Madrelingua Italian courses in Bologna, Italy

E-mail from former student, Steve Hendricks

"Avete davvero una scuola meravigliosa, e Stefania era davvero una prodigiosa insengante. Spero che ci incontriamo di nuovo presto.Volevo convidere con ve una recensione che ho scritto su Madrelingua:

A Fantastic Experience - S. Hendricks, 16/05/2008

In April 2008 I had the great pleasure of studying Italian in Bologna at Madrelingua language school and would strongly recommend it. Class sizes were small (during my visit, the smallest had 1 student, the largest 6); the teachers were very smart, well vetted, and dedicated; and the lessons were well tailored to student abilities. They were also completely in Italian. This last should be de rigueur, but how many horrible classes have you heard about--or experienced--where half the time was spent in English? Perhaps what really set Madrelingua apart was that the folks there genuinely cared about whether we were learning Italian and feeling at home in Bologna. Wife Stefania (Italian) and husband Daniel (British) run the school like an extended family. I've rarely felt so quickly at home. One way they achieved this was by breaking up the 4-hour morning classes and taking the entire school out for a caffe'. In addition to getting 30 minutes of practice in unstructured, conversational Italian, we got to strike up friendships with the students and teachers in other classes. It doesn't hurt that Bologna is also a pearl. It has been called Italy’s Berkeley or Boulder, with all the vivacity and great restaurants those allusions imply, but it would be truer to say that most American college towns aspire to be the Bologna of the U.S. The folks at Madrelingua adore their city (the school is in a great building downtown) and offer a great walking tour, as well as nights out at aperitif bars and other places. I could go on, but you get the idea: this is a fantastic place. I hope I get to return soon.

Student comments on Italian courses in Bologna January - March 2008

Here are a selection of comments received anonymously via the Internet from students who completed an Italian course at Madrelingua in Bologna in the period January - March 2008:

I was more than happy with everything at the school and will recommend it to everyone who is interested in learning Italian back in Australia. Thankyou for everything. I will return when I can. Thankyou.
The personnel were responsive to my questions in a prompt manner. The website was well developed. The replies that I received were from a human (Stefania) – some of the other schools did not seem as interested in me. The location was perfect for me as I was living in Centro.
We had been to Madrelingua before and had a wonderful experience. The teaching is excellent and the program is well-designed.
I have recommended Madrelingua to several people already. It hope that at least one of them actually attends.
Thank you to Stefania and Daniel. You have left me with a happy memory of Bologna.

Results of questionnaire December 2007

We sent around 100 of our ex-students questionnaires asking them to give us ANONYMOUS feedback on their experiences studying at our school. Around 35 people replied. Here is a summary of the results.

How satisfied were you with the quality of the teaching?
"not satisfied" 0% "satisfied" 24% "very satisfied" 76%
How satisfied were you with the improvement in your level?
"not satisfied" 6% "satisfied" 52% "very satisfied" 42%
How satisfied were you with the school's facilities?
"not satisfied" 0% "satisfied" 39% "very satisfied" 61%
How satisfied were you with the price of the course?
"not satisfied" 12% "satisfied" 55% "very satisfied" 33%
How satisfied were you with the accommodation service?
"not satisfied" 9% "satisfied" 36% "very satisfied" 55%
How satisfied were you with the social activities?
"not satisfied" 3% "satisfied" 45% "very satisfied" 52%

We also asked our ex-students:

Would you do another course in Bologna?
"Not Bologna" 16% ""Maybe Bologna" 44% "Probably Bologna" 40%
Would you do another course at Madrelingua?
"Not Madrelingua" 3% "Maybe Madrelingua" 12% "Probably Madrelingua" 85%
Would you do another recommend Madrelingua?
"No" 0% "Maybe" 9% "Yes" 91%

Thanks to everyone who took the trouble to reply! We rely appreciate your comments.

Many of those who replied to our questionnaire added their own comments. Here are some of them:

"My experience at Madrelingua was wonderful. The quality of the teaching and the friendly environment was first rate. We are retuning this year and I have recommended Madrelingua to a friend."

"I liked the flexibility of being able to do any course, at any level, for any time - even as short as one week."

"The building was impressive and the classrooms looked bright and airy. I selected your school having surveyed others in Bologna, which seemed much less up to date."

"Stefania was a fabulous teacher.. Such dedicated people are so hard to find these days in any profession."

"I was in Bologna and I wanted to do an Italian courses, so in searching for schools I visited Madrelingua and I liked the school, especially because of the possibility of arranging a course according to my needs."

"I really enjoyed the time I spent learning Italian in Bologna. The atmosphere in the school made the learning experience enjoyable."

"I have been to schools in Florence. I like Bologna much better because there are not a lot of tourists. The food is fantastic, and the city is vibrant because of the university. The city feels safe and it's one of the best rail hubs so you can get to other cities easily."

"The owners, Stefi and Daniel, make the school like a home away from home. The atmosphere is warm and friendly. They are so helpful."

"This is by far the nicest language school I have seen in Italy, because it is not as comercial as other schools. It is family run (as an Italian school should be), it is central and in a nice area."

"The thing that I liked and enjoyed the most was the close and friendly relationship between school staff and the students. I would definitely choose this school again."

"You organised some very good social activities in which I could learn and practise my Italian...The teachers who joined those activities were nice and friendly."

"Thank you for your sincere attitudes to your students. I really appreciate your quality teaching."

"The school was conveniently located in the middle of the city."

"I am studying Italian at university and when I got home I recommended your school to all of the others, and to my faculty, because I was so satisfied with every aspect of the course."

"The teaching was excellent at Madrelingua. I felt really welcomed and cared for, like part of a family. Bologna is a lot of fun with many friendly people. I had the best time there and it would not have been possible without the Italian I learnt form Madrelingua. Highly recommended!"

"Madrelingua seemed the best choice geographically and because of the class size to learn Italian without any prior knowledge and to be able to see a good amount of Italy. We are coming back to Madrelingua this spring. I hope to improve my Italian significantly and to take full advantage of the good teaching and Bolognese hospitality."