This is my third year!

My name is Stephen Blackhust and I am Deputy Head Teacher of a large comprehensive secondary school in Luton, Bedfordshire. For the third time in 4 years, during the school summer holiday, I am spending 4 weeks studying Italian in Taormina, Sicily.

When, in 2005, I decided to put myself in a classroom for 6 hours a day for 4 weeks, having just completed a busy school year, many people thought I was mad. I must confess to having a few doubts myself, people often comment on the length of teachers’ holidays but in truth without them teachers simply could not keep going (neither could the pupils). And my mayor doubt was how I could cope without the long break to prepare far the re-start in September.

What actually happened was that that summer holiday, with its total immersion in Italian language and culture was both the most stimulating, challenging and restful break I have had in 28 years as a teacher!

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Go to San Giovanni !!!

I am just finishing my time in San Giovanni Valdarno and I just don’t want it to end. I have had an amazing time here – I just can’t get enough of San Giovanni – but the curious thing is that not even many Italians know where San Giovanni is!

It’s a beautiful, atmospheric little town, set amongst wonderful rolling Tuscan countryside and the only foreigners here are the students at the school! So, it’s a great place to learn Italian! San Giovanni itself is full of medieval buildings and really very beautiful.

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Italian… by the Mediterranean and under Mount Etna.

When I first embarked on my study of the Italian language, I had only a vague sense of the adventure I was beginning. The main images and conceptions that filled my mind of everything Italian were general and brief, and were associated with the bits and pieces of film, art and programs on the History Channel to which I had tuned, not to mention a few historical books which had caught my interest. None of this, however, spurred my interest enough until I met a group of Italians; finally I heard the language spoken in true form, and observed the culture and manner in which these people lived their life. I was enamoured.

After my initial purchase of an Italian textbook and 6 long months of trudging along on my own (but not without the occasional help of my new-found friends), I began to consider the possibility of a study-abroad experience. As an American college student, I needed foreign language credits for my degree and what better way to apply those electives of Art History, World Civilizations, Sensation and Perception, and Intro to Fashion, than to hop the Atlantic Ocean and take a dip right into the real thing?

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Missing Florence…

I really enjoyed the course. There was a small group of just 6 us in class for two weeks, then 3 or 4 in the group for the following 2 weeks. With this small class size, we had plenty of opportunities to speak Italian individually.

The teacher, Enrica, was very skilful at drawing us out and was very nice. We all liked her a lot. The course was a mixture of discussion, speaking, using grammar, verbs, etc. We also had quite a lot of homework, which was good for reinforcement.

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I’d never heard of San Giovanni Valdarno!

I attended the school in San Giovanni, Italy. I was in school for 11 weeks. I thought that the instructional program was excellent. The instructors and staff are very helpful and work hard to make sure that you are doing well and that there are no problems with your course.

My instructor, Stefania, was outstanding. Her methods of teaching were extremely helpful in my learning Italian. Her patience and perseverance, as well as her style of presentation, made learning Italian interesting and fun. I am confident that I can now speak enough Italian to converse with most Italians! In addition to the regular instructional program I had the special opportunity to take several cooking classes. They were very informative and fun. The instructor was outstanding.

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San Giovanni – I keep coming back!

When I started to look for Italian schools, what I wanted was a doorway into the real Italy, beyond the swarming mobs of tourists and the MacDonalds and Starbucks that you find in the big cities. But at the same time, I wanted to be close enough to famous cities —you can’t study all day. After much research, I decided on the school in San Giovanni Valdarno, a family-run school in Tuscany.

That was almost ten years ago and since then, I have been coming back to the little school in San Giovanni Valdarno every year. Why? Because I get a taste of what it’s like to live in Italy. The town is perfectly convenient to get around—everything is within walking distance, and an easy, flat walk at that. You can bike five minutes out of town and find yourself in the beautiful Tuscan countryside. By train, it’s 40 minutes to Florence and only thirty minutes to Arezzo.

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‘Pizza moments’ in Sorrento

We are sitting on the terrace eating a fabulous pizza and catching a bit of sun. What a nice life! I can’t believe my colleagues, they come from all over the world to stay in one of the best places in the world. Well, when I say colleagues, we aren’t at work, we are studying Italian in what must be the best school in Italy! The school is in such a beautiful location, with sea views which simply inspire you to learn!

The ‘pizza moment’ (a daily tradition for us!) is such a good way to get to know the other students and create friendships that last even when the course has finished. What is more, here you can continue your lessons even when you have finished the course because it’s possible to have lessons on-line with the teacher of your choice, after you leave the course. So, when I am back home and am crying because I am no longer in Sorrento learning Italian, I can carry on with my studies and keep in touch with my colleagues,….. but and it is a BIG ‘but’, I won’t be able to buy the same pizza as the ones you can buy in Sorrento!

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Sorrento has EVERYTHING!

Summer is here! ..and where else can you find a place like this, with a relaxed but vibrant atmosphere at the same time with all kinds of great things to do, – swimming, sunbathing, thermal spas, walking along one of the best promenades in the world (It really IS – the views are spectacular!), shopping and eating excellent food and drinking fabulous wines…. gasp I think I need a full stop, but there is just SO much to do here…

But not only this, I am studying the Italian language in the best school in Sorrento. The school organises visits to ice cream factories as well as cookery courses to help us poor mortals knock up a decent pasta dish when we go back home..to mention just a few of the things on the activities programme… This is the ideal place to learn the language, but also all about the food and have a great time at the same time AND impress your friends with all that you have learnt once you get back to your own country… That is if you ever leave again!

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My beautiful 50+ Programme in Rome

I’ve just spent two weeks on a Club 50 course Rome. Although I am a retired teacher, this has been my FIRST vacation on my own! My daughter is now old enough to take care of my husband for a while, so I took this opportunity to fulfil a long-held dream to visit Rome!

Before my trip I was worried about not really being able to speak the language. I’ve being studying Italian at home for a year, but really can’t speak it at all…, but fortunately everyone at the school in Rome, and ESPECIALLY my teachers, are very patient! The teachers don’t seem to mind at all about my slow pace, my many mistakes and lack of vocabulary… It’s hard to believe, but we really do communicate in Italian …somehow! This is good for me, because to be honest, studying was not the only object of my trip… I also wanted to see Rome!

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Different Cultures – Common Goals!

Hi guys, I counted the number of different nationalities on my course today and I was amazed!

This week there are people from America, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Germany, The Netherlands, Iceland, Scotland and Russia and they are all learning Italian!

What a great way to learn a language, we go out, we socialize, we eat in nice restaurants and we all communicate with each other in our new language. Ok, now and again I use my English to help along my Italian, but being part of an international community makes you want to speak Italian. And then of course, there are lots of Italian people who are only too willing to listen to you while you try to get your message across.

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