Language courses can be booked for as little as one week at some language schools in Italy. For most schools in the country, the minimum duration is 2 weeks. This can therefore vary, but you should be aware that there is a reason why it is often necessary to book a language course of at least 2 weeks. Firstly, Italian courses start on the Monday of each week and run up to and including Friday. For you, this means that a week's language course only means 5 days of lessons, with a language test on the first day so that you can be assigned to appropriate groups based on your language skills. As you usually only arrive on Sundays and leave on Saturdays, a one-week Italian course means a lot of stress and little time to explore the area and make friends. A minimum of two weeks is therefore highly recommended. The sky's the limit when it comes to attending one or more language schools in Italy to acquire a sound knowledge of the language. Please note that some language courses, such as diploma preparation courses or combination courses, have a longer duration than standard courses, which can be booked on a weekly basis. Preparation courses for Italian language exams usually have a minimum duration of 4 weeks, often even up to 12 weeks.

Specialized courses are becoming increasingly popular, which not only teach you the language, but also offer you extracurricular activities. For example, in many places you can book courses such as Italian and cooking or Italian and wine, Italian and culture or Italian and golf. Other special courses offered by language schools in Italy combine two types of teaching. These are often standard courses combined with individual lessons, but other course combinations are also possible. Specialized courses also include courses for older students, often 50+ or 60+, as well as family language courses and business language courses for business Italian.

No matter how much or little Italian you can speak so far, in language schools in Italy you can usually attend a language course at all levels. This means that even beginners without any knowledge of Italian can attend a course with other participants of the same language level without being at a disadvantage. Most language schools use a classification according to the Common European Framework of Reference, which divides the levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2, from beginner level to almost native speaker level. Some Italian language schools also offer intermediate levels, such as A1-A2, in order to be able to offer the right language course for all language students. For business courses, language skills of at least level B1 are usually required in order to provide a solid foundation for each participant.

For most school language trips / youth language trips, a minimum age of 12 or even 14 years applies, but there are also offers that are suitable for children as young as 7 years old. The maximum age for school language trips depends on the program in question, but language students should generally not be older than 17. From the age of 16, young people can take part in adult language courses at some language schools in Italy. However, the average age there is often around 25, which means that school language courses are often preferred at this age. The minimum age for adult language courses is therefore between 16 and 18, but there is no upper age limit. Even at the age of 78 and over, you can take part in a language study trip to Italy if you are interested, even in special target group-oriented language courses, for example for 30+, 50+ or seniors. A minimum age of 23 is often required for business Italian courses, but this can vary greatly between language schools in Italy.

Give yourself plenty of time to find a suitable language school and start planning a few months in advance if possible. This has the advantage that you can still get a place on very popular courses and have a far greater choice of accommodation than if you book four weeks before the course starts. It is best to first decide on one or more places where you can imagine attending a language school. Find out about the courses on offer and see if you can find the Italian course you are looking for. Many language schools in Italy offer both standard and intensive courses, business courses, individual lessons and diploma courses, as well as special courses, such as conversation courses only or combination courses combining language and a specific leisure activity or a standard and individual course. Once you have narrowed down your selection, you should ask the remaining language schools to send you all the important documents. You can do this here using our contact form. Compare the offers carefully and pay particular attention to the following points:

• Course offers
• Maximum number of participants
• Duration of a lesson
• Number of lessons per week
• Minimum length of stay
• Accommodation
• Distance accommodation - school
• Distance school - beach, town, etc.
• Location, infrastructure, size and ambience of the language school
• Qualifications of the teachers
• Leisure activities
• Transfer
• Costs and services including registration fees, agency fees, seasonal surcharges
• School material
• Examinations and fees&l

Not all language schools in Italy offer diploma courses that prepare you for Italian language exams, so if you are interested, you should also choose the right school according to this criterion. A selection of certificates is usually offered, especially the following:

• DELI: Diploma Elementare di Lingua Italiana
• DILI: Diploma Intermedio di Lingua Italiana
• DALI: Diploma Avanzato di Lingua Italiana
• DILC: Diploma Intermedio di Lingua Italiana Commerciale
• DALC: Diploma Avanzato di Lingua Italiana Commerciale
• CELI: Certificazione delle Conoscenza delle Lingua Italiana, Perugia
• CIC: Certificazione dell' Italiano Commerciale, Perugia
• PLIDA: Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri, Rome
• CILS: Certificatzione di Italiano come Lingua Strniera, Siena
• TELC Italiano: The European Language Certificates