Language Schools

[rainbi]

Hiya, I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with language schools in foreign countries. I'm planning on interrailing around europe this summer and am thinking about doing a language course either at the start or the end of the trip.

However, I'm torn between two options:

1) Learn French in France. I speak French to an Advanced level, did it for A-level, doing it for evening classes this term etc and reaaaaly want to become fluent in it. My knowledge of random french things would probably improve nicely along with my confidence in conversational french.

2) Italian in Italy. I'm only a beginner (not completely) so it'll all be pretty basic stuff. I love Italy, and spending a month there would be nice. Plus I'd probably improve a lot more than I would in France. But I also think maybe I'd just be covering stuff that would be done just as well in a class in England, and spending time in the native country is more for perfecting a language than learning the basics.

Now I know it'd be great to just do both, but I know I'd definitely do 4 weeks of 1 language than split it into 2 and 2. And I dont want to spend my whole summer studying. So...any opinions or experiences of language schools? Been there and found them to be worth it, or a waste of time? Would you do French or Italian??

[Thunderstruck]

Admittedly I'm a linguist so I have a bit of an advantage but I've found that language schools are really hit and miss.
I've done schools in Spain, France and Italy and the Italian one was the best. Located in an awesome part of Rome (2 mins from Piazza Navona) it was the best of all of them.

I was living with a woman who had grown-up children and she made awesome food aswell as not speaking English. I arrived in Italy not speaking a word of Italian and, after one month, I rekon I could probably have done AS and got an A. The school's site is www.scuolaleonardo.com. Good luck!

[rainbi]

Cheers, I'll check the website out. Did you do just the standard course or more than your average lessons?

[xapis]

I went to exactly the same one (www.scuolaleonardo.com) but in Florence, right near the Duomo. It was fantastic. However, I too am a linguist, doing French and Italian at Uni and was just going to brush up my skills as I did 1st year as a beginner.
If you're a total beginner then you start from scratch but I think you'll learn a lot more than you would in a classroom in England, simply for being there. If you live with a family, like I did, you pick loads up from mealtimes etc too.
Can't comment on French in France though cos I haven't done it I'm afraid.

[Thunderstruck]

Yeah I just did the standard lessons. However, living with a family really gives you a chance to practice what you did in class and also just watching TV and seeing how much you pick up. It's quite scary how much you understand after a month. But I am a linguist so this kinda thing does come naturally - doing Spanish and Russian at Uni but I would seriously recommend these people.