Madrelingua Italian Language School

Italian courses in the historic centre of Bologna, Italy, or online from your home or office!

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Learn Italian online? Where & how to begin.

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Is it possible to learn Italian online? Without chucking in your job, leaving home and family, and traveling to Italy?

Absolutely.

Not only is it possible, but these days the self-study option can even be faster and cheaper than a traditional course!

Remember the days before the Internet?

To learn a foreign language back then you more or less HAD to go to a country where that language was spoken. The limited number of ‘teach-yourself’ courses that were available in the local library or book seller were definitely an inferior option.

Not any more. Of course you might prefer to take an Italian course in Italy – in which case click this link to find out more –  but if lack of time or money rule out that option, not to worry. You really CAN learn Italian, using just your home PC, tablet or even a smartphone!

1. Study Italian online

If you know nothing of Italian, you’ll save time by boning up on the basics.

Try the beginners’ Italian course at dontspeakitalian.com, which has 10 simple grammar lessons, 10 exercises to consolidate what you study, 10 vocabulary lists, 10 listening practice texts (complete with transcripts), and ten situational dialogues (ditto.) That’s fifty pages of free online learning, with no registration required. Visit the site.

If (when) you’re no longer a beginner, the best option is onlineitalianclub.com, a site which boasts over 1500 pages of free materials and exercises, divided into six levels from A1 (beginner/elementary) to C2 (proficiency). Again, there’s no need to register, but if you ‘join’ the club by getting on their mailing list, you’re promised three new exercises or similar each week.

2. Try online Italian lessons

Learning Italian online from your own home doesn’t have to mean self-study. And it isn’t always free…

Some people thrive on the many exercises available at zero cost on the Internet.

But others miss the ‘guiding hand’ and personalized explanations that only an experienced teacher can provide.

If that sounds like you, it could be that taking online Italian lessons with an experienced Italian teacher would be a better or complimentary approach.

Italian lessons online, usually via Skype video calling (which is free to download), are a relatively inexpensive but very effective way to make progress with your Italian.

Typically you’ll be asked about your preferences and priorities so that lessons can be personalized to your needs. And you can take lessons as often as you please.

Click here for more information about online Italian lessons with a Madrelingua teacher!

3. Practice makes perfect!

Another of the ways that the Internet has made learning a language so much easier than it used to be are the myriad opportunities to use what you study.

Practice really is the magic link between studying Italian (on your own or with a teacher) and actually absorbing and using the language.

With the Internet you can read an Italian newspaper or magazine, tune into an Italian radio station or TV channel, listen to Italian pop music on YouTube, or even frequent Italian language websites that cover topics that interest you.

That said, emerging yourself in a world of fast, complex Italian can be overwhelming and even de-motivating.

So it can be a good idea to ease yourself in gently. You could, for example, start with materials which allow you to practice your reading and listening, but which are specifically designed for learners at your level.

One such resource are  ‘easy Italian readers‘, simplified stories with audio, exercises and glossaries of difficult words.

Onlineitalianclub.com (the one with 1500 pages) has a good selection in their online shop. Click the cover images to find links to free sample chapters.

Above all…

However you choose to learn Italian, the ‘secret sauce’ is consistency and persistence.

If you can ensure that studying Italian is a fun and stimulating part of your normal routine, whether that means building a good relationship with an online teacher or developing your reading and listening skills so you can quickly consolidate the Italian you learn, you’ll be more likely to keep at it for the time it takes to really master the language.

Above all you should strive to include some variety in your study plan, so as to make sure you don’t get bored! The more enjoyment you get out of learning, the less likely you are to give up when you encounter those inevitable moments of self-doubt.

Ready to learn Italian online?

Here are those links again:

 

 

CILS Bologna: last few days to register for the June session

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Here’s a quick reminder for anyone who wants or needs to take a CILS (Italian language) exam in Bologna this year.

The next session will be in June, and enrollments close in just a few days!

Enrol directly at Madrelingua Italian language school on Thursday 30th April, Saturday 2nd of May, or at the very latest, Monday 4th of May (remember, Friday 1st of May is a public holiday in Italy!)

If you’re not in Bologna, you can also enrol online through the school website.

Click here for more information about CILS exams!

Or here to contact us with your question.

In bocca al lupo a tutti!

Everyone wants to know this…

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It seems like just about everyone wants to know how long it will take them to learn Italian, and if Italian is a difficult language to learn.

Google sends us dozens of visitors each day because of two articles we published in 2013:

“How long will it take me to learn Italian?”

and

“Is Italian a hard language to learn?”

Click the links above to read them.

But as they say, ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’

Which could be self-study… Check out, for example, OnlineItalianClub.com for masses of free materials for learning Italian.

Or what about taking an Italian course at our language school in Bologna?

Let the experts take the strain, why not?

For more information about Italian courses follow these links:

Italian courses in Bologna | Prices | How to book

A presto!

 

Hurrah! CILS exam time is coming!

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Remember exams at school?

Probably most of your fellow pupils claimed to be dreading the end of year exams. Certainly that was the attitude at the school I went to.

But then… for those of us willing to prepare, exam time enlivened a dull routine with the thrill of success and achievement!

And as it was at school so many years ago, so it is with learning Italian.

Signing yourself up now for one of the six levels of CILS Italian language exams in June is a bit like agreeing to take part in a marathon some months hence.

You can’t just go and DO the marathon on the day. No, you’re going to have to train, which of course is the point.

By training regularly in the time between now and June, you’ll shed a few pounds, get fitter and have more self-respect.

Ditto for your Italian language exam. It doesn’t have to be a marathon: choose as your goal a level you’re comfortable with, anything from A1 (the easiest) to C2 (the most difficult).

But once you’ve decided, you’ll have a real goal, which will make organising your studies and motivating yourself so much easier.

Plus you’ll be able to look foward to the moment you get your results!

Just remember, it’s not cool to brag in front of the other kids…

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The next session of CILS exams at our Italian language school in Bologna is on June 11th 2015.

Click here for more information.

Enrolments and payments can be completed directly from our online shop.

Or contact us with your question.

Last few hours to save 20% on Italian courses in Bologna

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Hope you had/are having a very enjoyable Christmas Day.

This is just a quick, last-minute reminder that the 20% discount offer on Italian courses in Bologna ends in just a few hours.

At midnight Italian time.

That’s 9 a.m. on Boxing Day in Sydney, Australia but 11 p.m. this evening in London, 6 in the afternoon in New York, 3 p.m. on the U.S. west coast, and so on.

Wherever you are, it’s soon.

To take advantage of the year’s biggest savings, click here

You have been reminded.

Get it done.

Then, no more emails for a while!

Buon Natale!

P.S.

Make 2015 the year you get serious about learning Italian…

Go here to get your 20% discount!

Auguri di Buon Natale (& last day to save 20%!)

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Stefi and Daniel, along with all of the teachers and support staff at Madrelingua Italian Language School, join to wish you, your family and your community:

‘Auguri di Buon Natale!’

We hope to see you at our school in Bologna in 2015, in particular all our old friends, but also many, many new faces!

‘Mille grazie’ to the many people who’ve already taken advantage of our ‘best offer of the year’ to save 20% on their next course.

The offer ends at midnight tonight (25th Dec.), so it’s still not too late to secure this great discount on your 2015 Italian course.

  • Save a fifth on any group Italian course, of any length, starting in 2015!
  • No need to decide the dates now – just let us know the period you want to study when you’ve decided
  • LAST DAY to get your 20% discount by paying a deposit of just €120
  • No more to pay until the first day of your course

CLICK THIS LINK NOW – it takes just seconds to pay your course deposit with a credit card or Paypal account.

Lock in your discount before the offer expires at midnight tonight. Go here to pay your €120 deposit.

Questions? Need more info?

Full details of this offer are here: I’m ready – tell me how to save 20% on my Italian course!

Stefi and I will be eating lunch with her extended (Italian) family in a cousin’s restaurant – these things tend to go on all afternoon.

But thanks to the wonders of smartphones, she’ll still be able to answer any questions you might have.

Contact her any time up until midnight tonight on: info@madrelinguaitalian.com

Or go here, now, to complete your deposit payment.

Why so many articles from Madrelingua at the moment?

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Ciao, e auguri di Buon Natale!

I’m Daniel, director at Madrelingua Italian School in Bologna.

For a week or more, I’ve been posting daily articles about our 20% discount offer.

You’ve probably noticed.

Articles published on our site are automatically sent out to our mailing list, which some of you have chosen to be on.

But I also manually send them to a separate list of the email addresses of everyone who has studied at our Italian school or who has asked for information about our Italian courses.

If your email is in both of these databases, you might even be getting each email twice. (Sorry about that!)

We assume that people who ask for information about Italian courses, or take an Italian course at our school, are interested in offers for Italian courses.

Logical, right?

But if that’s not the case, I encourage you to click the ‘unsubscribe link’.

That’s an automatic piece of code, which can always be found either at the top or bottom of every email and which will take you to a page where you can ensure your details are deleted.

It’s a simple process, so why not give it a try?

Click the link and follow the simple instructions, which will ensure your email address is permanently removed from the database.

That said… if you ARE interested in taking an Italian course at our school, be aware that the 20% discount offer ends at midnight on Christmas Day.

That’s tomorrow.

And it’s the best offer of our 12-month marketing cycle, so won’t be repeated until NEXT Christmas…

Statistics show that people leave things to the last minute (which is why there’ll be a ‘final reminder’ tomorrow.)

Don’t be one of them.

Snap up your 20% discount today, before you’re distracted by the turkey or nut roast.

The offer is good for any length of group Italian course (not individual lessons), starting at any time in 2015.

You don’t even have to decide the dates now – just let us know when you know.

How not to miss this?

Pay a small deposit today, to save a FIFTH on the cost of your 2015 Italian course.

Click here for details.

Then go here to pay your deposit.

(Or look for the unsubscribe link at the top or bottom of this email. It’s probably in the small print. Click it and I won’t be bothering you next Christmas…)

Last 48 hours to save 20% on 2015 Italian courses in Bologna

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The ‘best offer of the year’ on Italian courses at our school in Bologna, Italy ends in 48 hours.

A two-week Italian course, which normally costs EUR 437, is just EUR 350 with the 20% discount.

What’s EUR 350 in real money?

  • USD 429
  • GBP 274
  • CAD 498
  • AUD 526

Naturally you’ll have to add in the cost of accommodation (not much) and your flight (depends where you start from..)

But when all is said and done, you could be giving your Italian a major boost, and enjoying a great holiday in Bologna (home of Europe’s oldest university) for relatively little.

And to confirm your discount, all that’s required is a deposit of EUR 120!

By midnight on Christmas Day.

No need to decide the dates of your course yet – just let us know when you know…

But don’t miss this chance to lock in your 20% discount.

Pay the EUR 120 deposit NOW to confirm your 20% discount.

More information on this offer.

I’m ready – tell me how to save 20% on my Italian course!

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There are just a few more days left of our ‘best offer of the year’!

So, in case you’ve been too busy to read your emails, here’s a summary of what you’re missing:

  • save 20% on your next Italian course at our school in Bologna
  • the discount is good for any GROUP course (not for individual lessons)
  • you can start your Italian course on any date in 2015
  • your saving applies to courses of any length – the longer you study, the more you save!
  • you DON’T need to decide the dates, or the length of your course, right now
  • just let us know once you’ve made your plans – no rush
  • secure your 20% discount by sending a deposit, via Paypal or bank transfer, by midnight on Dec. 25th!

And here’s the summary summary:

  • take two minutes to pay a small deposit by midnight on Christmas Day & save €€ on your 2015 Italian course!

As the kids say, this is a no-brainer.

But you’re probably pretty busy right now, right?

So here are step-by-step instructions on exactly what you have to do.

It’s a low-stress process that’ll take just minutes, promise.

Ready to go?

  1. Click this link to visit our ‘How to book your Italian course’ page
  2. If you’re not sure when in 2015 you’ll be coming, skip the booking form and go directly here
  3. Click ‘Add to Cart’, then ‘Proceed to Checkout’
  4. Fill in the form with your details
  5. Choose your payment method – the ‘Paypal’ option includes credit card payments
  6. That’s it! See you in Bologna in 2015…

P.S.

We have real people ready to help you, or answer your questions about our Italian courses.

Just e-mail Stefi on info@madrelinguaitalian.com – she’ll sort you out with whatever help you need!

Even on Christmas Day. Try us!

Help! My Italian teacher won’t explain things in English!

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If you take an Italian course in London, Boston or Adelaide, chances are that your teacher will conduct the classes mostly in English, which is almost certainly the only language shared by both the teacher and all of the students.

There’s nothing wrong with that, though what you gain in terms of clear, efficient communications, you might lose when it comes to natural opportunities to improve your Italian listening and speaking.

Still, it’s swings and roundabouts, and when you’re studying a foreign language in your own country, classes conducted in the students’ own language are the norm.

But think – if you choose to study Italian actually in the country where it is spoken every day, things are likely to be organised differently!

The school where you take your course will probably be catering not just to students from Britain, the US and Australia, but also to clients from Germany, Japan, Brazil, China, France, Russia and many, many other places.

It’s possible that your classmates speak and understand English, but we certainly can’t guarantee or require it.

The only logical option, therefore, is to hold our Italian classes, social events, and so on, in Italian – right from day 1!

Yes, much of our marketing is in English, and our reception staff all speak excellent English, but the teaching is in Italian.

Not only does this place everyone in the class on an equal footing, but it also ensures that every moment of your course is an opportunity to build your capacity to understand and communicate in Italian.

Sure, if you’re not getting clear explanations of Italian grammar delivered in your own language, that could be quite a difference from the teaching style that you’re used to.

But an experienced teacher will know how to use images, diagrams, objects or mimes to get their points across.

And with the right training, they’re able to adjust the complexity of their speech so that they know that what they say will be understandable for the level of the class in front of them, whether beginners or super-advanced.

Your teacher will be interacting with you in a language that you might know little or nothing of, and of course at first that might sound intimidating.

But when it’s done well, it will have a tremendously positive effect on your confidence, and can really accelerate the pace at which your Italian develops.

Again, it’s swings and roundabouts.

Don’t expect to understand everything. In fact, expect the opposite – ambiguity and confusion are almost the default states when you’re speaking a foreign language, so you may as well get used to it…

The trick is to chill out, to ‘go with the flow’.

Sit back and relax, until your brain starts to adjust to this new way of doing things.

No one will be judging you. Everyone understands just how difficult it can be. Give it time.

You will adjust, and when that happens, you’ll look back and recognise just how much progress you’ve made with your Italian.

Any initial stress and confusion will seem more than worth while!

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