Italian Immersion Programs
Learn Italian while discovering Abruzzo
Imagine living a week in close contact with the nature of Abruzzo and local people, having conversation with artisans and farmers who keep traditions alive. Then, you will learn how to cook typical recipes and to appreciate a good wine from Abruzzo. With a professional guide, you will walk on mountain paths, encountering hermitages, lakes, castles and mediaeval villages on your way. All this through activities and lessons to improve your Italian with the guidance of Daniela, your Italian teacher, who will be with you most of the day. You can live all this and much more, by joining the next Italian Immersion Program in Abruzzo!
How are the Immersion courses structured?
Italian lessons
During the morning lessons you will learn various aspects of the language through activities focused on a specific topic regarding Abruzzo. In this way you will be well prepared for the outdoor activities.
Outdoor activities
The suggested outdoor activities will depend on the season. Every season in Abruzzo offers a variety of experiences: e.g. saffron and grape harvest, hiking, truffle hunting, Christmas markets, cheese making, etc. During the outdoor activities you will have the chance to experience and practice first hand what you have learned during the morning lessons.
Local culture
Discovering the local culture is the focus of the Italian Immersion Program. You will become an “abruzzese” for a week!
What makes Abruzzo so special is that there are plenty of seasonal customs still passed down through generations, following ancient methodologies.
I am an absolute beginner, can I join the immersion program?
This course is perfect for those who already have a grounding of Italian and would like to improve it while discovering Abruzzo. Lessons and extra activities will be in Italian, so you need to have some knowledge of the language (minimum A2 level according to the CEFR) to take the best out of it and enjoy it at its fullest.
Italian immersion prograMS
Spring school 2023
May 14th - 20th 2023
Spring is the best season for those who like to see nature blooming and appreciate the diversity of flowery plants. This season is full of activities related to the awakening of nature and the animal kingdom.
3 hours of Italian lessons per day (from Monday to Saturday – welcome aperitif on Sunday evening)
Some of the suggested extra activities
Learn Italian while…
• hiking in the blossoming mountains from Calascio up to the mediaeval fortress
• visiting the frescoed Oratorio of San Pellegrino (the so called Sistine Chapel of Abruzzo)
• visiting Navelli, the village of the saffron
• oil and wine tasting in a family-run farm.
Deadline for registration: March 31st 2023
Summer school 2023
July 9th - 15th 2023
Abruzzo is the region to be during summertime to find relief from the humid heat and from the mass tourism. Lakes, mountain trails and mediaeval villages are waiting for you for a summer in contact with nature!
Some of the suggested extra activities
Learn Italian while…
• visiting the ancient village of Scanno with its beautiful lake
• discovering the local goldsmith art
• talking with one of the last shepherds in Abruzzo during a cheese workshop
• hiking in the suggestive mountains of Campo Imperatore and Gran Sasso
Fall school 2023
October 15th - 21st 2023
The fall season is very special in Abruzzo. Mountains are colored with warm shades, the temperature is usually mild and there are plenty of activities related to the harvest and the farming world.
Some of the suggested extra activities
Learn Italian while…
• having a walking tour in L’Aquila
• walking from the village of Rocca Calascio up the mediaeval fortress
• picking the saffron (the so called “red gold of Abruzzo”) in the tiny village of Navelli
• hunting and tasting truffle
• cooking traditional recipes together
• tasting and learning to appreciate wines and oils from Abruzzo
Winter school 2022
December 11th - 17th 2022
3 hours of Italian lessons per day (from Monday to Saturday – welcome aperitif on Sunday evening)
Some of the suggested extra activities
Learn Italian while…
• walking in the woods and visiting a shrine set in stone
• visiting the frescoed Oratorio of San Pellegrino (the so called Sistine Chapel of Abruzzo)
• tasting and learning to appreciate wines and oils from Abruzzo
• discovering the “transumanza” (the traditional migration of the sheep)
• wool weaving and dying course in the mediaeval village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio
• cooking traditional recipes together
Deadline for registrations: November 5th 2022
“Aquila was a fine town. It was cool in the summer at night and the spring in Abruzzi was the most beautiful in Italy. But what was lonely was the fall to go hunting through the chestnut woods. The birds were all good because they fed on grapes and you never took a lunch because the peasants were always honored if you would eat with them at their houses.”
Additional informations
The price for the Italian Immersion Program is 450 €.
This includes:
• 18 hours of group lessons in classroom: 3 hours per day, from Monday to Saturday
• outdoor Italian lessons taught by Daniela during various moments of the day (e.g. practical activities in Italian, games, conversing…).
• didactic material and certificate of attendance
• welcome aperitif
All the other costs and services, that are not stated in the item ‘Costs’, are not included in the Italian Immersion Program fee and are considered as extra costs. Daniela Gentile does not provide any service other than the Italian lessons.
All the necessary arrangements for the trip, for example hotel reservation, flight tickets, train tickets, restaurants, etc., will need to be booked and paid by yourself.
Please wait for the confirmation that the minimum number of participants has been reached (and the Italian Immersion Program will start), before making any other booking.
The costs for the suggested extra activities (such as city tour, excursions, transportation within Abruzzo to reach the surrounding villages, oil/wine tastings, etc) are also not included in the Italian Immersion Program fee and they will be paid by you on site directly to the person/entity responsible for providing the related good/service.
Based on the previous editions, a rough estimate of the cost for the extra activities is around 300 € per person. Please take in mind that this is only an estimate to give you an idea of the costs for the extra activities. These costs are, in fact, highly dependent on the number of participants and the providers of the services.
Gentilmente School does not arrange the accommodation directly. However, you will receive some tips about recommended accommodations close to the school.
