How to Learn Italian in Italy: Choosing a Language School and Course

Updated

To learn Italian in Italy, pick a school that runs year-round courses in a city you can live in comfortably, then match the course type, weekly hours and class size to your level and goal. Scuola Leonardo da Vinci, for example, operates Italian language schools in Florence, Milan, Rome, Turin and Viareggio, with courses for every level from beginners to Italian teacher training, available all year round. The right choice depends on your target (conversation, exam, teaching qualification), your budget and how long you can stay.

Start with your goal, not the school

The course type should follow from what you want to do with the language.

  • General Italian – everyday fluency, grammar and conversation. The default choice for most learners.
  • Italian culture courses – language study combined with art, history, literature or similar subjects. Useful if you want context alongside the language.
  • Italian teacher training – for people who already teach or plan to teach Italian. A different audience from general learners.

If your goal is simply to speak better, a general course with a strong conversation component is usually the better fit. If you need a qualification or professional credential, check whether the school offers the specific course type before comparing anything else.

Compare the cities on the things that affect daily life

The five cities in this network differ in ways that matter more than the school itself: local accent and dialect exposure, cost of living, size, and how much English you'll hear around you.

City Character Consider it if
Florence Mid-sized, heavy student and tourist presence You want a classic study-abroad setting and lots of cultural courses
Milan Large, fast-paced, business-oriented You want a big-city environment and northern Italian exposure
Rome Large, historic, busy You want a major capital with varied daily life
Turin Large, quieter, northern You prefer a calmer city with fewer tourists
Viareggio Small, coastal, Tuscan You want a smaller town and a seaside setting

A smaller city generally means more forced Italian practice; a large tourist city means more English around you. Neither is wrong — it depends on whether you want comfort or immersion pressure.

Compare courses on the same dimensions

Once you've narrowed the city, compare courses using identical criteria so the comparison is fair:

  • Duration – total weeks you'll study.
  • Weekly hours – how many lessons per week, and whether they're group, individual or mixed.
  • Class size – smaller classes mean more speaking time per student.
  • Start dates – whether courses begin every week or only at set points in the year.
  • Level placement – how the school assesses your starting level.
  • Course type – general, culture or teacher training, as above.

Ask each school for these six figures in writing. A course that looks cheaper often has fewer weekly hours, which changes the real cost per lesson.

Estimate the cost before you commit

Course fees vary by city, course type, duration and intensity, so a single headline price is rarely meaningful. This school provides an Online Price Calculator that lets you estimate the cost of a course based on your selections, rather than relying on a fixed published figure.

Beyond tuition, budget for accommodation, living costs (which differ by city), travel and any exam or materials fees. Use the calculator for the course portion, then add your own estimates for the rest.

Check the practical steps before booking

  1. Confirm your level – most schools place you after a test or self-assessment.
  2. Choose dates and duration – check that your course starts when you can arrive.
  3. Get a written quote – course, accommodation and any extras.
  4. Ask about accommodation – whether the school arranges it and what types are available.
  5. Check visa requirements – rules depend on your nationality and length of stay; confirm with the school and your own embassy, since this is not something a school can decide for you.
  6. Confirm the enrolment process – what you submit, what you pay upfront, and what you receive as confirmation.

Common sticking points

  • Assuming all courses start weekly – some run only at set dates. Verify before booking flights.
  • Comparing prices without comparing hours – a cheap course with few weekly lessons can cost more per hour than a pricier intensive one.
  • Ignoring the city's effect on immersion – the school matters, but so does how much Italian you'll actually be forced to use outside class.
  • Leaving visa timing late – processing takes time and varies by country; start early.
  • Skipping the level test – landing in the wrong class wastes the first week.

If you want a straightforward path: decide your goal, pick a city you can live in for your planned duration, compare courses on duration, weekly hours, class size and start dates, then use the price calculator to sanity-check the budget before you enquire.