For those who remember the first time they heard Italian spoken, whether in a film, in a friend’s home or on an Italian vacation, the beauty of the language probably struck you before anything else. Perhaps you took an Italian course in college or from a private tutor. But that does not do the language justice. To learn a language well and quickly immersion is the biggest difference between the ability to read a newspaper and the ability to comfortably talk with native speakers. A setting for any school, Italian language school, art school or university could not be more ideal than Italy. While learning the language, you are able to imbibe in all that the country has to offer while practicing speaking daily and still being understood in most places if you must resort to speaking English.

Most Italian language schools in Italy teach only in Italian to groups of students from all over the world. Signing up with an Italian language school in Florence may result in having classmates from the United States, Taiwan, Germany, Sweden and multiple others; a mini United Nations in your classroom. This is a great way not only to broaden your cultural experience, but also helps in learning the language more quickly. If Italian language schools taught primarily in English rather than having mixed groups, the temptation to revert to English when you could not think of what you wanted to say immediately might be too strong; this encourages you to learn faster.

Hearing the language spoken is a key element to learning and is one of the greatest benefits of learning a language in a country where it is spoken. When you sign up for a course in an Italian language school in Italy you will have a learning curve immensely steeper than learning at home. In addition to your courses and the outside activities that virtually all Italian language schools in Florence, Milan, Rome or a multitude of other cities offer, listening to the language spoken around you will tune your ear to the language. If you would like to start listening before traveling most cable companies in the United States offer at least one Italian channel, which can give you a little precursor pronunciation lessen before you break out your passport.

One aspect many people are not aware of is that a large number of the Italian language schools are not geared only towards the year round university student or the ex-patriot. Classes are offered in short intensive programs, morning only programs that are great for tourists, private lesson programs arranged around work schedules or student schedules. Almost every option that can be imagined is available and especially in the Italian language schools in Florence and Milan and other popular tourist and student locations. Arriving at the school with both a good Italian/English dictionary for study and a pocket version for wandering around will make the learning even easier and will complement the study material you receive from the school. After just a few short weeks of applying yourself you will not need those English menus, you will understand all those headlines and you will be gesturing like an Italian.