|
One of the intermediate classes
Una delle lezioni del livello intermedio
 |
 |
 |
| Anna from Sweden |
The lively interaction between students from all different nationalities |
Interactive teaching methods with dedicated teachers |
At 9am, the Intermediate Italian class comprising students from Sweden, France, US, Japan and Korea were ready for their morning lesson. The theme of the lesson was "I viaggi" (travels) and was a continuation of what the students had been discussing in previous lessons.
The teacher began by handing back hypothetical travel itineraries that the students had written in Italian as a previous exercise and which she had corrected in order to improve the class' written Italian. This was an example of the emphasis placed on Italian grammar, done in a way that was linked to the oral discussions of the particular topic which was being studied.
The main exercise for the first part of the lesson was to individually read a short article on the topic of all the luggage problems that occur while travelling, underlying any unknown words or problematic expressions.
After the initial travel exercise, we broke into discussion groups of two and three to ask one another whether our luggage had ever gone missing, what and how it had happened, etc. This exercise encouraged active interaction between students with lively chatter filling our class. It was so exciting to be expressing ourselves freely in Italian.
After this, our teacher handed out an Italian magazine questionnaire with answers in multiple choice format and each response being worth a different number of points. We went through all the questions together and at the end of the game, had to add up all the points to see what kind of a travellers we were. The activity was really entertaining and before we knew it the morning class was over!
One of the Beginner Italian classes
Una delle classi d'italiano per i principianti
 |
 |
A Norwegian and a Swedish
student discussing in Italian |
The Beginners Italian class at work |
Across the hall, the students in the Italian Beginners class were busy practicing several new Italian expressions and verb forms. The teacher Federica, a native Italian from Milan, explained everything in Italian by pointing, drawing and acting out new words in order for everyone to understand. She began by reviewing certain common Italian verbs on the blackboard before handing out exercise sheets and dividing the students into pairs.
The aim of this exercise was to get students to practice expressing themselves in Italian and put the Italian verbs and phrases they had just learnt into context. The students could use the exercise sheet to get some ideas but the rest was left up to their imagination. Federica helped and encouraged each student to say exactly what he or she had in mind and it was amazing to discover how much the students were actually able to say in Italian by themselves, having only started learning the language very recently.
Breaks in between lessons
Le pause tra le lezioni
Coffee lovers will be in heaven in Milan because there are hundreds of places to get real Italian coffee and the central location of the Academy on one of the city's main avenues means that during the 20 minute break between lessons students have time to dash out to one of the several Italian "bars" (Italian term for coffee shop) literally right outside the Academy. You can also enjoy the wide range of delicious Italian pastries in one of the fantastic Italian pasticcerie (pastry and bakery shops) all along Corso Buenos Aires.
If you don't feel like going out, the Academy's student lounge is also a great place to get a hot drink or a snack from the vending machines while you relax and chat with friends before, after and in between classes.
 |
 |
 |
The coffee and vending machines in
the Academy's student lounge |
Pastries galore in a
traditional Italian pasticceria |
Jen having a coffee at a traditional bar |
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)