I’m back with my review. Did I like Academya Lingue? Yes, very much. It was fun. A lot of fun. One week was not enough, and I hope to return for a longer period, maybe as much as a month, in a year or two. Although I began on a Monday, I realized everyone else started or ended on random days. There’s no need to begin on a certain day unless you’re new to the language and have little or no background. If you have an extra day or two when you arrive in or leave Bologna, consider spending them in school.
For those starting from scratch, I suspect the school will provide a start date so the student begins on the first day of the cycle. For people who speak a little or a lot of Italian, you “plug” into the appropriate level, one through six. Based upon the results of my online test, I began in a low intermediate class. The school owner, Andrea, told me I could switch to any of the other levels if the class wasn’t appropriate for me. After only the morning (two hour) session, I knew I wasn’t keeping up and asked to step down a level. It turned out to be the right decision, most things in the new class were a review, but I was out of practice and just being in the class was enormously helpful. The change allowed me to enjoy the lessons and learn some new material without feeling stressed.
There’s a coffee break after the morning grammar session, with the anticipation the students will speak Italian at the bar. My class was a bit of a mix, often resorting to English since my classmates were from Holland, South Africa, Uruguay, US and Russia. The break lasts an hour, then you return to the school for the last hour, which focuses on conversation. At first I thought the break was too long and I wanted more classroom time, but as the week progressed, I realized I really needed the break. You can always return to the classroom early to review the material, which I did.
Most of the students were at the school to become proficient in the language, about three months. One woman was spending a year learning Italian. My class had between four and nine students depending upon the day and the session. Since most students were there for a long period, they had routine conflicts and would miss a session or a day.
The instructors were extremely friendly and helpful. I was always greeted with a smile. They frequently used games or contests during the lesson. Even though I was much older than most of the students, the games were very enjoyable and they made learning fun.
A few pieces of advice. On your first day, arrive at least 15-20 minutes early, especially if you’re starting on a Monday. It’s a bit congested with everyone being directed to the appropriate classroom. If the door to the building is closed when you arrive, ring the bell, they will buzz open the door immediately. Walk up to the second floor to find the small office. Don’t hesitate to change class levels, up or down, do what’s best for you. Before you leave home, practice. And then find more ways to practice. I reviewed notes from previous classes and thought I’d be fine, but I was more out of practice than I realized. In retrospect, I wish I would have taken even a beginning Italian class at the local recreation center just to get in the habit of speaking the language again. I think I would have been more comfortable in the intermediate class if I had practiced more. Regardless, you’ll have a great time.