Learning in Italy...
If you're planning an extended stay in Italy, you may want to consider learning the language while you're there. Here are some suggestions:
Italian Language SchoolsItaliano Language Center - This is the only school in this list that is not located in Italy. This school is owned by hudband and wife, Al & Elena, both are friends of mine that run this Italian language and culture school in Atlanta, Georgia. If you're in the area, tell them I said CIAO!
Istituto Italiano - A great school, small classes for each level, very well established with different locations. They will also be able to find an accomodation or even put you with an Italian family!
Language Course.Net - A great website to find language schools in various cities in Italy and to compare them side-by-side based on price and customer review.
Giardino di Sicilia - Spend a wonderful stress-free vacation in this full-service family-owned agriturismo (country bed & breakfast) while learning Italian with my friend Margherita, who is the teacher/owner/chef of this idillic resort overlooking the Eolian islands of Sicily.
Italiano in Italia - Learn Italian while on vacation in Italy in the beautiful Tropea, a small city in the Southern region of Calabria. This is definitely an off-the-beaten path destination, but an outstandingly gorgeous one nonetheless. You'll be able to learn at a personal level, helped by a licensed teacher.
Linguaviva - Learn Italian as you learn Italian history, art, and more.
Libera Accademia di Beller Arti - This Florentine school offers courses in art restauration, sculpture, painting, jewelry design, and many more.
Leonardo da Vinci School - Modern teaching methods, professional organization, guarantee good progress in a short time. Learn italian while learning the italian culture!
Centro Puccini in Viareggio - A language school located in Viareggio, a beach resort town in Tuscany. I'm sure learning here makes going to school a lot more fun! This school offers semester and summer study abroad programs. Take courses in language,arts, and humanities with transferable college credits.
Language Resources and Websites for those who want to learn Italian faster!
Online Translator - Free text translations on Google, this on-line translator is actually very good to translate entire paragraphs or webpages. Don't forget to double-check by translating it back to English.
Italian Holidays and Festivals - Learn about Italian heritage festivals and celebrations in the USA and in Italy.
RAI.it - This is the major Italian tv & radio network (kind of like ABC, CBS, and NBC in the USA). If you have digital cable, you can actually watch the channel on TV by requesting a subscription for a monthly fee through Time Warner Cable. You can also get the free version online of the news only, as well as listen to the radio online. Great for advanced students!
WordReference.com - If you're learning any language, you cannot afford to skip this incredible website, which is completely free! Just enter any word or verb in any language and
the website will give you all the variable definitions, verb conjugations, translations of the word! Incredibile!
About.com - This is About.com's section entirely dedicated to Italy and the Italian language. You can listen to phonetics directly from your computer, lots of tips and useful phrases that you can use on your next trip to Italy, a great resource!
Teach Yourself Italian - Another resource to do online exercises. It helps to know some basics before going on this free website as it can be a little intimidating for the beginning student, or at least to do this in combination with a course.
LeRadio.com - This is a wonderful resource if you're serious about learning Italian or even if you just want to listen to Italian music. Listen to
Italian radio stations for free 24 hours a day!!! There is a small pop up window from which you can choose just about any Italian radio that you can listen to in real time online. Try them all!
Continental Book Company - A seller of international books for language students. Offers quite a selection of Italian books to improve reading skills.
Acquerello Italiano - This a bi-monthly Italian language audio magazine with a variety of topics each month for advanced students. It comes with a printed transcript that you can use to look up any words you don't know prior to listening.
Transparent.com - Receive an email with the Italian Word of the Day. Sign up for free to receive an email each day with a
new word in Italian. Sounds like a very slow way to learn, but it's the little daily efforts that count!
