When in Rome, Speak as the Romans Speak
In order to even begin to understand a people, you must be able to speak their language, and there’s no better place to learn a language than among the people who speak it. So why not enrich your stay in Rome by taking italian courses in rome. These courses can be as short at 2 weeks and will help you develop a familiarity with Italian language and culture. They will also help you get in among both the locals and other visitors so that you can see all Rome has to offer, and not just the touristy parts.
According to the Lonely Planet website, there are hundreds of schools where a person could take italian courses in rome. Some of the most well known and respected schools are: the Arco di Druso, the Centro Linguistico Italiano Dante Alighieri, the Divulgazione Lingua Italiana Soc, the Italiaidea, and the Torre di Babele Centro di Lingua e Cultura Italiana. Courses at these schools cost approximately 400 Euros for a 2 week or 40 hour instruction course and about 10,000 Euros for a year of instruction including accommodation and cultural background courses. Most courses will include 20 hours of instruction per week.
These italian courses in rome are not the boring foreign language classes you may remember from high school. They are designed to make learning fun and immediately relevant to your environment. You may find yourself walking out onto the street after class and hailing a taxi in Italian, or you may go out to eat that night and be able to impress the people you are will by ordering in Italian. You will be learning the daily language to use during your stay, but you will also be exposed to exciting stories and movies, all in Italian. This high interest material will keep you involved and wanting to learn the language.
So, while it’s true that you can buy a phrase book and muddle your way through Italian, or you can invest in a set of CDs to help you learn the most necessary tourist phrases in Italian, there is no substitute for taking italian courses in rome. You’ll learn the language better; you’ll have a lot more fun, and your trip to Rome will be all the more memorable.
