These are designed for those who need personalized training based on their specific requirements. They guarantee total flexibility in the choice of the day and time of the course.

The courses can begin at any point in the year. They can be carried out from 7.30 to 22.00 from Monday to Friday and 7.30 to 13.00 on Saturday.

The student can purchase a package of hours ranging from 10 to 40 hours of lessons.

Before beginning the course, the student is asked to take a written test and take part in an interview in Italian to define his or her level and the training program. (Needs Analysis)

GENERAL ITALIAN courses give you the opportunity to study grammar and vocabulary and to learn to use the language for everyday communication. These are not theory lessons; they are practical, where you learn the Italian used by Italians, thanks also to tools like music, newspapers and TV.

Various teaching materials are used in the lessons: the textbook is accompanied and enriched by handouts given to the students. Also featured are songs and audio dialogues, reading newspaper and magazine articles, reading literary texts, and watching film extracts and television material including advertisements.

In the BASIC LEVEL courses (from beginner to elementary) the objective is to give the basic elements of the language and of Italian culture to facilitate a first encounter with the country. The subjects of the lessons will be useful for managing everyday situations. You will learn to describe yourself and others as well as to give information about your job and free time. You will acquire a ‘survival’ Italian that will help you to face various social situations (in the bar and the restaurant, in the hotel, in shops, at the post office).

The INTERMEDIATE LEVEL courses (from pre-intermediate to high-intermediate) are for those who already have the basic elements of the Italian language and are ready to deepen their vocabulary and grammar. You will learn to use new verb tenses, enrich your vocabulary to be able to describe and express your interests and desires, your opinions and intentions in a more detailed way.

In the ADVANCED LEVEL courses (from upper-intermediate to advanced) the goal is to strengthen your oral and written expression to allow you to gain more confidence and better understand the subtleties of Italian language and culture. You will learn the vast peculiarities of Italian, the exceptions that always prove the rule, the distinctions between various types of language (bureaucratic, journalistic, literary, etc.) and naturally, you will be able to improve your ability to express opinions, to discuss or describe situations.

All the courses are taught by mother tongue teachers with a degree and with teaching experience. Thanks to their passion and energy, and thanks also to their competence and professionalism, students are guided through the mysteries of the language, happily overcoming difficulties. The courses are flexible and are based on the needs of each student: for us each student is unique and so his learning program is unique as well. Even in group courses the teacher dedicates a lot of attention to each student and tries to understand and satisfy needs and requests.

In the morning, Italians go to the bar to have breakfast: cappuccino or coffee and a pastry: usually this is done standing and in a hurry…work is waiting! At one, a lunch break: a sandwich, something to drink, a coffee (not a cappuccino!) and then quickly back to work! But what happens around seven in the evening? Bars begin to prepare trays with pizzas, nuts, sandwiches, olives, potato chips, and every other snack you can imagine… why?  

Because it’s APERITIF time! The aperitif is something very special for Italians: it’s the time to get together with friends, to chat and to relax after a hard day’s work..people meet up in their favorite bar (or the trendiest one!) and share news, eating potato chips and drinking a good glass of wine.

So what could a linguistic aperitif be? An opportunity to unite study and fun! These get-togethers offer ‘slices’ of Italian, garnished with a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere, some snacks and naturally, a good glass of Italian wine! The linguistic aperitif is a weekly meeting which lasts one hour in the early evening, where people talk and enjoy themselves. A current topic is chosen for each meeting. Here are some examples:

- X-Factor vs. Big Brother: which one do you watch? The victory of ‘trash TV’: Italy divided on reality shows!

- Advertising: how provocative can it get? Watch this one!

- The deep North of Italy: ‘Malpensa, Italia’ is the new political talk show on Rai Two, hosted by the most right-wing journalist in Italy, who has shouted about anti-immigration measures for years, as well as measures against southerners and practically everyone else…The North and South of Italy: a love-hate relationship which has lasted for centuries..    

- Stereotypes of Italy: pasta, pizza, mandolins, the mafia…is our country really only these things?

The choice of a topic differentiates this ‘linguistic’ aperitif from a normal aperitif: we don’t want the meeting to become a normal chat between friends, where we often talk without following a topic, or where there’s the ‘strong’ person who puts themselves at the center of attention without letting others contribute. We want to maintain the vivacious and familiar atmosphere of the aperitif, without feeling the ‘stress of the lesson’. To this we add a more ‘structured’ conversation, more guided, which offers all participants the chance to express their opinions. The teacher is the guide for the dialogue, the mediator, giving everyone a chance to speak and correcting errors or imprecision.