study of grammar. Our teachers are university qualified and native speakers. Our classrooms have video and audio equipment, which also give the possibility of working online.

All courses are supervised by our Italian Coordinator, who has an MA in Teaching Italian Language and Culture from the University of Venice, Cà Foscari.

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages - Monnalisa School

On the first day of the language course, your knowledge of Italian will be evaluated by an entry test and an interview. Students with no knowledge of Italian will be assigned to the beginner level. Textbooks and supplies are provided by the school, but you are expected to bring your own dictionary.

The time it takes to learn to use a foreign language varies from person to person. Therefore, regular assessment tests throughout the course enable us to measure your language development and evaluate your performance over a period of time.

Facilities, Services and AccommodationImage result for Pensione Florence Italy

Our Italian language school for foreigners is located in the very heart of Florence, in Piazza della Repubblica.Piazza della Repubblica is a vast, quadrangular square in the center of Florence. Surrounded by caffès and elegant restaurants, it’s considered the upper class salon of the city, and is often a theater to musicians and street artists.

You’ll love attending your Italian lessons in our large , bright and cozy classrooms. And don’t forget our beautiful terrace that will be your perfect meeting-place with other Italian and international students during your breaks.

We can arrange the following accommodations:

  • Italian host families
  • Private studio apartments
  • Shared apartmentments
  • Visa documentation

Learn Italian online with us!

Istituto Americano now offers live Italian language courses online, with the aim of providing an experience much the same as having lessons in person (classroom). We have developed course outlines and learning techniques specific to online learning!

Online Courses CAE

All individual on line coursesare provided through an on line platform optimized for teaching and learning.

Every live online course  involves:

  • An initial test, both written and oral.
    After enrolment we email the student a test to be completed and sent back to the school for assessment.
    This is followed up by an oral test, online on the platform
  • Use of a textbook.
    We send to the student through DHL after enrolment.
    We send you the textbooks and any other didactic materials we use for your level in our school in Milan.
  • On line live sessions.
    A variety of options:
    – short or long term courses
  • A final review and a certificate.
    Students are given a final, comprehensive review at the end of the course and are issued a diploma stating the skills and the level achieved.

 

ALL ITALIAN LESSONS MAY BE FACE-TO-FACE OR ONLINE!

 

Why study Italian at Istituto Americano?

Students choose Istituto Americano - American Language Center because:

  • Studying Italian at the Institute means learning a language thanks to a wide array of courses that range from elementary level to advanced level.
  • The courses are organized in the seven levels of the European Standard Framework
  • Istituto Americanooffers Italian cultural courses (Italian Contemporary Cinema, Conversation, Regional Cooking & Wine, Introduction to Opera, Italian Literature, Italian for Travelers, Art History)
  • Lessons are taught by native-speaking, qualified, professional teachers
  • Students are in constant contact with a dynamic and culturally stimulating environment
  • Istituto Americano will issue, upon request, a Certificate of Completion for the Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced courses.
  • Students may benefit from the several scholarships
  • Students may meet and socialize with local Italian residents

 

Istituto Americano-American Language Center is also part of EDUITALIA, the largest organization promoting Italian Language Abroad.

Eduitalia Scholarships 2020

 

The American Language Center of Florence was founded in 1959 by the United States Information Service and then privatized in the 1960's. It is now one of the leading American language schools in Italy, and is authorized by the Ministry of Public Education.

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