Reviews of Accademia Italiana, Salerno, Italy

"It was AMAZING! I loved the fact that this was a serious academic program. I am a university professor of languages and literatures and have worked with several language schools in my 30+ academic life. Accademia Italiana was very well-organized in terms of its academic programs. They did a wonderful job placing students at the appropriate level with other students who were similarly skilled and motivated. Our class had at most 7 students. All of us were adults who wanted to learn the language and culture (no college or High School kids who were not serious about learning). As a result, my class was always exciting, challenging, and fun. For three weeks we worked together and formed a neat group who would go out after class and speak Italian at all times even though we all were fluent in English or other languages. We had an amazing instructor, Pina, who had several years of experience teaching not only at this particular language academy but at regular institutions. Her solid knowledge of languages (it is obvious that she studied Latin and Greek) and vast array of interests (she could talk about music, film, literature, politics, etc.) offered my class the opportunity to talk about different issues. When Pina taught the passato remoto - a concept that other language schools avoid completely because "it is only used when writing" - I knew I had chosen the right school to learn Italian, and that I had an amazing instructor. Her explanations were on point, and the examples were relevant as they showed instances in which the rules had to be truly understood. Therefore, our class combined the rigorous learning of grammar and culture seamlessly. Pina worked the hardest to make our class work as a team and become friends. It takes special talent to do that, one that goes beyond teaching, and thanks to that, we all became friends. I was so pleased with my experience that I signed up for individual classes during the last week of my stay (I would have done it for longer, but the courses there are so well-structured and serious that you can't join mid-week--a real sign that the Accademia takes its teaching mission seriously). During the last week, I worked with another teacher, Barbara, who was also amazing. With her, I was able to review the more subtle areas of grammar that were not covered in my regular course. Also, since it was a one-to-one class, we concentrated on speaking. Both of my instructors --and the entire staff of the Accademia--were true Salernitanos. They were able to offer information about Salerno that was relevant and useful. It was obvious that all of them love their city and their job, and that love made us (their students) fall in love with Salerno. The extra-curricular activities were good too. I participated in two of them, and the instructors leading them were energetic, and knowledgeable about the material covered. They paid special attention to integrating all participants by switching the level of Italian used according to each person's needs. The skill demonstrated to "read the room" is worth mentioning as one of the key features of Accademia Italiana Salerno, as their students ranged from quite young (high school) to retired people. Accommodations were also impeccable. I stayed in a shared apartment. Instructions were clear and I was paired with other people who had similar habits. Thus, it was an enjoyable experience. Some of my classmates chose to be with families, and they too were very pleased with their accommodations. My room was comfortable and of a good size. The apartment was close to the school. It was furnished with pots and pans, and all that one needs to make life abroad less stressful. Unlike other places where I have stayed when participating in similar programs, I did not have to buy salt, dish soap, sponges, etc. as they were provided. It might seem insignificant, but these little things make a difference. Salerno is small enough to be manageable. There are plenty of places to which one could go for the day and not be bored. I felt safe at all times. I will certainly recommend Accademia Italiana Salerno."

"Pina, my teacher, created excellent teaching materials, an engaging classroom climate and we never lacked for interesting conversations. I made a lot of progress and previously filled this form out in Italian at the school."

"The teachers are excellent in every respect. You feel well looked after at the school. The afternoon activities are varied. However, it would also be desirable if these were offered for only 1 person, as this is promised and is a factor in the decision to choose the school."

"Location and teacher."

"My very empathetic teacher, the friendly and helpful staff, the location of the school, the interesting accompanying programme, even if I wasn't able to make full use of it."

"Great location, very nice, friendly, motivated staff. Smooth organisation."

"Great staff, super helpful and knowledgeable. The location was perfect, I stayed near the Duomo and it was maybe about a 10 minute walk to the school."

"The lessons were very good, fully personalised and taught us the rules and exceptions of the language in a short time."

"Everything was perfect."

"Very international audience, small teaching groups (6-8 students), very warm and appreciative team"

"Great teaching, very friendly, effective teachers, caring admin staff, a very welcoming school."

"Great instructors who took time to help."

"- spontaneous support when changing rooms, as my room was too low for my height (slanted) and it was raining in - Lessons: first small group, then group of 2, then 45 minutes individual lessons ("Bildungsurlaub") - Special requests were catered for and grammar was explained again; interesting topics; books were provided; lots of free speaking - Lessons in groups of 2 and individual lessons: Teacher was always well prepared; answered all questions competently; very patient even if the answers to the questions sometimes took longer to form sentences; he repeated the student's answers so that improvements in his own sentence structure and vocabulary could be noted; always showed interest in what the student said; did not stick firmly to his own preparation so that conversations/topics could deviate; lessons did not end abruptly despite the end time ("Overtime")."

"Location and teachers."

"Receptivity"

"The quality of the teaching staff and teaching, friendliness. The location is great."

"Everything: the personalised treatment from the teachers, the warmth when teaching, the location of the school..."

"The lessons were great and structured with group tasks, books were lent out and what is very important, the rooms are air-conditioned!"

"Its unbeatable location in Salerno and the friendliness of all the people working at the Academy. The teaching is good."

"Great guidance and teacher"

"The staff is wonderful and friendly!!!"

"I loved how nice the staff is and how knowledgeable were the teachers! I am for sure coming back!"

"Very motivated and friendly staff. Great leisure options at fair prices."

"Very patient kind teacher"

"Location of the school and accommodation very good."

"Great location, very close to the sea and the old town."

"Friendly people (all staff) and beautiful building. A little more expectation management could have been done beforehand."

"Very friendly and helpful staff (all of them), good teaching, convenient location."

"The staff, they are all friendly and competent. Teachers (mostly women) are patient and understanding and they seem competent and motivated. Time flies in class (2 hours, break, 1 hour) and there are quite a few social activities in the afternoon. But these activities are enough for a month. If you intend to stay longer, you will finish all the activities."

"Good teaching, the friendliness of the staff and the excellent location of the school."

"What I liked most about the school: the location, the teachers and the helpful administrative staff"

"I really enjoy the teaching style of my teacher and the full immersion in class settings and outings."

"My teacher, Guiia."

"The people at the school are welcoming and friendly. The teachers are very good."

"Very personalized classes within the needs of the class."

"Relaxed atmosphere in teaching."

"Very well organised, friendly and inklusive."

"The lessons were of a good level. Many opportunities to meet other students. The school is located in a city that is not extremely touristy. You have the opportunity to go on various beautiful excursions."

"Good atmosphere"

"The school had a large number of students of various ages when I was there in October. As a result, there were classes for all levels of Italian, and there were many activities organised by the school in addition to the classes. Teaching was of a high quality. The school organised visits to Pompeii, various parts of the Amalfi Coast and other places of interest both during the week and on Saturdays."

"The atmosphere of the school is very familiar and the staff extremely friendly and helpful."

"The involvement of the teachers, and from Angela and Fabiola. We came from Dallas, Texas for camp and because of these people, the experience was lovely."

"The Accademia building is great! Teaching is intensely, the teachers very sympathetic and attentive."

"Good teachers"

"Medium sized, non-touristy city that has everything you need. Excellent variety of afternoon activities from free seminars to movies to cooking lessons to tours of nearby cities or even Pompeii. Regular weekly lesson structure with unit tests on Fridays."

"The quality of teaching"

"The teaching methods, teachers and staff"

"The teachers, the teaching, everything is perfect!!!"

"The location of the school was very convenient. The facilities were fine."

"Nice teachers, very interesting lessons, weekend-trips to Pompeii and Vietri"

"The availability of the staff"

"The central location right next to the sea"