Italian Club 50+ course in Bologna
Our Italian Club 50+ courses in Bologna take place at our general language school in the city centre. Famous as the birthplace of ragú, the city of porticoes, and the home of Italy’s two towers, Bologna has the second-largest historic centre in Europe and offers a wealth of sights and sounds to all who visit. Our school here is a family-run facility established in 2000. With 20 years of experience teaching foreign students of all ages and backgrounds, it’s the ideal place to expand your understanding of Italian. As well as 13 bright, modern classrooms, the school has a coffee-break point and a fully-equipped kitchen used for cookery workshops.
Just 10 minutes’ walk from the city centre and close to the beautiful Giardini Margherita park, the language centre is within easy reach of local amenities and attractions. The building is also on several main bus routes, so you can easily access the outer areas of the city if you wish. The city’s old town is almost entirely pedestrianised, making it safe and relatively quiet, while the surviving city gates give a glimpse into Bologna’s walled past. Other architecture of note includes the Santo Stefano complex (locally dubbed ‘Holy Jerusalem’), Palazzo di Banchi (a great spot for grabbing local produce at one of the regular open-air markets), and the hilltop Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca. The latter plays host to the annual Ascension Day procession, which features a 10th-century icon of the Madonna with Child supposedly painted by St Luke the Baptist. The icon is carried along the world’s longest portico, which stretches a whopping 4 km!
This language school is a member of the International Association of Language Centres (IALC), the Association of Schools of Italian as a Second Language (ASILS), and Accademia Italiana di Lingua, organisations dedicated to maintaining high standards of language tuition in their member schools. As a registered CILS and CELI examination centre - key qualifications for second-language speakers of Italian - it is a highly regarded teaching facility. The school’s location in the centre of Bologna allows you to fully experience the city during your time here.
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This "Club 50+" course in Bologna includes four hours of general Italian a day and has a specific program of specially designed activities and excursions for the over 45s. Morning classes take place according to the level of Italian and are not age-restricted.
Club 50+ course in Bologna
The Club 50+ package offered by this school consists of 20 Italian lessons each week (4 classes per weekday) in groups of no more than 8. Lessons take place between 09:00 and 13:15 and are followed by a selection of social/cultural activities designed with mature students in mind. Tuition is suitable for students with A1 or higher Italian experience, so isn’t appropriate for complete beginners. Classes are provided on the standard Intensive programme, i.e. in mixed-age groups, and are followed by activities solely for the over-50s. Course materials for this programme are purchased prior to arrival.
The Club 50+ course can be taken for 2 weeks at a time and has specific start dates throughout the year.
Accommodation
Accommodation is not included in the Club 50+ programme as standard but can be added to your tuition package.
The school works with a selection of friendly and welcoming homestay hosts who offer a comfortable place to stay during your language studies. Hosts are all native Italians, so you’ll be able to practice your language skills with them and carry on learning even outside the classroom. As standard, you’ll have a private single or twin* bedroom and share the living and bathroom facilities with your host(s) and any other students in the home. Some hosts can offer rooms with private bathroom access (subject to availability). Rooms are offered on either a self-catering basis - meaning you’ll have access to the kitchen to cook your daily meals - or on a half-board basis (breakfast and lunch each day). We highly recommend the half-board option, as it is not only cost-effective but also gives you significant opportunity to socialise with your host(s) and get as much language practice as possible. The self-catering option offers much fewer opportunities for extra language practice since you have less guaranteed time with your host(s). Bed linens and a weekly laundry service are included but towels are not, so you should bring your own. Whichever meal option you select, you will have your own key to come and go as you please, though you must respect house rules and schedules. All hosts live within 30 minutes’ walk of the school.
*Twin rooms are only available to students travelling together.
Accommodation is available from the Sunday before the start of your course until the Saturday after your course finishes. Check-in and check-out times are usually very flexible.
Activities
The Club 50+ package includes a selection of social and cultural activities designed to complement your Italian tuition and give you the best possible experience in Bologna. You’re guaranteed to have 5 activities per week, though others may also be available. Possible activities may include:
- A welcome drink
- Walking tours of the city
- Visits to local museums (entrance included)
- Evening meals and/or drinks with your classmates
- Food- and drink-tasting sessions
- Cookery workshops
- A farewell dinner
- Half- and full-day excursions to local towns and cities, such as Ravenna and Ferrara
You are also welcome to attend the sessions offered to all students on the general activity programme if you wish.
Suitability
This programme is ideal for mature students wanting to study Italian and to meet other international learners of a similar age. Bologna is the perfect destination for anyone particularly interested in history. Tuition is suitable for students with A1 or higher Italian experience, so is not appropriate for complete beginners. Kindly note that tuition is provided in mixed-age groups, while the activity programme is age-restricted.
Please contact us if you are unsure if this programme would be suitable for you; we will be happy to advise you.
How to get there
Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport is around a 20-minute drive from the city centre and is easily accessible from many worldwide airports.
From here, you can either take public transport to your accommodation or we can add an airport transfer service to your booking for an additional charge. If you select this service, a driver will be waiting for you when you land and will take you directly to your accommodation. If you select this service on departure as well, you will be collected from your lodging on your last day and taken back to the airport in time for your departing flight. A transfer service is also available at Bologna Centrale train station.
You should arrange to arrive in Bologna on the Sunday before the course starts and depart on the Saturday after the course finishes. We may be able to arrange extra nights on arrival and/or departure for you if needed.
Location of our school in Bologna
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Prices for Bologna
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Company Number: 08311373
