It still makes a point of offering an image of Tuscany different from that of Florence, its old medieval rival: Siena is as inscrutable in its culture, decorous in its art, and festive in its life attitude as Florence is forthright, precise, and serious on all counts.

Visitors to this city will enjoy the cafe-lined square, Il Campo, the imposing Duomo, the cathedral, breathtaking views from the Facciatone and the overpowering fortress, which now holds the Enoteca Italiana, and with it the most precious wines of the region.

Sienna has remained one of the largest Tuscan cities to retain a distinctively medieval air and offers you the chance to slip into the rhythms and atmosphere of the Tuscan Middle Ages.

Is the program any fun or is it just work, work, work?

Believe it or not it is fun most of the time, even when you are in class. Our programs are geared to provide complete immersion, which means learning, by experience. Class material is presented in an interactive manner, not a boring lecture format.

We believe that teaching a language cannot be successful solely by routine and repetition but should be creative and communicative. We focus on learning to speak the language by instilling the most effective ways to master correct pronunciation and intonation. Our students learn most effectively in classrooms that are highly communicative and use techniques such as role-play, grammar games and videos to support lesson content. Current political, social and cultural materials are integrated to add interest and increase knowledge of the host country and culture.

We also believe the longer you are able to study, the better. It is generally better to stay as many weeks as possible but not study too many hours per day. Most students can expect to develop moderate fluency in 2-5 months depending on several factors (atmosphere, accommodation choice, personal motivation and application, and number of lessons). If you need to learn a language in a very short time, we do offer intensive programs however many students miss the cultural aspect of the country and language if they spend too much time in the classroom.

We accept all levels of language from complete beginners to advanced levels. All our programs cater to many different levels of ability, however, complete beginners have to start on set beginner start dates, please refer to the price page or the set beginner start dates.

On your first day, most students arrive in Siena on the Sunday before their course starts. On the Monday morning you will be met by our Director of Studies, who will ask you about your knowledge of Italian. On your first day you should come to school at 8.00, when you will be given a written and oral test to check your level of knowledge before starting classes at 10.00. Lessons finish at 13.30 (standard, intensive and super intensive) or 12.20 (basic). On your first day, there will be an orientation tour around the city in the afternoon for all our students. One of our teachers will show you the main sights, useful places (post office, banks, etc.) and our school premises.

Basic Course Outline
. This course consists of 15 group lesson hours per week, the minimum number of hours we offer on a group course. It lasts for a minimum of 4 weeks.

This course is designed for those students who, while wishing to learn the Italian language in group lessons with other students of the school, wish to have as much free time as possible outside of the school environment in order to fully take advantage of the extensive social activity program, to study independently, or to absorb the Italian culture in the many bars and local meeting places throughout our city.

Students participating in this course can also opt to participate in the cultural courses that take place twice a week in the afternoon from 15:00 till 17:30, upon payment of a supplement. Each month various cultural subjects are offered and the courses take place if there are a minimum of 5 students for each subject. The choice of course available to each student also depends on his or her linguistic level.

Standard Course Outline
. This anguage course consists of 20 group lesson hours per week, and lasts a minimum of 2 weeks. There is a maximum of 12 students, with a normal average of 10 students per class. Lessons start at 09:00 and finish at 13:30 leaving the afternoons free for the students to participate in the school’s busy social activity programs, to study independently, to absorb the Italian culture in the many bars and local meeting places throughout our city.

These courses teach the Italian language through the teaching of its culture, history, politics, and the many aspects of life that are unique to this fascinating country. They look to offer the students a chance not just to learn a new language, but also a new culture and way of life.

The last hour of each morning is dedicated to workshops in which students study two of the four basic language skills in greater depth – either speaking and listening or reading and writing. These classes are held at four levels (elementary, intermediate, advanced and superior) and are designed to deepen the practical use of the language.

Intensive Course Outline
. This intensive course consists of the standard 20 group lesson hours per week, from 09:00 until 13:30, and then in the afternoon it offers 5 hours per week (2 sessions of 2 ½ hours) of lessons on a conversation or cultural theme. It lasts for a minimum of 2 weeks and is ideal for those students who wish to combine their studies of the language with Italian culture classes.

Students may attend the cultural classes 2 afternoons a week from 15:00 until 17:30. As well as being included in this (G1) course, these classes are available to students enrolled on other courses , upon payment of a supplement.

Each month various cultural subjects are offered and the courses take place if there are a minimum of 5 students for each subject. The choice of course available to each student also depends on his or her linguistic level.

Long term Course Outline
This course is concentrated into 8 weeks from October to February. As an introduction to Italian as a spoken and written language, the course is designed for students who wish to be fully immersed in the language; thus students who are willing to do extensive and intensive oral practice, regular laboratory work, reading and writing exercises. The 8 weeks course must be taken in its entirety and you can choose from 15 or 20 hours per week.