ITA LANGUAGE CERTIFICATION PREPARATION COURSES

I had a possibility to attend Italian classes only for one week. But it was worth it every minute.

On my arrival, I had a beautiful welcome with a short written test and gentle interview. In my study group, there were six students from different countries and backgrounds. All the other students stayed for a longer period of time. The level of Italian language skills varied a bit between us which might be a bit challenging for the lecturers to handle in planning and conducting the lessons.

What pleased me the most was the intensity of using the Italian language always. Even when we were struggling to find a word or made mistakes, the lecturers explained everything in Italian and pushed us to follow the same method. The lessons were built meaningfully on communication and auditory exercises, reading comprehension and writing tasks. Group and pair discussions were emphasised. Overall very beneficial methods which kept us motivated. Sometimes I would have personally wanted to proceed a bit faster but I trusted it to the lecturers to evaluate what was beneficial for the entire group. I am thankful for the lecturers for their efforts and for all the help they provided us.

This was an empowering experience which I recommend to anyone who is eager to learn a new language!

Please see above re summary assessment; also adding a very nice and helpful front office. On the “to improve side”:
- unfortunately there did not seem to be too many social activities, explorations if the city and even when there were, few students signed up. The school promises a language and cultural experience but we had little of the cultural experience.
- I would have preferred more homework to really fix things in my mind
- the group I stayed with most of the time was quite mixed with some people able to speak relatively fluently and some who had trouble with basic sentences; a more homogeneous group would have been welcome.

Special thanks to Michela and Carola who are in charge of all the logistics in the school ; they have been so helpful and professional

Professional teachers and a very helpful administrative sfaff.
Excellent location of the school.

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it was great, I was at the school for 1 month and I would have liked to stay much longer. I really recommend it 100%, not only are there great teachers, but also the atmosphere in the whole school is amazing, friendly. At the same time, afterschool activities organized by the school 3 times a week, from trips around Genoa to conversation classes, are all worth it! I was a little apprehensive before the course, but I am incredibly grateful for the experience. Thanks and definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed my stay in Genova with a lovely landlady and a very good school with lovely teachers. Even it was only one week, I learned a lot and was able to practice in the city, not feeling like a tourist but like an almost real Italian.

First of all, thank you for giving me the opportunity to provide feedback. I really enjoyed having tailored classes and attention given to me while being taught by a private tutor. I found the course challenging enough to be able to progress in my learning all the while taking advantage of the free time that I had to go sightseeing. The provided room in the house was clean and tidy, while the owner remained very helpful and friendly at all times. I can't really say that I did not like something in particular!

Kind regards,

Michael

The teachers were very friendly and well prepared and I appreciated the fact that every day we were lectured by two of them. It helped me a lot to have to deal with different personalities.

I was greatly helped by the assistant teachers that were present in the class and helped us (the students) with our exercises.

The entry test took about half an hour at least. I would recommend that we take it before attending the school. That would save time for both of us. I felt that I was in a more advanced class that I had to but I guess that they did not have students for amatuers like myself. That made me reevaluate how helpful these lessons are for a student for my level. But I will think this through.

The first day I had a difficulty in finding the school and therefore I was an hour late. Of course I only had myself to blame for not checking the address the previous day.

You ask for social activities but there were not any on my level. I suppose that this particular week was not suitable as everyone was gone on vacation out of the city.

The next day I had a small misunderstanding with the owner of the apartment when she asked me for money. But the gentleman at the reception (unfortunately I don't remember his name) handled it perfectly. Once I told him about the request he talked to the owner in Italian (a conversation like this in Italian is way above my abilities) and resolved the issue the same day. Apparently the owner did not know that I had already paid to you for my staying. Otherwise the apartment was really great and the owner and the other residents were the nicest. I strongly recommend it.

My Italian level was determined to be A2 after taking their test and was in a class of 6 people who were at the same level. This worked out extremely well for all the students and teachers. The instructors were excellent and very professional as the two teachers divided our teaching time, which was nice to get different styles and personalities.

The program helped in speaking, listening, reading, and writing Italian. I am very impressed by this method and have been to another immersion course which was not all-inclusive like this. I also took an adult class previously and this was only grammar and did not learn much at all.

I stayed in a magnificent home with a private bath and a garage for my car. The walk to school every day was 25 minutes along one of the most fascinating and famous streets in Italy. This beautiful street had plenty of places to get a caffe and croissant or focaccia for my breakfast, and then lunch after class. The owner of the home and my host was the best!

Genova is a large port city and has many sights to see, places to eat, and people to meet. I walked everywhere in my two weeks, from the lighthouse to Bocadasse. I even took a train and spent a weekend in Cinque Terre.

I cannot recommend A Door to Italy highly enough. They were communicative prior and helpful during my two weeks. The classes were excellent. My homestay was wonderful. Finally, Genova is a must for everyone to explore and experience.

I enjoyed the group experience of practicing, listening, and speaking together. The teachers reinforced my prior reading of Italian grammar and speaking, as well as taught me how to speak correctly. I enjoyed the cultural experiences and outings which gave us a longer opportunity to practice speaking to the instructors and new students from other classes. The room was comfortable. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with the conversations. I did feel that the teachers were eager to help and to encourage questions. I feel more comfortable now with speaking and asking questions to people on the street and have gotten over some of my insecurity and shyness with the new language. I enjoyed the food experiences and exploring the old town and ports like Nervi. It was also meaningful to learn more about the customs of the people in Genova. Thank you for the opportunity to improve my knowledge and understanding of the language and people of Italy. I would do it again and hope, if possible, to return to Genova.

I liked everything!
Very good teachers! And educational programs!

I attended A Door to Italy over only one week, but I would have stayed longer if it had been possible. I received a warm welcome from all the staff. The administrative support has been of the highest quality since the day I registered online. The school found me a housing facility in the very centre of the town: it was perfectly located and the owner was very nice - we are still in touch. Teachers were very dynamic and nicely encouraged us to talk as much as possible. I learnt a lot and became far more confident. Unfortunately, during my only week there, very few activities were organized, which is my only disappointment.

I loved this school. Was in the advanced class with 3 other students, non of whom were English speaking. This was my first in-Italy experience where I did not speak English at all. The advanced level was largely conversational which was just what I needed. The teachers were very animated and entertaining and we learned a lot about the Italians!
Genova is a great city, full of Renaissance palazzi and lots of things to see. It is great also in that it is not inundated with tourists as so many cities are nowadays. It has the largest medieval quarter of any city in Europe and is full of atmosphere.

I came to A Door to Italy on the recommendation of work colleagues and found the school very attuned to my special professional needs, of which they have much experience.
The entire team at the school is very dynamic, professional, and keen to ensure students have a positive and successful stay.
I found Genoa a city one quickly feels at home in, although quite humid when I was there in July!
Although the school premises are quite small, they are centrally located. My only complaint is that I found the rooms echoey, which made hearing difficult.
The private apartment I rented through the school was pleasant, clean, and well-located, with a friendly, helpful landlady next door.

I chose this school because it offers flexibility and also to discover Genoa. Genoa is very interesting and there are many historical locations, museums, and shows, and with a bit of time, you can also visit the Ligurian Coast, which is very beautiful.
I had the flexibility to stay only for a short time but the course was still right for my level. And I even had the flexibility to add individual cooking courses.
The possibility to stay in a host family is good, not only for learning, but also for having the possibility to continue to speak after the course.
The professors are very motivating and are also aware of the needs to speak an Italian of "the people", and not of "the books".

I loved the classes, very dynamic, very informative and fun. The location of the school is right in the center, so everyday you get a privilege to enjoy beautiful sites while walking to school. My host family was great. I lived in a very nice apartment in the center, which made it easy to walk to school. Staff of the school was always nice and willing to help. We even got a guided tour of the city with lovely Irene.
I would highly recommend A Door to Italy who wants an authentic Italian experience in the gorgeous corner of the world.