Our school is inspired by the Court of Frederick II, actually, it will bring you a perfect mix of language and culture in the most lively city of the island.
Dedication, Involvement, and Sharing are the keywords that accompany our mission every day. Our courses were build up every year and our Italian school became the best choice to study Italian in Catania.
Our Italian language school has 5 classrooms, a multimedia room, wi-fi, a library with the possibility to rent a book and a coffee break area, you can make coffee and tea for free.
Classes have a limited number of students (max. 7 students per class) to give us the possibility to pay particular attention to each student and their learning path. Classes are given in large, bright, air-conditioned and pleasant classrooms, where students will work in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, you can also use the elevator to arrive at the school. The school is a pet-friendly place, bring your dog with you, it will be happy to stay with you.
Why choose our Italian language school in Sicily
Young and highly motivated professional teachers
* Italian classes in Italian or in Spanish/English for beginners
A whole range of free activities offered for students to gain insight into the Italian culture (1 activity per week
organized in the afternoon)
The opportunity of getting new friends
Coffee break every day provided by the school
Didactic material and copies
An enjoyable place for your holidays
A region full of history, culture and traditions
Delicious food and excellent wine
All levels of Italian offered the whole year round
Small study groups
Friendly and helpful staff to give each student personal attention
Athena school was established in 2012 and since then is offering high-quality Italian language & culture courses for non-native speakers.
The school is located in a historical mansion right in the heart of Catania, amid his picturesque baroque palaces and his colorful alleys full of life and charm, and just a few steps from the Ionian sea. Studying Italian while fully immersing yourself in this unique environment will provide you with a closer look at the fascinating world that revolves around Italy, his history and heritage, his art and his tasteful cuisine. Studying Italian with us will give you access to all of this and a lot more. Now then, what are you waiting for? Let’s explore Italy together!
We people of Athena firmly believe in communication, and that's why our Italian courses use the ‘communicative approach’, a unique method in language teaching, which emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of study. Hence studying Italian with our qualified teachers will provide you with solid training in grammar combined with a strong focus on effective interaction patterns, specifically studied to improve your communication skills.
Learn Italian & live in your private teacher's home around Catania with Home Language International!
Home Language International (HLI) is a family-run business offering language courses in more than 20 languages in over 30 countries worldwide, including Italian lessons at an experienced private teacher's home in Italy. More than 5,000 students take advantage of our services every year. Ian Josephs, Danielle Josephs, their 5 adult children and an expert team of dedicated staff all put in very long hours for HLI.
You stay in an experienced teacher's family home, have one-to-one Italian lessons and then continue to use the language during the rest of your stay in Catania. Because you are the only student, you are guaranteed individual attention. The lessons are completely designed for you, so the teacher will focus exactly on what you need. Mealtime conversation, television and social contacts are all in Italian.
All of our teachers in Italy have a university degree (or equivalent) and/or a recognised teaching certificate. All teachers have been visited by one of our local organisers. Their qualifications have been checked and their homes throughly inspected. During your stay in Catania, a local organiser will monitor your progress and make sure your experience is both happy and successful.
Home Language International (HLI) is accredited by the Accreditation Body for Language Services (ABLS), Association of Language Travel Organisations (ALTO), and UNOSEL.
GIGA – INTERNATIONAL HOUSE offers Italian language courses from the Absolute Beginner level (A0) to the high proficiency level (C2) according to the European Framework for Languages.
Language courses are offered from 1 week up to 1 year length. An online written test will be sent before arrival. Oral and understanding skills will be tested on the day of arrival.
A Certificate of Attendance is issued at the end of each course.
The school also offers Exam Preparation Courses for CELI, CILS and PLIDA exams.
On top of the Italian language courses, our school offers a large selection of Extra Courses (cooking, wine tasting, diving, hiking, ceramics) to be added to the Italian language course.
We also organize a fantastic 30+ program named “The UNESCO Gran Tour of Sicily” for those who never visited Sicily before and would like to know and visit as much as possible about Sicily in 2 weeks only.
The school also organizes a Home Tuition Program where you can live and study in your teacher’s home.
