Living the Italian way in Venice and Learning Italian in Venice

Every weekday morning throughout the year, if you’re breakfasting in Campo Santa Margherita in Venice, you’ll see several dozen people enter an incongruous building in the corner of the square.

These holidaymakers, from all corners of the world and aged anything from 16 to 70, will all be clutching notebooks and pens and four hours later, they’ll head down the steps smiling.

They will also be eager to speak to you in Italian, as these are the students of Istituto Venezia, one of the leading language schools in the city.

Language schools are common everywhere, when visiting various London hotels recently I spoke to several students who were learning English, while many of the workers in Dubai hotels are fluent in the languages of their various guests. But there is soemthing about studying Italian in one of the most beautiful cities in the World.

It’s one of the best Venice travel tips to combine your visit with a week or two of intensive Italian study.

And Istituto Venezia, along with the other language schools in the city, offers the chance to learn Learn Italian quickly, in the company of students of a similar standard.

Even if you’ve never spoken a word of Italian in your life, you will be able to pick up the basics in the hands of the school’s experienced teachers.

Courses are offered throughout the year, and you can choose from a short-term course – one week up to one month – up to a full 24 weeks of intensive study. You’ll be able to study in the mornings or in the afternoons, with lessons normally taking four hours each weekday.

Right from the first lesson, the teachers will be speaking only in Italian. It makes sense, since students are from all over the world, and it helps immerse you in the language quickly.

The school can arrange accommodation for you in a hostel, but one of the best Venice travel tips is to choose the option of staying with a Venetian family. Then, you’ll be able to go home every day and practise what you’ve learned on your hosts.

Every day, the school offers cultural and social activities during the evening, giving you chance to socialise with your classmates.

Maria's reply: No doubt this is a good school but having been a language teacher in Italy for nearly ten years I would recommend these schools. All of which I can recommend from personal experience.