Reviews RSS Feed  Madrelingua

Reviewers
Male / Female		 Recommend
Yes / No		 Number of Reviews Classes & Instruction School Facilities Accomodation Cost & Expense Total Average Rating
1 / 1 2 / 0 2 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00

Date Submitted: April 1, 2009
Language School: Italian Language School in Bologna, Italy  Madrelingua
Language & Location: Italian  ::  Bologna, Italy
Classes & Instruction: 10 out of 10
School Facilities: 10 out of 10
Accomodation: 10 out of 10
Cost & Expense: 10 out of 10
Recommend: Yes
Review: An amazing experience
I attended Madrelingua for 4 months starting in January and had an incredible experience. The class sizes were small and the teachers were genuinely interested in each students experience at the school and in the city.
Bologna is a great city there is something for everyone, a great nightlife, lots of museums and fabulous food!
Regarding the language I was able to advance very quickly, having started as a complete beginner...I think the fact that Bologna is not very touristy was helpful as I HAD to try to speak Italian outside of class. The teachers were also very good at assessing and handling students individual learning speeds and language levels.
I did not use the accomodation service as I was staying with family friends so I cannot comment on it, but I didnt hear of any complaints.
Overall just a fantastic experience and I would suggest to anyone wanting to study Italian go to Madrelingua.
Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by: Ellis9003
20 year-old   ::   Female Reviewer   ::   Canada

Date Submitted: April 23, 2008
Language School: Italian Language School in Bologna, Italy  Madrelingua
Language & Location: Italian  ::  Bologna, Italy
Classes & Instruction: 10 out of 10
School Facilities: 10 out of 10
Accomodation: 10 out of 10
Cost & Expense: 10 out of 10
Recommend: Yes
Review: A Fantastic Experience
In April 2008 I had the great pleasure of studying Italian in Bologna at Madrelingua language school and would strongly recommend it. Class sizes were small (during my visit, the smallest had 1 student, the largest 6); the teachers were very smart, well vetted, and dedicated; and the lessons were well tailored to student abilities. They were also completely in Italian. This last should be de rigueur, but how many horrible classes have you heard about--or experienced--where half the time was spent in English? Perhaps what really set Madrelingua apart was that the folks there genuinely cared about whether we were learning Italian and feeling at home in Bologna. Wife Stefania (Italian) and husband Daniel (British) run the school like an extended family. I've rarely felt so quickly at home. One way they achieved this was by breaking up the 4-hour morning classes and taking the entire school out for a caffe'. In addition to getting 30 minutes of practice in unstructured, conversational Italian, we got to strike up friendships with the students and teachers in other classes. It doesn't hurt that Bologna is also a pearl. It has been called Italy’s Berkeley or Boulder, with all the vivacity and great restaurants those allusions imply, but it would be truer to say that most American college towns aspire to be the Bologna of the U.S. The folks at Madrelingua adore their city (the school is in a great building downtown) and offer a great walking tour, as well as nights out at aperitif bars and other places. I could go on, but you get the idea: this is a fantastic place. I hope I get to return soon.
Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by: S. Hendricks
37 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Knoxville, Tennessee, USA