Scuola Leonardo da Vinci, Florence, Italy

The Italian Language School, or "Scuola Leonardo da Vinci," is able to offer students a variety of courses across its four campuses in Rome, Milan, Florence, and Siena. The school has received numerous accreditations from both national and international organizations and maintains the standards set by the European Council for foreign language programs. Interactive lessons and outgoing teachers encourage students to start speaking and communicating in Italian from day one. Teachers are all native Italian speakers who have been trained in the communicative method, an evidence-based method that has been proven to achieve quick results in oral communication as well as ongoing success in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students are able to choose the length of their course, from a week-long intensive course to ongoing lessons. Students can also choose the intensity of their courses with evening and part-time courses available in some locations. Specialty courses include AIL examination preparation, citizenship exam preparation, Business Italian, fashion and design courses, music courses, and language classes that incorporate some aspect of Italian culture such as art or cooking. The school helps students find the appropriate accommodation for them with options including home stays with a local family, shared apartments, private apartments, or even a home rental. One of the most exciting places in the world to learn Italian is right in the middle of the city that birthed the Renaissance. The Leonardo da Vinci Florence campus is centrally-located, only five minutes from the Piazza del Duomo, and within walking distance of many of the main sites of the city. Pedestrian streets lined with cafes, restaurants, and theaters give students stopping places along the way, and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with its terracotta dome stands as an awe-inspiring reminder of the history of the city. From campus, a quick ten minute walk towards the river brings students to one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world, the Uffizi Gallery, where students can see "The Birth of Venus" in person. The medieval Ponte Vecchio, a bridge covered in interesting shops, sits just beyond the Uffizi Gallery along with all of the picturesque bridges that connect the two parts of the city. Especially close to campus is the Galleria dell'Accademia which houses Michelangelo's "The David." Every corner of Florence holds pieces of history, groundbreaking architecture, and famous works of art, creating an atmosphere perfect for falling in love with Italy and the Italian culture.