Best Italian Language Schools in Italy

A Guide to Studying Italian in Italy

If you have always been interested in learning Italian, there is no better place than actually in Italy! The time spent immersing yourself into the Italian culture will live with you foverer!

You can find Italian language schools in most, if not all major cities in Italy. So if you fancy studying in Italy by the sea, or surrounded by historic monuments, or even with a view of the mountainous regions outside your window, you will not have to compromise.

There are classes available in almost all desirable locations. Yay for not having to compromise!

Popular Places to Study Italian in Italy

These are some of the most locations for international participants to study:

Other locations you might want to consider include:

Alghero (Sardinia)
Bagno di Romagna
Bologna
Castiglioncello
Genoa
Lucca
Milazzo (Sicily)
Montepulciano
Naples
Orbetello
Pisa
Porto Torres (Sardinia)
Ravenna
Rimini
San Remo
Salerno
Sorrento
Siena
Taormina
Trieste
Tropea
Turin
Viareggio

Duration of Courses

There are short and long term courses available all year round. If you are unable to stay for a long trip, instead deciding to learn as much as you can whilst on holiday, or if you are at the other end of the spectrum and are able to stay for as long as possible.

Cost

Prices for Italian language schools rage from €250 - 800€ for one standard semester (a four week course) to 1000€ for an intensive course semester. Finding free Italian courses in Italy is very difficult but a lot of language schools and companies offer cheap and low prices which often include accommodation.

Accommodation

Some language schools even provide accommodation for the duration of your studies (with an extra fee of course). Accommodation can range from sharing an apartment with fellow students, or staying with a host family (sometimes with meals included!).

But even if your chosen school does not provide this service, with a bit of research you will be able to find a place to stay, usually for a similar price quoted directly from the schools themselves. Where there are schools, there are people willing to provide accommodation. It’s really not as hard or scary as it may seem.

So, for a month long intensive language course, including accommodation, you’ll have to budget for around 1000€ - 2000€. Not too shabby, huh?

Top Tips for Studying Italian in Italy

There are lots of tips and tricks to speeding up the learning process, and also enhancing your grasp of the Italian language...

Stick to cities and or coastal regions. Large cities are used to foreigners and so communication is much easier as you will always be within reach of someone who speaks English. This will enable you to interact with others and learn firsthand how to say certain phrases.
Try and engage in conversation with hotel/restaurant staff. If you need a fresh towel or want some basic information regarding a meal, try and ask in Italian. As long as you’re friendly and not asking when the establishment is busy, they will usually take a moment to help you perfect the phrase or questions you are asking.
Use online ‘locals’ apps to chat with people in the area. With more and more apps appearing in the various online app stores that enable you to chat with local people around you, it is easier than ever to learn the basics of a language. If you have time, download one of these apps to your phone and just chat freely with different people. You’ll learn informal chatty talk as well as potentially make friends in the process!
Don’t try to learn too much at once. It’ll only confuse you further. This one basically explains itself, you don’t want to overload your brain with too much information. Try to stick to small topics at a time, for example, learn how to tell the time, or phrases used whilst shopping. Split your learning into small categories.
Listen to language learning tapes or local music as you sleep. Although at the time of listening you may have no clue what the tapes are really saying to you, when the phrases come up in day to day conversations, you will be amazed at how much easier you’ll find yourself following alone. Your subconscious mind can hold a lot of information that you don’t know about.
Watch your favourite movies in English with Italian subtitles. And then when you’re feeling confident, watch in Italian, with English subtitles. When you’re familiar with the script of a movie and then visualise the Italian equivalent, it becomes much easier to pair the phrases. And who could possibly say no to watching movies in the name of learning?
Use translators and dictionaries when stuck. If you know the word or phrase you’re trying to say but not the correct pronunciation, show someone the translation and simply ask. Be sure to be as polite as possible and chances are they will be willing to help you out.
Don’t be afraid to be wrong a few times.