La piccola scuola was born out of two passions. Firstly: teaching Italian to foreigners. Secondly: the passion for a city- Matera. This is our tiny school of Italian language and culture. It is as tiny as the city hosting it. A school with a family and informal atmosphere, where courses are all tailor-made according to our students’ needs- a starting point to get to know Italian culture through its language, places and traditions.
Our goal is to provide a unique experience to those coming to our school, thus allowing our students to immerse themselves into the Italian language and culture and fully enjoy our city. The school is located in the historic centre of Matera. The students will have access to a free wi-fi network as well as magazines and newspapers that can be borrowed throughout their stay in Matera.
One day, some years ago, having accepted a job offer, I found myself in a classroom full of foreign students willing to learn Italian. It was “love at first sight”. After a while I came back to my home town, Matera. I started a different career, but I kept cultivating my passion for teaching. I taught Italian when I could. I further studied to refine my teaching methods. The idea to open my own school of Italian for foreigners started to take shape. This idea then turned into a project. And after a few years it was real: La piccola scuola. I’m happy. I hope you will be too when you come to pay a visit!
Brief educational information
I have a degree in Foreign Language and Literature- University of Naples “l’Orientale”. I obtained Ditals II, a qualification certifying an advanced competence in teaching Italian to foreigners, Foreigners University of Siena. I participated in a workshop named “Insegnare Letteratura” (Teaching Literature)- Laboratorio Itals – Comparative Language and Culture Studies Department- Ca’ Foscari University. Venice. I attended an in-depth online course – Corso filim “Insegnamento dell’italiano lingua straniera” (Teaching Italian as a foreign language) – Ca’ Foscari University. Venice.
Whether students are having a long or a short-term course at La piccola scuola, our goal is to put our students directly in contact with Italian language and culture. All classes will be held in Italian to develop the student’s will and skill to use Italian for communication purposes, learning how to speak, write, listen and read. This is why our teaching material ranges from extracts from fictional novels and newspaper articles, songs, videos and movies. There surely are fun activities, to better remember vocabulary and main grammar rules while playing games.
WEEK END COURSES |
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classes are 50 minutes each, from Friday to Sunday (three hours every morning or afternoon) |
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1 student
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2 students
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3 students
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INDIVIDUAL COURSES |
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classes are 50 minutes each |
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1 hours
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2 hours
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3 hours
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GROUP COURSES |
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classes are 50 minutes each – 20 classes a week (from Monday to Friday, in the morning or afternoon). 8 students at most. |
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1 week
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2 weeks
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3 weeks
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4 weeks
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Declared the Italian host of European Capital of Culture for 2019, Matera is really a unique city. Located in the region of Basilicata, in southern Italy, famous for being the third oldest housing settlement in the world and crossroads of civilizations between Greek and Byzantine cultures. Visitors can find evidence of this in the natural caves of the Murgia plateau, rupestrian churches with old frescos and the ancient town, the “Sassi”, considered World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1993. Besides being the host of museums showcasing the history of the city and its surroundings, from prehistory to contemporary art, the city of the Sassi is a culturally thriving centre that has been featuring exhibitions and events of national and international importance for years. With its increasingly growing forward-looking approach, the city of the Sassi combines a new international outlook, due to the many foreigners who have decided to live in here, with the low-paced life typical of small southern cities, providing a chance for visitors to come in direct contact with the city’s inhabitants.
I had the great opportunity to do a two-month course with Elisabetta everyday for two hours. It was a wonderfully rewarding experience. Because, beyond the great progress I’ve made with the language, Elisabetta was always giving me more cultural insights so that I can use the language at best, in all its subtlety. Thanks to her, I speak Italian fluently. Moreover, her curiosity, her sincere interest in my work and her will to meet my needs, allowed me to deepen my knowledge of my field of activity (namely zero-waste) in italian. Elisabetta is really a beautiful personne, kind, professional and passionate, I can only recommend her to you ! And finally, what better than to learn Italian in the most fascinating city of Italy ? Matera is as wonderful as are the inhabitants that live there.
Cécile, France.
“I took three individual Italian lessons with Elisabetta at La Piccola Scuola in Matera. Before I arrived, Elisabetta asked what I needed to work on and when I got there, she had lessons planned and worksheets printed out. Elisabetta is very professional, knowledgeable and patient. In the three hours we covered a lot of material and I was impressed with how clearly she explained things. The school is in the lovely city of Matera, the European Capital of Culture 2019. If you want to learn Italian or brush up on your Italian language skills in a picturesque southern Italian town, I highly recommend La Piccola Scuola”.
Diane, Usa.
“I had a wonderfully enjoyable and rewarding learning experience with Piccola Scola. Having taken a series of private classes during my visit to Matera, the school tailored them to my individual needs using a creative combination of tools- role play, listening, reading and writing excersises. The school and Elisabetta offered a personal touch and a fruitful understanding of the Italian culture and language, maximising on what exactly I needed from these sessions. I will certainly be pursuing further classes going forward, to further strengthen my knowledge. Thanks to Elisabetta for a excellent introduction to my Italian !”.
Dina, England.
“This was the first time that I took a language course in the country where the target language was spoken (instead of taking weekly classes in my city), and it was the right decision because “Immersion” is so much easier this way. The school is located in a really lovely town and offers a good atmosphere in a nice building. Elisabetta, the teacher and director, is very motivated and it was a pleasure to learn with her. She answered every question we had and took our individual room for improvement into account. I attended a two week course with 4 hours of lessons daily (Monday to Friday), in a very small group of 3. Local people were very relaxed and reacted favourably to our attemps to transfer theory into practice – very important because to learn a language, it needs to be spoken, without fear of making mistakes. – It is easy to move around in Matera, my apartment was only a five minute walk away from the school. There are several museums, lots of restaurants and cafés, and possibilities to make excursions to neighboring places using public transportation. I really hope to come back and improve my Italian skills!”.
Sophie, Switzerland.
La Piccola Scuola really is a small school. When I was there I was the only student for one week and there were two of us during the second. This allows the lessons to be well suited to the personal needs of the students. Elisabetta, apart from being very sympathetic, is a good teacher. I really enjoyed the lessons. Of course, the school is situated in the ancient city center of Matera, which makes it a unique place to learn Italian. I hope to return to this great city and to this school!
Joop, Holland
I recently spent a week studying italian language and culture with Elisabetta at La Piccola Scuola.Elisabetta is very passionate about the language and the town of Matera. She was very patient with my limited italian, was able toquickly assess my level and to design the classes to my best advantage. She was very patient and explained the grammar and theidiosyncracies of the language very well.Matera itself is one of the most fascinating towns I have visited. It is alive with history and there is plenty to do here, visiting the Sassi,the cave dwellings, underground churches and museums.It was a great combination of study and discovery which I highly recommend to others interested in the language and history of Italy.Thank you again, Elisabetta.
Lynda, Australia
Durante la mia vacanza di una settimana a Matera in giugno ho frequentato il corsoindividuale di questa scuola per 2 giorni, 3 ore al giorno.L’insegnante era seria, brava e simpatica. Mi sembrava che a lei piacesse insegnare.Le lezioni sono state interessanti e divertenti. Mi ha preparato i diversi materiali didattici enon mi sono stancata.La posizione della scuola è molto buona, si può vedere il bellissimo panorama del SassoBarisano dalla sua terrazza.
Rie Yoshida, Giappone
Thanks to Elisabetta’s excellent teaching skills and the varied material she provided (texts for reading, film-clips for listening, tasks for writing, but also common, though sometimes challenging grammar-exercises) I think that I have finally succeeded in bridging the gap between my original, rather rudimentary Italian and the more tricky aspects of that language. After the end of my two-week course at La Piccola Scuola I spent some more time in beautiful and stunning Matera and Southern Italy, and it was actually then that I fully realized how much I had profited from what Elisabetta had taught me. Unless people spoke dialect – Elisabetta sets great store on a beautiful “classical” and correct Italian – I understood everyone almost fully and was able to participate in conversations on almost any subject, and even to use some idiomatic expressions. And, stimulated by Elisabetta’s own interest in literature and films, I have now started to read Italian novels – almost fluently – to keep abreast of what I have learnt. Thanks a lot, Elisabetta.
Urs, Switzerland
I’ve come to Matera for three weeks to learn Italian. I couldn’t say much but « Spaghetti » and « pomodoro » when I arrived. In three weeks, I have improved more than I could imagine, thanks to these courses. Elisabetta is an attentive and really kind person and teacher. She is methodic, patient, and encouraging. She does everything for you to evolve in a comfortable environnement. Plus, she is a curious person. Knowing about my work in cinema, she has adapted her lesson to help me learning basis of the cinema language. I have loved going to these classes everyday, and also before/after class sharing about the Italian and the French culture, about the nice spots in Matera and Italia, and having coffee together. Grazie per tutto Elisabetta. Spero che ci rivedremo presto.
Louise, France
Ho frequentato un corso di italiano di due settimane a La Piccola Scuola di Elisabetta in autunno 2017 e sono contentissimo di averlo fatto. Oltre ad aver imparato molto sulla lingua e cultura italiana, mi sono divertito tanto studiando nel nostro piccolo gruppo. Grazie all’utilizzo di materiali e metodi didattici versatili – spaziando dai diversi generi di testi (narrativi, giornalistici), canzoni e video ai giochi divertentissimi – e grazie soprattutto alla professionalità e gentilezza di Elisabetta, è migliorata a vista d’occhio la mia capacità di produrre e capire la lingua italiana.
Consigliatissima!
Saluti da Helsinki!
Timo, Finlandia
Whether it is winter or summer, it is always the right time to come to Matera to learn Italian. In spring, the wheather is warm, days are longer and persistenly sunny. This is the right moment to dine outdoors, walk around the alleyways and narrow streets of the Sassi, or for a hike on the Murgia plateau or discover rupestrian churches. In the summer, open air concerts and shows, music and literary festivals liven up the city’s squares. This is when contemporary scuplture exhibitions open up in rupestrian churches. The religious feast of Madonna della Bruna is also held on July 2. And when it is stifling hot, the beaches on the Ionian Sea, a few kilometres away from Matera, are just the best place to go. In autumn the air becomes crisper, the sun makes way for the rain and the seasons change reveals its evocative charm. A trip to Parco Nazionale del Pollino might offer the chance to admire the foliage before leaves fall to the ground. Who prefers to stay in the city, may choose to explore the warm museums. Winter in Matera is the best time for a peaceful atmosphere. In december visitors can experience the live nativity scene set in the Sassi and enjoy the traditional local dishes in the several city’s restaurants, taking advantage of the seasonal cold weather. This is when the theatre season opens, and some music festivals are also held.
If you want to put your Italian to the test, then try our online test. You don’t really have to. In fact, to detect your level of Italian, we will provide you with a test on the first day of your course. This is going to help us offer you the course that is more suitable to your needs. Please find a brief description of the different levels as for the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages here below
Elementary level:
A1: the student can interact in a simple way, he or she can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has.
A2: the student can communicate in simple and routine tasks and exchange information on familiar and routine matters. He or she can understand sentences and frequently used expressions.
Intermediate level:
B1: the student can understand the main points of clear standard input. He or she can share experiences and events and deal with topics of personal interest using past tenses and give reasons and explanations on familiar matters.
B2: the student can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity with native speakers. He or she can express his/her opinion on different topics making use of a fairly wide vocabulary.
Advanced level:
C1: the student express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. He or she can tackle complex topics and produce clear, well-structured, detailed texts.
C2: the student can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely and can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. He or she can handle a conversation even in the most complex situations.
In case you have any other needs, please complete this form to let us know about them.
La piccola scuola is closed on the following Italian holidays: from 1st December 2019 to 7th January 2020: Easter Monday (22nd April 2019), 1st May, 2nd June, 15th August, 1st November.
via del Corso, 7 • 75100 Matera