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ALEXANDER LANGUAGE SERVICES |
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ALEXANDER LANGUAGE SERVICES |
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L' Italiano Porticando TURIN, ITALY
ABOUT US, COURSES, PRICES Courses and Prices are subject to change without notice
L'Italiano Porticando is located in the centre of Turin. It is a small, friendly and informal school for Italian language and culture for foreigners. The "class rooms" of the school are the region around Turin and the Piedmont area. The "books" are life, art and the landscapes of Piedmont. The lessons are held by highly experienced and qualified mother-tongue teachers in a direct communicative method.
This method
motivates the students to
participate actively in their lessons and extra-curricular
activities. We organize activities with
professionals of
the region:cooking workshops, wine tastings,
sight-seeing tours and visits to museums, so as
the language learning to become a
real cultural experience. The teaching method used by L‘Italiano Porticando is the direct communicative teaching method. Italian is the only language spoken at school from the first day. Teaching materials – mainly developed by the school- free conversation in real communication situations. Class activities are designed so that the student to handle daily life situations and social interaction in Italy. As the communication ability is fundamental – we try to develop the students communication skills Also classes for grammar exercises are held and for exercises. Original texts, songs, films, documentaries help the student improve their abilities. Besides, extra-curricular activities are organized in the afternoon, for the students to put into practice what they have learnt during their morning lessons.
The school’s history
L’Italiano Porticando, founded at the beginning of 2005 with the aim to be a cut above ordinary language schools in Turin and to provide a specialized centre and point of reference for those who want to study the Italian language and culture in Turin. Turin is in a city wellknown as an industrial centre, but little-known by tourists. Turin has, however, an incredible artistic and cultural legacy to offer to those who love Italy, its language and its culture. The school is managed by its founders - Laura Faussone, Caterina Costanzo and Rosaria Costanzo. The three partners joined their long experience and their abilities in teaching the Italian language, culture and history to foreigners in order to give life to a project which at that time was new in Piedmont: the possibility to experience the Italian language and culture in a destination which is not typical for foreigners as, for example, Rome, Florence, Siena or Venice. The school’s team The three founders are present and active in the school’s life. They have structured their role within the school according to their competencies and experience. Rosaria – who has an university degree in foreign literature and languages and in business administration - is mainly responsible for marketing and administration. Laura – who is specialized in arts and who has an university degree in architecture – is responsible for the cultural part of L’Italiano Porticando and for contacts in Italy and Caterina – who has graduated as an interpreter and translator – is the contact person and teacher coordinator and is responsible for the course structure. The school’s teachers are selected with great care according to their education and their experience as teachers for Italian language and culture to foreigners. All teachers are native speakers, have a university degree, and are highly motivated and experienced in supporting foreign students in their first meeting with Italy and the Italian language and during the language learning process. The school‘s location L’Italiano Porticando is located in a beautiful 18th century building in the Quadrilatero Romano, the historic city centre, in midst of Turin’s pedestrian area. Next to the most important piazzas, near both train stations and only two minutes from Piazza Castello, the beating heart of Turin. The classrooms are bright and inviting. Though they have all you need in a modern language school, they are not typical classrooms, as the school’s management have created a comfortable and cosy atmosphere making you feel rather at home than at school. Furthermore, the students have at their complete disposal books, newspapers and magazines, dictionaries, CDs and DVDs which they can borrow or use at school. The school’s teaching method The teaching method used by L‘Italiano Porticando is the direct communicative teaching method. Italian is the only language spoken at school from the first day. Our teachers are experts in teaching talian to foreigners and so there isn’t a need for using other languages to bridge language gaps or to communicate with students. This is true for all levels, from beginners to advanced. Teaching materials – mainly developed by the school – are chosen and created to stimulate free conversation and to simulate real communication situations. Class activities are designed to give the student all necessary tools to handle daily life situations and social interaction in Italy. Though the communication ability is fundamental – we aim first at the development of the student’s communication ability and then at the elimination of mistakes – the classes leave room also for grammar exercises and for exercises which will help the student to use and understand the written and spoken language. Many original texts of various kinds (articles, literature, advertisements etc.), songs, films, documentaries help the student to improve these abilities. The classes are complemented by extra-curricular activities organized by the school in the afternoon, allowing students to put into practise what they have learnt during their morning lessons. L’Italiano Porticando proposes classes for those who want to learn Italian because they love Italy and its culture, for those who study Italian at university, for those who have moved to Italy and want to live in this country or want to study Italian for business purposes. The School offers all year round Standard courses (5 to 8 people), Classes in small group (2 to 4 people), Individual classes and Combined Courses for all levels of proficiency. The Combined Courses are so called, because they are the combination of a standard course with individual classes, business Italian, history of art or architecture, with tango. From 2009 students who want to have their level of proficiency certified, can enrol for the CILS Exam (Certification of the University of Siena) preparation courses, which will be held during the month(s) before the exam’s date. Cultural and extra-curricular activities organised by the school (such as walks through the city, visits to museums, wine tasting and courses about the region’s typical dishes) will help the student to deepen his comprehension and communication abilities. The cultural courses related to cuisine, history, arts, architecture, literature and traditions of Piedmont and Turin can be linked with the language course, making thus language learning even more interesting. In 2009 the school will also offer, as in the last years, one-week language holiday courses for groups. You will find a description in the following pages. Furthermore L’Italiano Porticando will organise again one week Special topic Courses, which include extra-curricular activities depending on the season or on events in the region or in Turin.
ABOUT US, COURSES, PRICES |
