Italian school in Siena: Learning Italy - Dante Alighieri

This popular language course consists of 20 group lessons per week. Lessons run in the mornings, leaving the afternoons free to participate in the Culture and Social programme. This course is designed for those who are looking for a combination of studying and socialising.


The Standard Language course is composed by 20 weekly group lessons from Monday to Friday. It covers as many linguistic areas as possible according to the class composition and the interests of students. Lessons are held in the morning, so that the students will be free to attend the Cultural and Social Activities offered by the school, to study independently or to absorb the Italian culture by exploring the city. The standard language course is ideal for those who are looking forward to making the most of their free time in Siena.

This course is for those who are aiming to acquire language fluency in Italian and to learn about the country’s culture. Over the three-month period, the language course will be paired with an excursion, a wine tasting, and three cooking classes, so to make the student’s experience complete.

Lessons will include non-verbal language and communication codes, that will be discussed through subjects related to different aspects of the Italian culture, its social system and lifestyle.

This course includes 1 cooking lesson per month. The cooking sessions run twice a week, generally on Tuesday and on Thursday from 17:00 to about 21:00. They run in Italian. The culinary sessions will cover antipasti, primo piatto, secondo piatto con contorno and dessert.

The 6 Months Italian Language Course allows students to devout the proper amount of time to perfect their fluency in Italian while immersing in the environment and society of the target language. The course will also include some cultural experiences such as two excursions and six language classes in order to combine language learning with engaging cultural activities.

This course is only for German students, employed in Hamburg, Hessen.

GBU program is recognized only for Hamburg government.
It consists of 30 lessons per week of 45 minutes but as the school runs lessons of 50 minutes, you will attend 27 lessons of 50 minutes per week.

This course offers 20 group lessons plus 4 private lessons per week. Teaching materials and social activities are also included.

It is designed for those who are looking for Italian courses in Italy and wish to make the very most of the opportunity to learn a foreign language in the country where it is spoken thanks to a combination of group and individual lessons.

Group classes take place in the morning from Monday to Fridaty, the individual lessons are held in the afternoon and students can choose the linguistic focus – e.g., Italian business, Italian for journalism or politics, literature, conversation, history of art, etc.

This course offers 20 group lessons plus 8 private lessons per week. Teaching materials and social activities are also included.

It is ideal for students who are willing to spend a period abroad to acquire confidence in the practical use of Italian, and give a boost to their linguistic competence.

The biggest advantage of this course is the amount of the one-on-one learning combined with morning group lessons. The individual classes are tailored to the specific requirements of students and adapt pace and content to their individual needs.

A Month in Siena program aims to let the student plunge into the Italian language and culture in the right amount of time, allowing the opportunity to see, meet, touch, smell, taste, and learn with the right amount of excursions, cooking classes, and on-site lessons. Inspired by 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winner Hisham Matar, the course has the student cut off 30 days out of the ordinary routine and devote them to personal cultural interests and individual growth. Dante Siena's specialized teachers will guide students through the acquisition of the Italian language, balancing engagement and free time to allow the student to experience a more personal and intimate approach to Siena, its beauty, its people, and the “uneasy reverence” it inspires.

What is included in the price: 20 Italian language group lessons per week + 4 cooking lessons + 4 on-site culture classes + 1 wine tasting + 1 visit to a Contrada museum + 2 half-day excursions + 1 dinner with teacher + learning material.

The Language & Culture course is designed for those who wish to learn the Italian language and culture in an all-in-one program. Group classes take place in the morning from Monday to Friday, cultural lessons are held in the afternoon twice a week. Each session consists of a short lecture at school followed by an on-site lesson in the city’s most important landmarks such as Contrada Museums, Palazzo Pubblico, Saint Catherine’s House-Sanctuary, Santa Maria della Scala pilgrim’s hospital, Cathedral, etc.

What is included in a weekly price: 20 Italian language group lessons + 4 culture lessons per week + museum entrance tickets.

Includes:
20 language group lessons per week
2 Mindfulness & Martial Balance meetings per week with certified instructors (3 hours each)

Italian & Mindfulness is the ideal way to provide students the mental ability to undertake your language course with the most productive attitude.

Morning lessons will be paired with two weekly sessions (each 3 hours long) beginning with conscious movement excercises through joint mobility, Qi Gong, and breathing drills. The second part of the sessions will be devoted to mindfulness practices, that will not only restore the optimal psycho-physical condition for being committed to the class environment, but will also reinforce aspects of the linguistic competence such as lexicon and listening.

What is included in a weekly price: 20 Italian language group lessons + 4 culture lessons per week + 1 wine tasting + 2 cooking sessions + museum entrance tickets.

Students will improve Italian language, learn about the history and art of Siena and also discover the secrets of Italian cuisine. The course aims to broaden the student’s knowledge and appreciation for Siena through the combination of Italian language and culture classes, hands-on cooking sessions, and on-site lessons at museums and city landmarks.

Cultural lessons will be held in 2 sessions, each consisting of approx. 20 or 30 minutes of lectures at the school, after which approximately 1.5 hours on-site at the place of interest with expert professors.

Cooking lessons, wine tastings and countryside excursions will make this course unforgettable.

The groups for the language lessons are formed based on language level, not on age. This means that in the group lessons there could be students of 18+. However the average age in the school is quite high (40), so it is likely for the group to consist only of 30+ students. The 50+ programme is only with 50+ students.

The Alma Siena 50+ program is specifically tailored for mature and senior life-long learners, offering the possibility to experience living in a perfectly preserved medieval city such as Siena at the right pace with like-minded students. The program aims to provide the perfect mix between language learning and fun cultural activities like cooking classes, wine tastings, excursions, cultural visits, conferences, and recitals of the most famous “aria” from Italian lyric operas.

What is included in the price: 15 Italian language group lessons per week + textbook + 2 cooking sessions + 8 culture lessons + 2 excursions + 1 wine tasting + farewell dinner.

Students will have a small private apartment with a bathroom and kitchenette. Given the limited availability, booking early is highly recommended.

Fees include: tuition (15 private classes per week), accommodation in a private apartment, full board, recreational activities, text book, didactic material.

This Italian immersion program offers a wonderful opportunity to improve your knowledge of the Italian language and culture in the comfort of a welcoming Italian home and the privacy of a private apartment. The lessons will be designed specifically for you according to your needs, age, level of Italian, and personal interests. You will find yourself totally immersed in a typical Italian-speaking environment and learn in a relaxed atmosphere, with the undivided attention of your professor.

Students will have a small private apartment with a bathroom and kitchenette. Given the limited availability, booking early is highly recommended.

Fees include: tuition (15 private classes + 8 specialized seminars per week), accommodation in a private apartment, full board, recreational activities, text book, didactic material.

This Italian immersion program offers a wonderful opportunity to improve your knowledge of the Italian language and culture in the comfort of a welcoming Italian home and the privacy of a private apartment. The lessons will be designed specifically for you according to your needs, age, level of Italian, and personal interests. You will find yourself totally immersed in a typical Italian-speaking environment and learn in a relaxed atmosphere, with the undivided attention of your professor.

Schedule in accordance with the student.
The lessons are tailored to the specific needs and interests of the student, also the pace and content of classes are adapted according to the personal requirements, so to allow learning in a relaxed atmosphere with the undivided attention of the professor. Private language lessons are usually preferred to work intensively on specific areas of the language that are of particular interests for professional or academic reasons. The learning process involves a massive use of media: from newspapers and specialized magazines to audio recordings and videos.

Schedule in accordance with the student.
The lessons are tailored to the specific needs and interests of the student, also the pace and content of classes are adapted according to the personal requirements, so to allow learning in a relaxed atmosphere with the undivided attention of the professor. Private language lessons are usually preferred to work intensively on specific areas of the language that are of particular interests for professional or academic reasons. The learning process involves a massive use of media: from newspapers and specialized magazines to audio recordings and videos.

This course is for two students with the same language level booking and studying together. Price listed is per person.
Schedule in accordance with the student.
Mini group lessons are ideal for friends or family with a similar starting level in Italian who wish to engage in learning the language in the friendly atmosphere of a small group of students who are well acquainted. Groups can be composed of two or three students who will benefit at the same time from the undivided attention of their teacher and the light moments that characterise a class, such as role-plays and group activities.

This course is for three students with the same language level booking and studying together. Price listed is per person.

Mini group lessons are ideal for friends or family with a similar starting level in Italian who wish to engage in learning the language in the friendly atmosphere of a small group of students who are well acquainted. Groups can be composed of two or three students who will benefit at the same time from the undivided attention of their teacher and the light moments that characterize a class, such as role-plays and group activities.

Starting and exam dates depend on the level.

This course is specifically designed to help students to prepare for the PLIDA exam (Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri: the proficiency certificate of Italian language, recognized by the Italian Government). The course has a duration of 2 weeks and is held 15 days before the exam session. The course is organised in “mini-group” classes with an equal level of preparation. Students enrolled in this course can also join the school’s cultural and social activities.

This course offers 20 group lessons plus 2 cooking sessions per week. The cooking sessions run twice a week, generally on Tuesday and on Thursday from 17:00 to about 21:00. They run in Italian. The culinary sessions will cover antipasti, primo piatto, secondo piatto con contorno and dessert.
If students would like to book this course for more than 4 weeks, the cooking classes can also be booked per session (in conjunction with a general language course), for EUR 70 per session.
It combines Italian language and culture lessons in the morning (20 group lessons per week) with traditional and innovative cooking classes in the evening (2 cooking sessions per week). The hands-on Italian cooking session begins with the study of ingredients, followed by a brief description of the recipes and a detailed step-by-step process explanation of the four or five-course meal. Students will learn the Italian art of cooking while taking the chance to practice their Italian.

This course is ideal for students who wish to combine the study of Italian language and history of music in Siena. It includes 20 group lessons + 4 history of music lessons The teacher explores the Italian musical eras with the students devoting a lot of time to lyric operas.

This course is ideal for those who wish to combine the study of the Italian language and the History of Music in Siena. The teacher of the History of Music explores the Italian musical eras devoting a lot of time to lyric Operas, with the students. From Monteverdi’s to Rossini’s repertoire, from Mozart’s Italian masterpieces to Verdi’s melodrama, from the Gregorian Chants to the Baroque Holy Music: different itineraries throughout the incredible Italian centuries-old music scenario. Lessons include watching, listening, and analyzing various pieces. On request and with due notice, it is possible to organize private lessons with a famous Opera singer.