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Italian Courses

Experience Education Excellence

General  information about our Italian courses

  • Our school offers courses on 6 levels that correspond to the 6 levels of the CEFR. 
  • On day 1 of the course students who have already studied Italian will sit an oral and written test to identify their level of proficiency
  • Lessons are 50 minutes long.
  • We recommend that courses for absolute beginners should be a minimum of two weeks.
  • Classes will have a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 12 students per class, but we can also organise one-to-one classes.

Objectives:

The main purpose of learning a second language is communication. Grammatical accuracy is a necessary part of linguistic competence, but it must be integrated with communicative competence and the ability to use language effectively, in different situations and circumstances. Our main objective, must therefore necessarily be to enable students to interact in the new language, where interaction includes listening, comprehension and oral expression.

Communication in a different language has practical advantages, but we feel that language study can also broaden cultural horizons: the language we use, and the way we express ourselves reflect our social, historic and cultural environment/context as well as our education, upbringing and personal experiencesTeachers of a second language cannot avoid transmitting a part of the culture that language represents.   Learners must be brought to view the study of a second language as a means to an end, as a way to understand and appreciate a different lifestyle, a new way of thinking and acting, maybe also of eating and drinking, working, relaxing.  The knowledge of a second language opens up a whole new cultural horizon made up of Literature, Art, Music, Architecture, Philosophy, the Performing Arts, and enhances our understanding of those we are already familiar with.   The comparisons and contrasts born of the encounter with new ideas cannot but enrich our own personality and culture.

Teaching strategies:

Our aim is to develop communicative competence in our learners in real life situations: because real life is so varied, we base our teaching on a variety of approaches and strategies.  These include pair work and group work,  research projects, journal writing, discussion groups, analytical viewing of movies, games,  lectures,  and multiple intelligence techniques. We try to diversify our teaching methods as much as we can, in order to reach students at every level and to adapt our approach to the individual personalities. Our approach is always centered on the student’s needs and expectations.

Our language courses include a number of activities which may be considered “full immersion” in the linguistic and social context in which they are living.    The students play an active part in the life of the city by  assisting in a community service program, which not only allows them to come into direct contact with the social background but also to listen to and use  the language they are learning in different circumstances.

Italian courses and ...

Cooking

Photography

Art and History

If you want to combine Italian lessons with other activities, we are happy to arrange classes in art and history, photography or cooking lessons, or organise excursions to local places of interest. 

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Standard Italian  (group)

Course hours: 15 a week from Monday to Friday, morning lessons

Grammar and conversation

Intensive Italian  (group)

Course hours: 20 a week from Monday to Friday, lessons mornings and afternoons

Grammar and conversation

One-to-one Italian

Made to measure, for the specific needs of the individual student

Department Contact Info

Susi Kimbell

Resident Director

Palazzo Francica Nava
Via S. Landolina 5

Siracusa

+39 0931 463976
skimbell@exedramc.com

Mon – Fri 9:00A.M. – 7:00P.M.

Social Info

Exedra presentation

Italian and ...
Art
Food and Wine
Hiking

Italian and ...

Combine Italian lessons with other activities to get more chances to experience the language and the culture. Choose an Italian course and photography with afternoon activities dedicated to exploring Siracusa and surroundings through the photographer’s lens, with expert local photographers.

Italian course (Standard ) + afternoon activities dedicated to the art and architecture of Sicily, lectures, guided tours.

Italian and Sicilian Food and Wine

Italian course (Standard) + activities to discover the Sicilian culinary tradition – cooking classes, meetings with producers of wine and agricultural produce, visits to the markets.

Italian and Hiking

Italian course (Standard) + afternoon  walking in the surroundings of Siracusa accompanied by experts in local flora and fauna.

Why Study Italian Here?

Living and learning in Ortigia gives you opportunities every day to meet local people, shop at the daily market and eat in local restaurants and cafes where you can put your language skills to the test.  

The local people love to chat to visitors but most speak only Italian or Sicilian, so as an Italian-learner, you’ll find many people to help you with your language skills. EXEDRA can help arrange opportunities for volunteer work or language exchanges, so students can work alongside local volunteers and practise conversation and learn new vocab or turns of phrase. 

You can immerse yourself into the local community here, meeting people and finding many opportunities to practise Italian and learn about the language and the culture.

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