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.

I particularly liked the presentations each student did in class. As people of different nationalities, we each talked about our own country. We used the board for maps, information etc., and took questions from the other students and from the teacher. It was very interesting to do this in Italian. We were really close as a group from day 1, despite the mixed age ranges. I was very pleased with the progress I made. In a very well known cafe in Florence (The Rivoire), I was complimented and told that I spoke Italian very well! WOW!

The location of my accommodation could not have been better for me. I loved the area, with all its little artisan workshops. It was very close to Piazza Santo Spirito where I would go for breakfast and visit nice trattorias. It used to take me just 7 minutes to walk to shops such as Gucci, Versace etc., and I was also close to historical/culture sites. Mr. Antonucci and his family were very kind and very charming, and I felt very comfortable and safe there.

As you can tell, I loved the whole experience! It was excellent to live in Florence and not just be a tourist. Like most student at the school, I had a favourite trattoria, at which I was treated like part of the family if I went on my own! We had a great social life, especially in the first and second week. I loved the street the school was on, where there were some very upmarket shops etc.

Now I really miss Florence, hearing the Italian language and the general way of life…

Teresa Anne Barber (UK)