Last year I spent a week in Rome visiting Italian Language Schools to find one that best met my needs. My time was well spent. I found Torre di Babele to be an outstanding school that surpassed my expectatons.

The morning of my first visit, I found the school in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood of stately homes just off a major thoroughfare. Viola, a friendly secretary fluent in multiple languages including English, met me at the front desk. Monika, the director, gave me a tour and invited me to visit a classroom. Pasquale immediately made me feel a welcomed part of the class. An hour later, I was certain I’d found my place.

A year later, I returned for a two-month program and found a true “Torre di Babele” of international students of varying ages and backgrounds. Class-size is small. Teachers encourage student interaction. Every instructor understands the continuum of language development from beginner to advanced and adapts lessons appropriately. In addition, the school prepares Italian teachers. Assistants are available. The instructional materials, developed and refined in-house, are the best I’ve seen.

The excellent after-school and weekend programs and tours amazed me. The relationship the school has with the local community facilitates finding student housing, a wonderful advantage in a busy urban center. I can honestly say the school strives to make every aspect of Italian learning meaningful, fun, and well, really outstanding.

If you are serious about learning Italian and want to do it in an engaging, challenging environment, you won’t find a better place than Torre di Babele!

Timmy, Papa Ralph, Stephanie

Seit 3 Jahren verbringt Papa seine ganze Freizeit bei Torre di Babele um dort italienisch zu lernen. In der Zwischenzeit hat er es erfolgreich bis zum Livello 6 geschafft.

Jetzt konnten wir ihn überreden auch uns dorthin mitzunehmen. Dank seiner Vorbereitung konnten wir direkt ins Livello 2 einsteigen.
Natürlich kann er uns auch jede Ecke Roms zeigen. Wenn uns auch Museen und alte Gebäude nicht immer begeistern…es gibt an jeder Ecke eine schmackhafte Pizza oder ein super Eis!

Wir hoffen, dass unser Wunsch in Erfüllung geht und Papa zukünftig hier in Rom lebt und arbeitet. Natürlich müssen wir dazu vorher noch ein paar Italienischkurse bei Torre di Babele belegen. Aber das macht uns riesen Spaß.

Henque Van Maanen a Roma

La scorsa estate ho frequentato due settimane la scuola di lingua italiana ‘Torre di Babele’ a Roma.

Avevo seguito il corso 1&2 di Dante e volevo mettere in pratica tutto ciò che ho imparato. Con l’aiuto di Marianne Havermans della nostra Società, avevo ricevuto una riduzione di cento euro come borsa di studio.

Poiché non avevo scelto un albergo, ma una stanza presso privati, ho suonato alla mia affittacamere romana, una sera molto calda alla fine di agosto. Sono nella terza età ed era una vita fa, che avevo affittato una piccola stanza. Ero nervoso. Ma la signora Carla Malusardi appariva una persona molto simpatica. Viveva con suo figlio di 17 anni, Dario, in un appartamento grande al quinto piano in Via Tiburtina. La mia stanza non era grande, ma avevo uno splendido panorama sulla città di Roma.

Il mattino seguente dovevo presentarmi a scuola alle nove. Ho dovuto passeggiare una mezz’ora. Prima hanno cominciato a testarmi oralmente e per iscritto. Il risultato era livello ‘due’. E allora mi sono trovato in una classe con un russo, uno svizzero, tre messicani e sei tedesche. Le ultime citate erano di Berlino e avevano tutte 23 anni. Poiché si sedevano in fila, ho fatto la mia prima battutta ‘Così siete come il muro di Berlino’. Tutti hanno riso fortunamente…

Dopo quattro ore di lezione in classe , c’era un’ora di lezione individuale, fino a tre persone in un ‘Mini Groupe’. Un docente ripeteva la lezione della mattinata con nuovi esercizi. Insieme al ragazzo svizzero, che aveva studiato psicologia, abbiamo avuto Pasquale come insegnante, un uomo dai molteplici interessi. Per dire, istoria, istoria dell’arte, musica e letteratura. Ho discusso con lui approfonditamente del mio pittore favorito Caravaggio. Pasquale aveva visitato il nostro paese alcune volte, pure il giorno della regina. Mi punzecchiava sempre con il colore olandese arancione. Il tempo a Roma era sempre molto caldo, più di 30 gradi. Perciò il nostro insegnante aveva scelto un chiosco in giardino come nostra aula.

Per tutte le sere la scuola aveva organizzato un’attività, lezioni di pronuncia, itinerari urbani, escursioni (tra l’altro a Ostia Antica), insieme a mangiare fuori, guardare il film “Tutta la vita davanti” del regista Paolo Virzì e un corso di cucina tenuto dalla mia affittacamere a casa sua, cioè il mio domicilio provvisorio. Specialmente per me, perché sono vegetariano, Carla ha trovato delle ricette senze carne, molto carina! È stata una bella serata: abbiamo tagliato, tritato e mescolato nelle pentole e sentito il sapore di tutti i piatti.

Ho imparato molto alla scuola ‘Torre di Babele’, sull’Italia, sulla città di Roma, sulla cultura italiana e un po’di più della lingua italiana. Anche questo anno sono ritornato di nuovo per due settimane ai banchi di scuola a Roma. Per usare un’espressione olandese, non si è mai troppo vecchi per studiare…

Alexandre Genoud, 20 ans, suisse, étudiat à Torre di Babele du 10.05.2010 au 25.06.2010

Rome et l’école “Torre di Babele” forme un duo unique et exceptionnel. Apprendre l’italien dans la bonne humeur et se mélanger aux romains pour découvrir tous les mystères de cette citee mythique avec des amis des 4 coins du monde est une expérience fantastiquement enrichissante.

Per un mese lei si prende cura del giardino della nostra scuola; e in cambio ha un corso d’italiano gratis!!

Um dos meus projetos era estudar, por algum tempo, um idioma no país de origem e consegui, finalmente, realizar (parcialmente) essa minha vontade, em Roma,  por poucas semanas na Escola Torre di Babele.

Eu era, sem dúvida, com mais de 50 anos, a única nessa faixa etária na época em que estive lá. As aulas foram ótimas, intensivas, 4 horas/dia. Os alunos tinham bom conhecimento e os professores eram muito dedicados.

Como projeto é maravilhoso! Como experiên cia só tenho recomendações.

Professores ótimos.
Estudo sério e com organização.
Material prévio muito bem elaborado.
Ambiente excelente.
Compromisso com resultados.
Colegas empenhados em estudar.
Equipe administrativa muito organizada.
Inscrições por internet viabilizadas.

Exigência de um teste prévio para avaliar o grau de conhecimento.

It has nothing to do with the teacher nor the students! They are wonderful and I was welcomed with open arms. This is more the thought of learning something completely alien to me. English is my mother tongue and it shares some phrase similar to Italian. But I feel like a child talking her first steps in an unknown world.

Throwing the ball around as a group helped a lot to ease my nerves and allow me to relax. Relaxing is when you can be begin to take in the information you need.  I still felt like a fish out of water… but it seems I wasn’t the only one looking at my fellow classmates.

In time I hope I will be able to order a coffee without being afraid or sounding completely silly….

Ciao,

DJ

While it has been short, it has totally been worth the while. It was so easy to think when I was back home in the States that I had seen everything; however, there is something about another country that you just can’t find back at home. Whether it is the diverse group of people that you meet or the unique foods that you get to sample, each country is truly an eye opening and fantastic experience.

After five weeks, I have made friends from all over the world. Ranging in location from Melbourne to Munich, my classmates formed an incredibly international group. This diversity made for interesting dinner conversations for sure as we could spend hours comparing cultures and talking about the differences in each of our countries.

My Italian has improved significantly. Definitely the best way to learn a language is through full immersion. Most would say a month is not even enough to scratch the surface of a new language but through the intensive courses and constant practice that is required when going to restaurants or reading signs in the metro, it has become easy to increase my vocabulary and begin to understand grammar. Starting off at Ciao and ending with past participles and imperatives was a huge jump to make in five weeks and it has been really rewarding to be able to have conversations with real Italians and have them actually understand what I am saying!

The experience has been really great, and I hope that one day, I will find myself back in Rome. But just in case, I will be sure to throw one last coin into the Trevi Fountain to secure my future visit!

Pompi

1. Pompi Bar (Via Albalonga, 11 – metro: Re di Roma)
Probably one of the best places ever! This restaurant is known for its fantastic tiramisu. With a variety of types ranging from classic to strawberry or banana, this typical Italian dessert is truly mouthwatering. This spot is also great for a little aperitivo before a late night out as you can grab a plate of food from the buffet along with a cocktail for the bargain price of 8 euros!

2. picnic in Villa Borghese
Sure, you can pay an arm and a leg for a nice meal in Piazza Navona but grabbing some bread and cheese and chilling with some friends in the park is just as nice. Meet up with some friends at Termini Station, grab a blanket and some tidbits to eat in the Conad supermarket in the station, head to the park, and you are good to go. A great, casual way to relax and dine with some friends from school.

Carlo Menta Pizza

3. Carlo Menta (Piazza Giuditta Tavani Arquati – bus: H, first Trastevere stop)
Trastevere is literally restaurant heaven. If you hop off the H bus and follow your nose, one of the first things you are going to stumble across is this fantastic restaurant. With pizzas as low as 3 euros (and this is a big pizza, full plate, and absolutely to die for!), it is not only a nice atmosphere but good for your money. Make sure to save room for dessert – the tiramisu and chocolate truffle here are supreme.

4. Gelateria Giovanni Fassi (Via Principe Eugenio, 65 – metro: Vittorio Emanuele)
This oversized ice cream parlor is a genius creation. The gelateria has been around for over 200 years serving Romans and tourists alike the best gelato in town. With a massive variety of flavors and lots of places to sit down, this is an ideal place to go to with a large group of friends after a nice dinner in the city.

Gelateria Giovanni Fassi

5. Fluid Bar (Via del Governo Vecchio 46 – near Piazza Navona)
If you are looking for something a little more “night out-ish”, then head to the Fluid Bar near Piazza Navona. With a unique ambiance of ice cube shaped chairs and an interesting layout, this is another great spot for an aperitivo. Drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, range from about 6-7 euros a piece and include all you can eat from the buffet. Great first stop on a night out on the town.

The pulse of the city changed quite drastically yesterday as Man U and Barca fans crowded the streets, waving around their banners and chanting songs in restaurants, near monuments, and on the streets.

As the time of the game approached, a group of 15 of us from the school attempted to find a place to sit and watch the game. After a couple minutes of wandering, we found prime seats in a restaurant that served dirt cheap dinners and had a big screen TV right in front of our tables. The group ordered pizzas and drinks, getting ready for the game.

The atmosphere from the kick off onwards was incredible. I have never seen a group of more passionate Barcelona fans in my life. And as the game progressed, two men from BBC started interviewing the group in front of us on their opinions of the game. The chaos was hysterical and unique.

At the end of the game, due to true exhaustion, I headed back to the apartment and slept. However, tales were retold the next day at school of loony fans that escaped past the Rome caribinieri and scrambled up the Trevi Fountain. Apparently quite a sight to see hundreds of fans lining the Piazza and trying to avoid the human barricade created by the police in order to revel in the moment while splashing around in one of Rome’s most famous fountains.

The night was great – getting to experience the atmosphere that is attached with hosting the Champions League final was thrilling and exciting. While completely unattached to the result of the game, it was still a blast to see all the fans cheering (or crying!) throughout the city.