Learn Italian in Sardinia - Homestay Italian Courses

Why not combine your holidays with a course of Italian in one of the most exciting Islands in the Mediterranean, like Sardinia? You can learn and practice the language, get familiar with the culture by staying with the teacher’s family and making the most of your even short stay.

Firstly, you can enjoy a wonderful, relaxing holiday in one of Italy’s region, Sardinia, which is a beautiful and interesting Island to discover. Secondly, you can improve your Italian language knowledge in all areas where a good command of the language is important in order to fully enjoy a stay in an Italian-speaking environment.

I live on the Island of Sant'Antioco, one of the minor islands of the Mediterranean Sea, on the south-west coast of Sardinia. The island houses two towns, Calasetta and Sant'Antioco, which are easily reached by car, as the island is connected to the main Island by a bridge. It is the ideal place for those who love nature; the coast and beaches here are extraordinarily beautiful, but the island also boasts interesting museums and archaeological sites and a basilica. In the town centre you can enjoy traditional fish restaurants and pizzeria.

My house is a country house, located on the south west coast of the island and on the south west coast of Sardinia as well. Besides your room with private bathroom, you can enjoy the living room where we will have lessons and where you can do your own study. When the weather is fine, especially in late spring or summer we can have breakfast in the patio or in the garden and here we can have the lessons too. The bedroom, overlooking the garden, is fully furnished, with double bed, in case the student wishes to come with their partner.

I am a qualified teacher and native speaker, experienced in teaching my mother tongue, Italian, as a foreign language. I offer personalised one-to-one tuition, you can learn the language while living in my home on a B&B basis. We will share breakfast during which you can practice your Italian in real everyday life and discuss aspects of social and cultural life of Italy in general and in particular of the Region of Sardinia.

This type of Language Programme is available from May to October and is suitable for any age language level (beginner to advanced), wishing to improve their Italian language skills while immersed in an Italian environment. Ideal for personal interest, business, travel or examination purposes. You can have two or four 60-minute lessons per day. Through the direct communicative teaching method you will be motivated to participate actively in the lesson and able to practice outside what you have learned during the lessons.

Besides being your tutor I can be your guide on excursions in the most interesting places to see in this region. You can also benefit from activities such as sailing and excursions along the coast on board of boats where short presentations about geological aspects of the coast are given.

I am willing to arrange or change with the students the programme format to suit their needs.

Testimonial:

I have stayed here three times so far (2009, 2010 & 2011) – It is a lovely small house in a tranquil setting on the south west coast of Sardinia (about 1.5 hours in the car from Cagliari airport). I had around 12 to 16 hours of lessons each time - First visit was to practice grammar and conversation for my GCSE, second & third time just one to one conversation practice for my AS & A levels.

I went with my girlfriend, who does not speak Italian at all – She spent my lesson times relaxing on her own, and free times were spent getting out and about exploring the nearby towns and countryside. Classes were tailored exactly to my needs – I brought lots of sample questions with me, so we used these to stimulate conversations and explore the language. That is the major plus of a small one to one teaching environment – lessons can be tailored to suit your needs, and changed as they go along.

Gabriella is a lovely genuine person, and a very good teacher. She made us both feel so welcome in her home – nothing seemed to be too much trouble for her. One of the great advantages or this type of learning, is that you also get to practice while eating breakfast and having coffee breaks etc. I was able to really feel the benefits of chatting about the day to day things in life, outside of the scheduled lessons.

Nearest town is Calasetta (about 10 mins by car), a lovely place with a few bars and some very good restaurants. I would particularly recommend “Ristorante U’Palacca” ( http://www.upalacca.com right in the centre of town), which specialises in sea food – Service was fantastic – it is a real gem. Also there is “La Caletta”, on the beach under the castle – another really nice place to eat.

If you want the hustle and bustle of a large city, then this is probably not the place for you. But if you want lessons in a peaceful setting, tailored exactly to your level and your requirements, in a place not full of tourists where the majority of the locals speak back to you in Italian, and with a slow pace of life in an a fairly undiscovered part of Italy, then this is definitely the place for you, and an experience worth trying.

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I would highly recommend this method of learning - A great way of combining a holiday with Italian lessons.

David - United Kingdom

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I have just returned from a week's stay at Gabriella's house and can echo everything that David, the other reviewer, wrote. It was a wonderful experience, especially in terms of learning the language. Gabriella is a very dedicated experienced teacher, who quickly identifies what you need, and tailors her lessons to suit.

I felt very at home in her house, and she gave me plenty of opportunity outside of lessons to practice my language skills. She never forgets to speak slowly and distinctly enough regardless of the situation. I highly recommend her as a teacher and hostess.

As already said, the area is very quiet and perfect if you want to get away from it all, enjoy daily swimming and walks, and more if you have a car.If you want to learn Italian in a tranquil and friendly environment, this is the place for you.

Philomena - Ireland (September 2017)