F.A.Q. - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT ITALIAN TUITION

Click as follow if you would like to know more about:
Italian Cultural and Leisure Programme | Arrival / Housing / Transfer
Useful Tips and Information about Italy

or download it

Which is the next starting date?

You may start your Italian language course every 2 weeks on Mondays, even if you are a complete beginner and every week for non-beginners!
Please consult our course starting dates.

BACK TO TOP

What should I expect to do on the first day at school?

We will wait for you at 8:30 am at the school office. Students having little or no knowledge of the Italian language will attend the first lesson in which the oral capacity and the understanding will be tested. All other students will take a written and oral placement test which enables us to find the appropriate level.

BACK TO TOP

Which is a typical course schedule?

Standard Italian Language Course

Florence:

9 - 10:30 , 15-minutes break, 10:45 - 12:15 or 10:45 - 12:15, 15-minutes break, 12:30 - 14 14:15 - 15:45, 15-minutes break, 16 - 17:30

Milan:

09:00 - 10:30, 15-minute break, 10:45 - 12:15 or 13:30 - 15:00, 15-minute break, 15:15 - 16:45 or 14:00 - 15:30, 15 minutes break, 15:45 - 17:15

Rome:

09:00 - 10:30, 15-minute break, 10:45 - 12:15 or 14:15 - 15:45, 15 minutes break, 16:00 - 17:30

Siena:

9 - 10:30, 15-minute break, 10:45 - 12:15 or 14:15 - 15:45, 15-minute break, 16:00 - 17:30

Intensive Italian Language Course

Florence:

9 - 10:30, break, 10:45 - 12:15, break, 12:30 - 14 or 10:45 - 12:15, break, 12:30 - 14, break, 14:15 - 15:45 or

Milan:

9 - 10:30, break, 10:45 - 12:15, 12:30 - 14:00 or 9 - 10:30, break, 10:45 - 12:15, 14 - 15:30 or

Rome:

9:00 - 10:30, break, 10:45 - 12:15, break, 12:30 - 14:00 or 12:30 - 14:00, break, 14:15 - 15:45, break, 16:00 - 17:30

Intensive PLUS Italian Language Course

Florence:

group lessons: 9:00 - 10:30, 15-minutes break, 10:45 - 12:15 or 10:45 - 12:15, 15-minutes break, 12:30 - 14 individual lessons (one or two lessons): 12:30 - 14:00 or 14:15 - 15:45 or 16:00 - 17:30

Milan:

09:00 - 10:30, 15-minute break, 10:45 - 12:15 or 13:30 - 15:00, 15-minute break, 15:15 - 16:45 or 14:00 - 15:30, 15 minutes break, 15:45 - 17:15 individual lessons (one or two lessons): 12:30 - 14:00 or 14:15 - 15:45 or 16:00 - 17:30 or 17:00 - 18:30

Rome:

group lessons: 09:00 - 10:30, 15 minutes break, 10:45 - 12:15 or 14:15 - 15:45, 15 minutes break, 16:00 - 17:30 individual lessons (one or two lessons): 12:30 - 14:00

Siena:

group lessons: 9 - 10:30, 15-minute break, 10:45 - 12:15 or 14:15 - 15:45, 15-minute break, 16:00 - 17:30 individual lessons (one or two lessons): 12:30 - 14:00 or 14:15 - 15:45

Part Time Twice a Week

Milan:

18:30 - 20:00 (Tuesday and Thursday)

For homework and exercises you should calculate about one additional hour per day.

BACK TO TOP

How many participants there will be in a class?

In Florence, Milan and Rome there will be a maximum of 12 participants per class, while in Siena each class will have a maximum of 10 participants.

Which books do you use in the lessons?

Our basic text and exercise books have been developed by our school. These books are used in conjunction with authentic teaching materials such as newspaper and magazine articles, audiovisual materials, and activities inside the classroom.

BACK TO TOP

Is the teaching material included in the course price?

All text books and other supplies are provided by the school, but you are expected to bring your own dictionary.

BACK TO TOP

Which teaching method do you use?

SCUOLA LEONARDO DA VINCI teaches according to the Communicative Aproach Method: from the first day on, at all levels, only Italian will be spoken. The spoken language is the most important part of the tuition. Continually promoting the use of verbal communication permits you to learn Italian 'naturally', to unite theory and practice with no great problems and to increase your knowledge quickly and with confidence. You are encouraged to practice your spoken Italian in real-life situations, with your teacher, and with other participants, in pairs and groups. In advanced courses the written language will also be promoted.

BACK TO TOP

Which is your teachers qualification?

All teachers are highly qualified. Most of them have studied Italian language and literature. All our teachers have been specially trained in teaching Italian to foreigners.

BACK TO TOP

Which course certificates do students receive?

SCUOLA LEONARDO DA VINCI certificates:

• At the end of each course, students with regular attendance receive the certificate of attendance indicating the level of proficiency attained.

• At the end of 3rd ability level, students who passed a test receive the "Certificato di Conoscenza della Lingua Italiana".

• At the end of 5th ability level, students who passed a test receive the "Diploma di Lingua Italiana".

Diplomas "Firenze" of the Accademia Italiana di Lingua (AIL):

• DELI A2 - basic level: at the end of the first ability level;

• DILI B1 - intermediate level: at the end of the third ability level;

• DILC B1- intermediate Diploma of Business language: at the end of the third ability level;

• DILI B2- upper-intermediate level: at the end of the forth ability level;

• DALI C1- advanced level: at the end of the sixth ability level;

• DALC C1- Diploma of Business language, advanced level: at the end of the sixth ability level;

BACK TO TOP

Which is the average age of students attending the school? I'm interested in attending a course for older students aged 30 and above. Do you have suitable courses for this age group?

Sixty percent of our students are aged between 17 and 30 seeking to improve their Italian language skills and awareness of Italian culture.

Sixty percent of our students are already working; about ten percent are business managers and executives of different nationalities.

Five percent are retired and wish to improve their Italian and familiarize themselves with Italian culture.

Usually students aged 30 and more feel comfortable in our classes and enjoy to meet people from all over the world. In the Intensive Plus and Small Group Courses the average age is higher.

BACK TO TOP

After twelve weeks, how much Italian will I be able to speak, assuming I am a complete beginner upon arrival, I work very hard and I am good at languages?

SCUOLA LEONARDO DA VINCI offers 6 different course levels from beginner to advanced. Each course level usually consists of 20 lessons/week over a period of 4 weeks. If you are good at languages and you work hard, it is possible to complete Beginner, Basic and Intermediate levels in 12 weeks.

At the end of the Intermediate level you already possess considerable knowledge of Italian. Your feeling for the language has become confident and your range of expressions has developed greatly and is more differentiated. You will be able to sit for the Leonardo da Vinci certificate examination "Knowledge of the Italian language" and for the "Firenze-Diploma" DILI of the Accademia Italiana di Lingua.

BACK TO TOP

If you didn't find what you were looking for please
feel free to enquire by phone, fax or e-mail:

or download it

· A new Course for 2013: Italian Tour!

· Special offers for summer enrollments – Save the date!

· Il corso alla scuola Idv di Firenze

· What I learned in school today

· Le uova di Pasqua si regalano perché sono di buon auspicio!