The Istituto Il David is a school specialised in teaching the Italian
language and culture to foreign learners. The school, which owes its name
to Michelangelo's famous sculpture, was set up in 1983. It is located
in Florence and it is open all year round. Our experience in the field
of language teaching guarantees our students both good results and a pleasant
stay in Florence. A strong point of our school is its friendly and relaxed
atmosphere. This helps our students feel at home during their whole stay
in Florence and gives them the chance to get to know people and places.
Learning Italian means not only acquiring the mere ability to talk and
understand it but also "living" it,
The building where the school is located
The school terrace and the view of Florence
Location
The Istituto Il David is situated in the historical centre of Florence,
on the third floor of a palace (with a lift) built at the end the 19th
century. The building has been recently renovated. Its location is the
bustling heart of Florence's economy, the borough that houses banks, insurance
companies and the elegant, world-wide famous fashion shops. The Cathedral
with its famous Dome by Brunelleschi, the railway station and the main
monuments and museums are all within walking distance of the Istituto
Il David.
The terrace
On the top floor of the school is a wonderful terrace, from which you
can enjoy a breath-taking view of Florence and where, from April to October,
the school regularly organises dinner parties with its students. Course
participants often ask for classes to be held on the terrace where, in
any case, they can sit, read, study, meet friends and relax between or
after language classes.
Assistance to students
The school staff are always available to students, to help them solve
any problem that may arise during their stay in Florence. Our students
are regularly updated about cultural events taking place in Florence and
elsewhere in Italy. The school offers a free booking service for museum
tickets.
Teaching method
Our teaching method enables students to learn Italian well and quickly.
Soon our students will acquire the four basic skills: understanding, speaking,
reading and writing. Our method places emphasis on grammar, listening
comprehension and oral expression. Grammar is essential for students to
build correct sentences, while the development of both listening comprehension
and oral expression enables students to understand and to speak properly
2 and fluently. Classes are held in Italian, thus providing students with
full immersion in the target language throughout their courses. Alongside
the schoolbook, teachers bring in and use extra, up-to-date materials,
such as excerpts from various texts, newspaper or magazine clippings,
audiocassettes, videocassettes, etc. Each class is structured with a certain
degree of flexibility. In drafting lesson plans, teachers pay attention
to the special needs of each student, to their personalities, etc.
Levels and Certificates
Our courses are divided into six levels of language competence: beginners,
elementary, lower intermediate, upper intermediate, advanced, post-advanced.
At the end of the course, students receive a certificate of attendance,
in which level achieved and whole duration of the course attended are
specified. Once the advanced or the post-advanced level has been reached,
students may require to take a final examination. Those who pass it are
awarded the David Certificate of Knowledge of the Italian Language.
The teachers
All our teachers are mother-tongue speakers and have a degree. They are
experienced and qualified trainers of Italian as a Second Language. They
are motivated, enthusiastic and always ready and willing to meet learners'
needs. Their classes are lively, interesting and entertaining at the same
time.
The classes and the students
Classes have a maximum of 12 and a minimum of 4 students, the average
number of learners per class is 8. All our classes consist of students
with compatible levels of competence. Normally, students' nationalities
in each class are various. As a result, our classes are interesting, multicultural
groups of people who exchange ideas and opinions and communicate experiences
in Italian, a language shared by all.
Beginning of the
group courses
All absolute beginners should preferably start their classes on the first
day of the course, according to the school calendar. Students with a smattering
of Italian may start courses on any Monday. The shortest attendance time
possible is one week. On the first day of each course, the degree of competence
of students, is assessed by means of a placement test held in the morning.
This does not apply to total beginners, who start their classes straight
away as soon as they arrive. After the placement test, the teaching staff
introduce themselves and give a presentation of Florence, focusing on
practical aspects of the city, such as transports, services, emergency
numbers, opening hours of shops, banks, etc.
Timetable and duration of the courses
Teaching hours last 55 minutes. Each teaching session consists of two
teaching hours and lasts 110 minutes. Classes are held from Monday to
Friday with the following timetable: 9.00-10.50 AM Grammar - break - 11.10-13.00
AM Conversation - lunch break - 2.00 - 3.50 PM Workshop (Intensive course
only) - afternoon break - 4.10-5.00 PM Combined C Each teaching session
is held by a different teacher. This gives students the chance to hear
different ways of speaking.