ITALIAN LANGUAGE COURSES FOR FOREIGNERS

The Academy offers conversational skills training in Italian for foreigners over 18 years of age. Courses are available all the year round. They are designed to enable participants to learn Italian in the mornings and practise their newly learned skills in the afternoons and evenings while enjoying the delights of Rimini. All teachers are fully qualified and the teaching is normally in small groups or can be arranged on an individual basis. For the best results a 2 weeks course of 4 hours teaching per day (9am to 1pm) apart from Saturdays and Sundays is recommended. Shorter courses can be arranged if required.

Mornings for learning, afternoons and evenings for holidaying!

TUITION LEVELS

Beginners and elementary levels:

The courses are aimed at giving students basic conversational skills that can be immediately used in situations in shops, restaurants, bars, markets etc. Some basic grammatical exercises are included as well as a selection of everyday phrases. The aim is to encourage basic conversations using the Italian language. Videos and audiotapes are used for situation discussions.

Intermediate/Advanced level:

More advanced tuition can be given for those with some ability to communicate or require skills in written Italian.

Low-cost flights are available to Forli or Bologna, both a short train ride from Rimini. During the summer months there are many flights to Rimini airport from all over Europe.

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Whilst the Academy does not directly offer organised social activities it has young members of staff who are prepared to assist in helping students enjoy the huge range of facilities on offer in the Rimini area.

COURSE DATES AND PRICES

Courses can be arranged to meet specific needs if the Academy feels this is a viable proposition. Dates and prices for this will be subject to negotiation. Course fees include exercise book, basic grammar notes, attendance certificate.

Course A 2 weeks, 40 hours tuition Individual: Euro 600

Groups (6-8): 2 weeks, 40 hours Euro 315 per person

Course B 1 week, 20 hours tuition Individual: Euro 400

Groups (6-8) 1 week, 20 hours Euro 185 per person

Courses longer than 2 weeks can be arranged, prices subject to negotiation

Courses can also be organised all year round. Flexible starting dates are offered according to demand and availability of accommodation i.e. courses can start on different days of the week but will normally last one or two weeks. This concession is offered to fit in with low cost flight schedules and to avoid higher travel prices at week-ends.

If the dates chosen conflict with national holidays in Italy, to achieve the number of agreed hours of tuition may mean extra hours being included on non-national holidays.

WHY CHOOSE THE BRITISH INDEPENDENT ACADEMY?

1. The British Independent Academy is privately owned by a British teacher who has thirty years experience of living in Italy. The Academy has a full programme of providing language training in many languages. All the tutors are very experienced and have an excellent command of English as well as their native language. Through having an excellent local knowledge of the Rimini area, the proprietor and staff are able to advise and guide participants on what to do in the area and help resolve any problems that may arise.

2. Rimini is the premiere Italian resort on the Adriatic Riviera where in the summer the weather is always sunny and hot. It has miles of golden sands and shallow sea which is warm and ideal for beginners or strong swimmers. The beach is one of the safest and cleanest in Europe. It has a full range of facilities, for which a small charge is made, from loungers and umbrellas to showers and changing rooms. Watersports are readily available as are boat trips up and down the coast and even to Venice. It is also famous for its nightlife with a wide range of restaurants, bars, discos and nightclubs, in fact something to suit everyone's pocket! There is also an extensive range of excursions available with local tourist and coach companies to Venice, Bologna, Florence and Rome.

3. Rimini is famous as a tourist destination but apart from the leisure activities it also has a history as a Roman town with various artefacts relating to the Roman period. The town centre is mainly pedestrianised with a wide range of small individual shops and department stores. There is an excellent large open market twice a week which attracts customers from miles around and where you can normally find bargains. The main squares are surrounded by imposing old historic buildings. There are a number of small old hill-top towns close to Rimini such as San Marino, Verucchio, San Leo and Urbino, all of which can be reached via public transport.

4. Rimini is located on the east mainline railway from Milan to the south of Italy and provides opportunities to travel to and from Europe as well as to Ravenna, Venice, Bologna, Florence and even Rome. It is possible in the summer to catch an overnight train from Paris to Rimini. This coupled with the ease of travelling from London to Paris via Eurostar gives the opportunity to do the whole journey from Britain to Rimini by rail. Low-cost flights are available from Britain to the main Bologna airport and the subsidiary one at Forli (closer to Rimini). From both these airports buses are available to transfer to the railway station and onwards by train to Rimini. This takes 40 to 60 minutes depending on whether you catch an express or a stopping train. From June to September cheap flights are also available from Luton to Rimini airport. Sufficient time should be included in planning the travelling to allow for possible delays.

5. The monetary system is the Euro, Italy is only just accepting hypermarkets and whilst there are small supermarkets, large out-of-town ones are still being developed. Many Italians shop using the local corner shops that are still in existence. There are many banks with branches located around the town as well as money exchanges. In the town travel is easy by bus with a wide network of routes operated by the local bus company. Tickets are bought from the tobacconist and need to be stamped in the machines found on all buses. Crime is relative to the size of the town and with the influx of tourists but tourists are always warned about pickpockets especially on crowded buses. Valuables should be kept in a secure place.

6. The British Independent Academy is centrally based in premises adjoining the main town square. The Academy has a suite of rooms for teaching large or small classes. Audio, video and DVD equipment is available as well as a library of text books and work books. All the teachers have specialist language skills and can teach in a group or individual basis. Peripatetic teachers are used for minority languages but the British proprietor is the leader for English and Italian languages.

7. The Academy is flexible in providing tuition and aims to meet individual needs if these can be planned to fit with the normal running of the Academy. It recognises that flights may be cheaper mid-week than week-ends and is prepared to start a two week course on any day except Saturday or Sunday. The running of a course depends on having sufficient applicants unless individual tuition is required. Classes are held for small groups averaging 6- 8 participants. The aim is to encourage all to take a full part in the classes and start conversing in Italian from day one.

8. How much an individual can learn in a two week course depends on individual aptitude and motivation and how much revision is done out of class. It can be expected that students should be able to make themselves understood when shopping, in bars and restaurants and asking for directions etc. It all depends on the individual! Much longer courses can be arranged by mutual negotiation and of course students should achieve much more in conversational skills over a longer period. The main aim is to encourage conversational skills but at the same time have an understanding of Italian grammar and how this influences the language.

9. The easiest way to book a course is by filling in the registration form on this website and sending the deposit or full amount by registered post to the address shown. This will be acknowledged by post (or email if available). When the course is confirmed, full confirmation will be given. As the Academy tries to fit in with all student requirements, particularly on travel, on occasions there may be a need to negotiate to adjust chosen dates. If this happens full information will be communicated in good time before the course is due to start.

10. Rimini has an extensive range of accommodation providers from 5 star hotels to B&B guest houses. Applicants are responsible for their own accommodation but the Academy is prepared to help by reserving basic accommodation in reasonable hotels providing a deposit is forwarded. All accommodation is registered with the Rimini Tourist Organisation and has to meet minimum standards. Accommodation providers in general are located close to the beach and bars and restaurants and other facilities such as discos. There is an excellent bus service using trolley buses that frequently travel from this area into the centre of Rimini where the Academy is situated. The simplest method is to buy blocks of bus tickets from one of the many tobacconists and use the trolley bus service to travel to the Academy. Taxis are readily available from the train station. For travel to places outside Rimini the public transport system operates on most routes.

11. The Academy has an age limit of 18 years for overseas students as it is not possible to provide the necessary support and facilities for persons under this age. However, it is prepared to consider requests for courses from families provided parents accept full responsibility for their children.