Language School Needed in Florence, Recommendations Needed for CD's

10/28/2009 - 18:00

Normal 0 Normal 0 I have two questions I am hoping someone call help with. 1. Our friend's daughter is doing a semester in Florence come January. She asked me for a Italian immersion language school where she can learn conversational Italian. She found something on the internet (Michelangelo School), but I thought I’d ask if anyone had some suggestions. 2. What are the best language cd's that people have found? Our son needs to start from the beginning although he knows a little bit, having spent a few weeks at a time in Italy for the past few years and working for 3 weeks last summer at our friend's agriturismo. I would also like to learn to speak correctly as although I lived in Italy for 4 years, I left in 1983 amd never got to study the language while living there.

Topic

Italian Language

Comment

My son did a 2 week Italian language course in Florence about 6 years ago with the Dante Alighieri school - site below - and found it very good. Sorry I do not have any more recent recommendation - perhaps other Community members may have.www.clidante.com

We have found the Michel Thomas CD's very good. They gradually build up your language skills and progress in logical steps. He did a foundation course and an advanced course. Both were quite comprehensive. There is also a vocabulary course based on his teaching method, but done by Rose Lee Hayden and Paola Tite. All are well worth the money.

I did Italinaissimo many years ago and it was fine for the basics . add to that a little book of verbs and how they decline and jump straight in!

Hi, I'd echo the commenst about Michel Thomas. He makes a virtue of the fact that you shouldn't revise or memorise or study a text book. I found him very dood for learning the verb tenses and building up phrases step by step rather than rote learning. His fisrt courses are more about structure and so they're not great for vocabulary but as Santamarinese says you can get other CD's in the Michel Thomas method for that.

My wife listens to the Michel Thomas tapes when driving to work - her Italian is much better than mine .[I rely on mime and the language level of a 3 year old]

Thanks Getsett for the language school information. I'll pass it on to my friend.I also appreciate everyone's feedback about the Michael Thomas cd's and am going to look into ordering them today.

Have a look at Rosetta Stone. Maybe the most expensive but for a reason. Michel Thomas.....great if you are appearing alongside Brad.

Hi Capo Boi,Maybe I'm a bit slow but I don't get the reference. Who's Brad and what's he got to do with a deceased language teacher?

"I also appreciate everyone's feedback about the Michael Thomas cd's and am going to look into ordering them today." Have a look on EBay and Amazon for 2nd hand CDs

Hello postmac,Michel Thomas was for many years the acknowledged number one language and pronunciation teacher to the Hollywood stars. The cd's came as an afterthought and became a very popular Christmas present in LA. I'm certainly not knocking him as his methods can clearly produce outstanding results but to really get to grips with Italian imo there are better courses.www.michelthomas.com/testimonials.htm

I started researching Michael Thomas and Rosetta Stone and saw reviews for another program that got top ratings "Tell Me More". Does anyone have experience using it?

The Michel Thomas CD's are brilliant, easy to understand and you progress quickley. I brought mine from ebay last year, so have a look on ebay for a bargain.