Cultura Italiana Arezzo

Arezzo, Italy

Location: Arezzo is a smaller sized Italian city just over two and a half hours by train from the country’s capital. Regardless of its size, the city is jam packed with history, culture and, of course, traditional Italian food. Cultura Italiana Arezzo is well located within the city, just minutes away from the main train station, making visits to the surrounding area easy during a stay here.

Main city attractions:The main piazza of Arezzo is Piazza Grande and can be found in a 10 minute scenic walk through the city from the school. Here you can enjoy the electric Antique Fair, which takes place on the first Sunday of the month, and is the oldest of its kind in Italy. True to the rolling landscape of Tuscany, Arezzo is situated on a hill and perched close to the peak is the Arezzo Cathedral. From Cultura Italiana Arezzo, students can stroll through the streets and in just over 10 minutes find themselves peering up at this spectacular building. Inside, the cathedral is a piece of art with magnificent stained glass windows and beautiful fresco paintings which will leave your neck sore observing the artwork in detail. Behind the cathedral, overlooking the city, is the peak of the hilltop, with the Fortezza Medicea, built in the 16th century and a picturesque park to explore for the best panoramic photo opportunity of the beautiful landscape around the city. Every noteworthy attraction is walkable from Cultura Italiana Arezzo and there are many to keep you entertained during your stay. The school has restaurants and shops around its immediate circumference making it a great base to learn more about this ancient city.

Teaching style: Cultura Italiana Arezzo adapts the didactic methodology in its classrooms. Whilst following the general structure of the approach by informing the students of the grammatics of the language, it has tried to modernise this style by providing the students with the opportunity for reflection of the language. This in turn steers away from the monotony of learning and enhances awareness of the different structures. Students are encouraged to use stories, interviews, blogs, comics, TV and radio programmes to improve upon their language skills and see the use of it in real life scenarios. The teachers are highly trained and all hold University degrees and it is with this experience that the student feels like they are being guided in their learning instead of a more static teacher-student style.

Class structure:The class sizes are kept small, with the maximum class size being 10 students, as the school believes that an intimate interaction with the teacher will help the student achieve their own personal goals within the Italian language. Weekly monitoring of each student’s personal progress is discussed within a teacher’s meeting as well as each teacher’s ability within the classroom to ensure that everyone is reaching their full potential.

Social activities: Cultura Italiana Arezzo also holds cultural activities outside the classroom so that students can interact with the locals and learn more about this beautiful Tuscan city.