What they say about us: Italian Society’s group Amicizia study holiday

The language school (il Faro) was in the centre of the old part of the village and proved to be of very high quality indeed. The group was divided in three depending on the level of tuition required. All members felt their Italian improved as the lessons were well suited to their existing language ability.

This Easter a group of Amicizia members from Sligo and Dublin, totalling 20 in all, made their way to the resort village of Caorle between Venice and Trieste. The area is unlike any of the places visited in previous years- resembling parts of Holland and Belgium rather than the usual Umbrian-Tuscan scenery. Long sandy beaches interrupted by lagoons that stretch for miles into the interior, small settlements based on cultivation of the flat canal drained fields, small scale fishing from the shallow Adriatic, wine making and of course tourism. The group arrived on Easter Sunday so the following day ( la Pasquetta) being a major holiday for Italians brought large crowds to the village. The hotel on the beach used by the group was full for a few nights but later things quietened down and Caorle took a deep breath before the summer season.

Several trips were made to surrounding places of interest. Close to Caorle is one of the largest areas in Italy for the production of organic wine and the group took a bus to visit the farm of the Piccinin family "Le Carline". Naturally a sampling of the produce was needed. Members were surprised to find this winemaker has a delicious white wine labelled "AMICITIA" the Latin version of the name of the society. The excursion to Venice was by ferry from Punto Sabbioni to Piazza San Marco which was a delightful way to reach the old town of Venice which is so incantevole that it simply defies description.

Some members went to Trieste, a frontier city with notable historic overtones, others went to Portogruaro closer to Caorle. A private coach was hired to visit Padova, site of one of the oldest universities in Europe.

(The Sligo Champion News)

lodging for students of Il Faro - Caorle

Although accommodation is not included in the price of tuition, the staff of the school is available to help students find suitable accommodations, at special rates, in one of the many hotels and apartments in and around town. Here are some sample prices.

Please bare in mind that lodging in single room in shared apartment may not always be available.

hotel	per person per night
Prices B&B (solutions including lunch and dinner are also available)
2 star hotel	from 25 Euros
3 star hotel	from 35 Euros
4 star hotel	from 55 Euros

APARTMENTs	per person per week
Single or double room, with kitchen and bathroom/WC; towels and linens are provided	from 120 Euros
Private apartment in LOW SEASON (towels and linens are provided)	from 120 Euros
Private apartment in HIGH SEASON (July and August) (towels and linens are provided)	from 400 Euros

Lison-Pramaggiore D.O.C. Winery Tour

Veneto is a region renowned worldwide for its excellent wine production (soave, bardolino, valpolicella, prosecco are just a few of the numerous Veneto wines). Just outside of Caorle is one of Veneto most important D.O.C. area, the Lison-Pramaggiore D.O.C., where D.O.C. stands for Denominazione di origine controllata that is wines with appellation of quality. We visit one of the area’s cantine (winery). We explore the process of wine production, the history and peculiarity of the region, and we enjoy a tasting of the local famous Tocai, Cabernet and Pinot Grigio.

summer 2012

LANGUAGE COURSES

A1. Intensive courses (20 weekly lessons) divided in 4 skill levels (beginner, intermediate 1 and 2, advanced)

A2. “Senior” courses (10 weekly lessons) also divided in 4 levels, designed for the more mature student who wishes to learn in an age-homogeneous group.

A3. “Junior” courses (10 weekly lessons), for children 5 years and older, that combine the learning of Italian with the fun of recreational activities.

A4. Conversation courses (10 weekly lessons) focused on oral communication in order to improve the understanding of the language and verbal fluency.

A1, Intensive Group Courses (20 weekly classes)
Language courses in small groups of a maximum of 6 students. Four daily lessons of 50 minutes each, structured in 4 levels of difficulty:

• Beginner: Here you will find Italian for absolute beginners. We will cover grammar, conversation, reading, and listening comprehension exercises.
• Intermediate 1: Best suited for advanced beginners with a good command of the essential language structures.
• Intermediate 2: Geared toward those who have a good Italian vocabulary and grasp of the grammar, but still wish to improve in conversational and writing skills.
• Advanced: A must for those who have already mastered the language and want to focus on more advanced and specific language problems. Here special attention is given to syntax and style, with more intense conversational exploration.

The intensive group language courses aim to develop all four the language skills (reading listening, speaking, and writing) by equally combining grammar study and communicative approach. The course is structured in a four week period. At the end, the student may, after taking an assessment exam, pass to a higher level of difficulty.

A2. Courses "Senior" (10 weekly lessons)
This course is specifically designed for a more mature kind of student who wishes to learn in an age-homogeneous group of fellow students, and with a program specifically designed in topics and structure for an older audience. Available in different levels. Ten weekly lessons of 50 minutes each, either in the mornings or in the afternoons.

A3, Courses "Junior" (10 weekly lessons)
Our courses for "young learners" combine the learning of Italian with the fun of recreational activities. By using games, songs, drawings, the teacher leads the young student to the new language in an amusing and creative way. The child's learning progresses are constantly monitored and the highly qualified teachers guarantee excellent results in a safe and caring environment. Ten weekly lessons of 50 minutes each, either in the mornings or in the afternoons.

A4. Conversation Course (10 weekly classes)
This course is focused almost exclusively on the oral communication to improve the understanding of the language and verbal fluency. Great attention is given to pronunciation, intonation, and elements proper of Italian spoken language to achieve a nearly native modulation of the language. Ten lessons per week of 50 minutes each, either in the mornings or in the afternoons.

And if you are looking for something special, please do not forget to check also our special focus classes and private lessons.

Our fellowships

Each summer (from June to September) the Center for Italian Language IL FARO offers the following fellowships:

One (1) fellowship for each European or Non-European Academic Program of Italian

Two (2) fellowships for each Italian Institute of Culture (IIC) worldwide

Each fellowship equals to 50 percent reduction in the cost of a four-week standard intensive course. The Intensive Course is structured in 4 daily lessons for a total of 20 lessons weekly.

Students who are awarded the fellowship pay half the price of a full month course. Students are still responsible for travel and accommodation expenses.

Each department and IIC must have to recommend the deserving student directly to Centro IL FARO via email. The student nominated must then contact Il Faro via e-mail (info@ilfarolingua.it), send an application form and a letter of recommendation.

Centro IL FARO will then confirm to the student the awarded fellowship.

Italian Review with Mina

Let’s practice subjunctive and conditional tenses with this amazing song by the famous Italian singer Mina.Try to fill the blanks on your own and then check if you were right by watching and enjoying the video!

SE TELEFONANDO

Lo stupore della notte

spalancata sul mar

ci sorprese che eravamo

sconosciuti io e te.

Poi nel buio le tue mani

d'improvviso sulle mie,
è cresciuto troppo in fretta

questo nostro amor.

Se telefonando

io (potere)_____________ dirti addio

ti (chiamare)_____________ .

Se io rivedendoti (essere)_____________ certa

che non soffri ti (rivedere) _____________

Se guardandoti negli occhi (sapere)_____________

dirti basta ti (guardare) _____________ .

Ma non so spiegarti che

il nostro amore appena nato

è già finito.

Se telefonando io(potere)_____________

dirti addioti (chiamare)_____________ .

Se io rivedendoti(essere)_____________ certa

che non soffri ti (rivedere) _____________

Se guardandoti negli occhi(sapere)_____________

dirti basta ti (guardare) _____________ .

Ma non so spiegarti che

il nostro amore appena nato

è già finito.

Music is one of the pleasures of life

Science has discovered that music produces dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter of the sense of pleasure in those neural areas where pleasure sensations are elaborated. Obviously, only our favorite music can produce this kind of effect.
The discovery has been made by the Valorie Salimpoor team from the McGill University of Montreal and has been published in "Nature Neuroscience". The experts have proved that, while we listen to our favorite music, our heartbeats get modified, so as the breathing frequency and the body temperature. It has also been demonstrated that we just need to know that we are going to listen to our favorite song, to unleash all the pleasure reactions inside our brain.

So, set your favorite CD, play your favorite song, enjoy it!