F.A.Q.
ALL ABOUT TUITION
We will wait for you at 10:00 am in the main reception area of the school. All students will take a written placement test which enables us to find the appropriate level. (A1 — A2 / B1-B2 / C1-C2). In the afternoon all students will attend the presentation of the courses; after that, a cocktail will be held to welcome the new students.
STANDARD ITALIAN LANGUAGE COURSE: 09:00 — 13:00 , 20-minute break, 11:00 — 11:20.
For homework and exercises you should consider one more hour per day.
All apartments are very close to school: a few minute walk and you are in class!
These books (text & exercises) are used in conjunction with authentic teaching materials such as newspaper and magazine articles, audiovisual materials, and activities inside the classroom.
- «Caffè Italia vol 1-2-3» ELI Edizioni
- «Bellissimo vol 1-2-3» ELI Edizioni
- «Chiaro!»
- «Espresso vol 1-2-3» ALMA Edizioni Firenze
- «Magari» ALMA Edizioni Firenze
- «Contatto» Loescher Editore
You can buy or rent the books. If you choose to buy them you pay 20-30 Euros. If you rent them you pay a deposit of 30 Euros, but at the end of the month — when you return the books undamaged and not written on — we will give 20 Euros back to you (10 euro will be the rent).
Scuola Dante Alighieri teaches according to the Direct Method: from the first day on, at all levels, only Italian will be spoken. Speaking is the most important part of our tuition. Continually promoting the use of verbal communication allows you to learn Italian ‘naturally’, combining theory and practice with no great problems and to increase your knowledge quickly and with confidence.
You are encouraged to practice your spoken Italian in real-life situations, with your teacher, and with other participants, in pairs and groups. In advanced courses written language will also be promoted.
All our teachers are highly qualified. Most of them have studied Italian language and literature at Perugia University mainly in teaching Italian as Second Language. All our teachers have been specially trained in teaching Italian to foreigners (at the University for Foreigners, Perugia and in the University for Foreigners, Siena).
Our school offers both CELI (Certificate of Knowledge of Italian Language issued by the University for Foreigners of Perugia) and DILS (Didactics of Italian Foreign Language) of the Università per Stranieri di Perugia certification exams. www.cvcl.it
SCUOLA DANTE ALIGHIERI RECANATI CERTIFICATE: At the end of each course, students with regular attendance receive the certificate of attendance indicating the level of proficiency attained.
The level of proficiency will be expressed according to parameters and requirements of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages of the European Council.
60% of our students are aged between 17 and 30 seeking to improve their Italian language skills and awareness of Italian culture.
30% of our students are already working; about 10% are business managers and executives of different nationalities. 10% are retired and wish to improve their Italian and familiarize themselves with Italian culture
Scuola Dante Alighieri offers 6 different course levels from beginner to advanced. Each course level usually consists of 20 lessons per week, over a period of 4 weeks. If you are good at languages and you work hard, it is possible to complete the Beginner, Basic and Intermediate levels in 12 weeks. By the end of the Intermediate level we confidently expect you to have developed a considerable knowledge of Italian. Your confidence and feeling for the language should have grown and your range of expressions developed greatly and become more varied.
The town and its surroundings offer a variety of leisure activities, which our students can undertake by themselves.
We also organise leisure activities on a regular basis:
- Informal dinners, which enable teachers and students to get to know each other better;
- Guided visits in the History of Art;
- Film evenings at the school;
- Day and half-day excursions (Roma or Venice, Firenze or Siena, Assisi, Perugia, Gubbio and town of Marche Region);
- Participation to concerts, theater performances, tipical and folk events;
- Visits to wine cellars.
- Sport activities
- Shopping in some of the area outlet shops;
Every month our school shows its own calendar of cultural activities. In this way participants will always be well informed concerning exhibitions, concerts, films and other events. For the weekends we happily advise students on individual trips. All students receive a written guide indicating rail connections, car rental and taxi information, etc.
Free Time
From Recanati you can easily reach other cities leaving from the bus station. Coaches to Rome, Florence, Ancona, Macerata, Foligno, Fabriano, Visso, Perugia and many more. Check in www.contram.it.
Since Recanati hosts many university students, it offers many chanches to enjoy free time; you can check in www.comune.Recanati.mc.it
Culture:
- Theatre
- Cinema
- Cultural events
- Conferences
Museums:
- Musei Civici https://www.infinitorecanati.it/il-circuito/museo-civico-villa-colloredo-mels/
- Casa Leopardi www.giacomoleopardi.it
Libraries
SPORT:
- For jogging lovers, safe urban paths are available.
ALL ABOUT ARRIVAL, TRANSFER AND HOUSING (A - Z)
The apartments are located in the same city area («Centro storico») as the school, so the students can get to school walking just few minutes from home. In this situation you share a flat with other students from our school. Kitchen and bathroom are of communal use for you and your flatmates.
Each apartment (for max 4-5 people) has private entrance, two/three bedrooms, equipped kitchen, bathroom, TV and mobile telephone. Washing machines are also available for the students’ use.
The apartments are furnished and the kitchens are supplied with all essential kitchen utilities (cutlery, plates, pans etc.). You can prepare your meals separately or together with your flatmates and fellow students. (the supermarket is just 50m. away).
60% of the energy expenses (electricity, gas water) will have to be paid separately by the students.
The apartments are cleaned before your arrival. During the stay, you and your flatmates are responsible for the cleaning of your room and of the rooms used communally (kitchen and bathroom).
Bed-linens are provided by the Residence (every change costs 10 Euros), but you will need to bring your own towels.
Food stores are closed on Sundays.
Italy uses a 220 Volts/AC system. Plugs may differ from those in your home country and it’s possible that you might therefore need an adaptor.
To make reservations for accommodation, we need your Application form and deposit (248 euro). Together with the confirmation of the school we will inform you about the exact fee of the selected accommodation. Please pay the total within the first three days upon arrival in Italy. By paying the deposit you accept the accommodation arranged.
Private apartments (i.e. independent flats) are more comfortable than shared apartments and therefore more expensive. They are available for one or more persons. Prices are available on request. Please note that the private apartments must be reserved well in advance and the prices may vary depending on the number of persons. We need your deposit to make reservations.
Please notice: private apartments should be booked in large advance. Price may change according to the number of guests in each apartment.
Hotel Ginestra is a small family owned hotel. It is the building next door from school. It has a restaurant, life and rooms with bathroom. It offers half-board service (breakfast+ lunch OR dinner).
Scuola Dante Alighieri only makes the reservation for you. Payment itself has to be made directly to the hotel receptionist, but we do need your credit card number to make a reservation. Please make such a hotel reservationn well in advance.
We need to be informed at least 7 days in advance of your arrival day and time.
Tel. + 39 071 757 5943 (Secretariat). Mobile Phone: +39 342 7820856 (Anna)
We need to know the exact date and time of your arrival at least 7 days in advance.
Tel. + 39 071 7575943 (school secretary) Mobile Phone: +39 342 7820856 (Anna)
Bed-linen is provided and can be changed for a fee (10 Euros). However, you do need to bring your own towels.
There is a covered car park in the city centre. Our students get a special discount.
Shared apartments: There is no washing-machine in the apartment itself, but you may use the washing machine of the Residence for a small fee. You can use both washing machines and dryers that are in the residence and pay 3,5 euros for every wash (max 5 kg-11 pounds) and 4 euros for the dryer. Otherwise you can go to laundries in town that offer a good service for a convenient price.
You can prepare your meals separately or together with your flatmates and fellow students. (the supermarket is just 50m. away). In every apartment there’s a kitchen with the necessary equipment to cook and eat. You can prepare meals with your friends.
You can find bars and restaurants in town where you can eat a fast snack.
We really only recommend booking a place in a double room for younger people. According to our experience mature people normally do not feel at ease in a double room as they may have to share it with very young people who have different habits and attitudes.
At arrival and departure, we offer the following tranfers:
- from Loreto train station www.trenitalia.it.
- from Fiumicino Intl. Airport (45 euro per person);
- from Rome Termini Station (45 euros per person);
- from Ancona Intl Airport (40 km away from Recanati — 70 euros per person).
We organize all tranfers on the first Sunday at the beginning of the 4-week courses and on Friday at the end of the course. Our bus leaves Rome airport between 4 -4.30 pm. Your flight has to arrive BEFORE 3 pm.
Please email us to check our transfers’ availability. You need to book your seat at least 30 days before the beginning of the course.
Taxis are easily found at the TAXI-ranks which are always in front of the train station and the airport.
In Recanati the cost of living is lower in comparison with other medium or large cities. The average cost for grocery at the supermarket is about 70 euros per week. In Recanati you can also find Eurospin (www.eurospin.it), one of the cheapest supermarkets in Italy. In a bar, a bottle of water can cost 1 euro, a cappuccino 1.30 euro, a beer 4 euros, a slice of pizza 1.20 euro, a sandwich 2 euro, a burger 6 euros. At the restaurant, a pizza plus a soda costs around 15 euros whereas a complete meal starts from 25 euros. A newspaper 1,20 euro, a ticket for a movie 5 euros. Petrol for cars is now 1.90 euros per litre.
Shops in Recanati are open from 9am to 1pm and from 4.30pm to 8pm.
Some shops (i.e. hairdressers, beauty shops etc) are closed on Monday morning.
On Sundays all shops, apart from bars and restaurants, are closed.
Our accommodation is located near the school. Recanati is a small quiet town where you can walk safely day or night, so students can take advantage of the school’s proximity to go for walks, or have a drink and make new friends at the town’s bars and pubs.Close to the school are facilities for football, tennis, basketball, volleyball and bocce.
ALL ABOUT ... USEFUL INFORMATION (A - Z)
- Valid passport or identity card or any valid ID.
- Copies of passport and credit card.
- Telephone numbers to block credit cards in case of loss or theft.
- Tickets and reservations.
- Insurance documents.
- Money and credit cards.
- Medicine and prescriptions.
- E111 form (for citizens from EU countries).
- School Address: Via Passero Solitario, 28 — 62019 Recanati (MC) ITALIA.
- Please inform the school about your date and time of arrival (tel. +39 342 7820856 or +39 071 7575943 or via e-mail: info@scuoladantealighieri.org). And if necessary, arrange your transfer and arrival to school.
Although from the Alps to Sicily the summer in Italy is quite warm, the winter in Northern and Central Italy can be cool; The best weather in the cities is in spring and autumn. Average summer temperatures range from 18°C to 30°C (64°F to 86°F), the average winter temperature is around 4°C to 16°C (39°F to 61°F).
Credit Cards are accepted almost everywhere. You can receive money at Automatic Teller Machines (ATM), if you have an ATM card linked to an international network (Bancomat, Postomat, EC, Cirrus, Plus, Maestro etc.). Mastercard and Visa (with PIN number) may be used to withdraw cash from an ATM machine. Cash from ATM’s only in Euro. You should not forget that the daily amount is limited.
From our ATM’s you can withdraw only EUROS. Usually there is a daily limit to withdrawal. We suggest you to exchange some Euros before coming to Italy.
We can send transcripts to American Universities, where our courses are usually accepted as valid language credits. Please ask us for more information.
You can get further info at: direzione@scuoladantealighieri.org
Italy uses a 220 Volts/AC system.Additionally, wall sockets and plugs may differ from those in your home country. Be sure to get information about the possible need for an adaptor before your departure. You can find an adaptor here for about €7.
When exchanging large amounts of money it is usually better to do it before arriving in Italy. You should also bring cash for the first few days (for the taxi, for purchasing small things, etc.). Avoid changing money in exchange-bureaus because of high commission rates; the best exchange rates are at the bank but they do not exchange money to non-account holders. For a stay of more than 3 months, it may be useful to open a bank account.
Faxes can be sent from the post office, from a lot of stationer’s shops (cartoleria) and from copy shops.
Our students are insured (for accidents) on their way to and accommodation and school, during classes and during organized spare time activities.
Participants are not insured for time outside school and accommodation (spending their free time somewhere).
They are not insured against illness, accident, theft or loss of personal possessions, either by the schools or by those offering the accommodation. We therefore recommend taking out a personal insurance policy.
During your stay in Italy, you must be personally insured against illness and accidents. Citizens from European Union countries are entitled to free medical care in Italy if they hold an E111 form which can be obtained from their local health authority in their home country before departing for Italy.
Students from non-EU countries must enquire with the authorities in their countries to know if they are insured during a stay abroad; if they are not covered, they should arrange health insurance to cover their stay in Italy.
Moreover, participants are advised to insure against loss of fees due to non-arrival, absence or unexpected termination of their course. Contact your travel agent for further details or contact our school.
IMPORTANT COVID-19 INFORMATION: ALL ENROLLED STUDENTS MUST BE FULLY VACCINATED (OR HAVE A RECOVERY CERTIFICATE) AND HAVE A MEDICAL INSURANCE COVERING ALL MEDICAL EXPENSES INCLUDING THOSE FOR QUARANTINE AND HOSPITALIZATION SHOULD THE STUDENT CONTRACT COVID-19 WHILST IN RECANATI.
The email addresses of our school cannot be used to receive private messages.
In the schools there are some computers with which to use the Internet. You can also use your own laptop in the school which connects you automatically with the free WIFI. You can get the password from our secretary.
Recanati has a modern hospital with an Emergency Room. Close to school doctors’ studios, dentists’ and pharmacies are present. Only the first-aid service in the Emergency Room of the hospital is free for anyone who is in need.
You should not forget to bring, if necessary, your own medical prescriptions. During your stay in Italy, you must be personally insured against illness and accidents. Citizens from European Union countries are entitled to free medical care in Italy if they hold an E111 form which can be obtained from their local health authority in their home country before departing for Italy.
IMPORTANT COVID-19 INFORMATION: ALL ENROLLED STUDENTS MUST BE FULLY VACCINATED (OR HAVE A RECOVERY CERTIFICATE) AND HAVE A MEDICAL INSURANCE COVERING ALL MEDICAL EXPENSES INCLUDING THOSE FOR QUARANTINE AND HOSPITALIZATION SHOULD THE STUDENT CONTRACT COVID-19 WHILST IN RECANATI.
Our school is closed on the following national and local public holidays: Easter Monday, April 25th (National Holiday), May 1st (Labour Day), June 2nd (Republic Day), June 15th (S. Vito), August 15th (Assumption Day, called «Ferragosto»), November 1st (All Saints) December 8th (Immaculate Conception). These lessons are not held, not made up nor refunded.
This is not the same for every person but we think that 80-100 Euro per week, in addition to the costs for food, should be enough. Such indication changes according to your habits, needs and necessities.
International telephone calls can be made from all public telephones (in telephone offices, bars, etc.).
The school has a public telephone. In each apartment there is a direct telephone. The country code for Italy is +39. You can even rent an Italian cell phone to receive or make calls. We remind you to bring a phone that works in Italy. To buy a simcard costs 10 Euro whereas a cheap phone 30 euros. Italy’s main mobile phone companies that offer convenient prices to call abroad are Tim and Vodafone.
Vodafone (www.vodafone.it) — TIM (www.tim.it)
There are several night- and Eurocity-day-connections with Italy. Reservations for sleeping car or couchettes should be made as early as possible. www.trenitalia.it.
The closest train station to Recanati is Loreto. It is 10 mins’ drive. It takes about 3 hours to get to Rome (with just 1 change).
Our course location is also easily accessible from the national motorways.
Free parking is available near the school. To rent a car costs around 50-60 euros per day.
AVIS (www.avisautonoleggio.it).
- Our school can be reached from the international airport in Ancona, Falconara (40 km away, or 50min by car from Recanati) (www.ancona-airport.com). Main LowCost companies:
Citizens from the European Union do not need a visa and can enter Italy with an Identification card or Passport. Citizens from other countries should check with the nearest Italian Embassy or Consulate.
If you need a visa to extend your stay for more than 90 days you should apply for a ‘Type D'(student) visa. Scuola Dante Alighieri will provide you, after enrolment and payment of the deposit, with a certificate of enrolment for your visa application.
Italy uses Middle-European-Time (MET):
- Roma: ±0
- Londra: -1
- New York: -6
- Los Angeles: -9
- Tokyo: +8
From the end of March to the end of October clocks go one hour forward in Italy.
NOTE
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