Learning Italian In Rome

The Italian language as we know it today first emerged in the beginning of the 14th century by the Poet Dante Alighieri in his epic poems “The Divine Comedy” and other works.  The language, known as “vernacular” Italian was born out of necessity, as before Italian was spoken throughout Italy, Latin was the predominant language along with the existence of several local dialects – none of which could be used to communicate in a formal setting from place to place.

Since Dante, Italian has undergone many changes. The Florentine version is still widely considered to be the “purest” Italian, although it is certainly not without regional cadences.  While many do choose to learn Italian in Tuscany, Rome does have several excellent options for learning the language.

Scuola Leonardo Da Vinci

In our humble opinion, this institute is one of the best in Rome. Classes begin every two weeks, and levels vary from beginner to teacher training. In addition to basic Italian Language study, specialized courses are geared at Italian for business, medicine, law, tourism, etc. Accommodations are also organized through the school with host families, shared apartments, or private accommodations. The school often organizes social gatherings and Rome sightseeing tours on a regular basis. Location is Piazza dell’Orologio 7, in the heart of Rome’s historic center. See website for more details.

Dilit

The Dilit School is located just a few blocks from Rome’s Termini Station, at Via Marghera 22. The area is central and convenient to public transport, but offers a bit less in terms of local attractions than schools in the historic center. This institute was founded in 1974 as one of the first schools in Italy to teach Italian as a foreign language. Aside from standard Italian instruction, courses are also offered for business travelers, learners over 50, and exam preparation.

Torre Di Babele

A highly accredited language school located on Via Cosenza, Northeast of Rome’s city center. This school offers an impressive range of short and long term language courses, teacher accreditation, cultural seminars, cooking programs, language programs for those over 50, and more.  Details on courses, fees, and dates available on the Torre di Babele website.

Dante Alighieri

Named after the father of the Italian vernacular himself, the Dante Alighieri School has established itself as one of the top schools of Italian culture and language. Offering varying levels of grammar study ranging from 4 to 15 hours per week, courses can also be combined with private tuition, cultural studies, or conversation. PLIDA certification provided. In addition to language study, the staff lends itself to assisting students with accommodation in Rome as well as organizing Rome sightseeing, etc.

For those who have neither the time nor money for proper Italian tuition, there are some good quality alternatives to consider - especially when the need to communicate in Italian is short lived or context-based. The clever technology employed by programs such as Babylon will translate words from one language to another with one click, providing a translation, definition, contextual information, and even an audio pronuncation.

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