Madrelingua Italian courses in Bologna, Italy

STUDENTS' COMMENTS

Results of questionnaire June 2009

In June 2009 we sent around our ex-students questionnaires asking them to give us ANONYMOUS feedback on their experiences studying at our school. 22 people replied. Here is a summary of the results.

How satisfied were you with the quality of the teaching?
"not satisfied" 5% "satisfied" 24% "very satisfied" 71%
How satisfied were you with the improvement in your level?
"not satisfied"14% "satisfied" 43% "very satisfied" 43%
How satisfied were you with the school's facilities?
"not satisfied" 0% "satisfied" 43% "very satisfied" 57%
How satisfied were you with the price of the course?
"not satisfied" 14% "satisfied" 50% "very satisfied" 36%
How satisfied were you with the accommodation service?
"not satisfied" 8% "satisfied" 38% "very satisfied" 54%
How satisfied were you with the social activities?
"not satisfied" 20% "satisfied" 40% "very satisfied" 40%

We also asked our ex-students:

Would you do another course in Bologna?
"Not Bologna" 9% ""Maybe Bologna" 43% "Probably Bologna" 48%
Would you do another course at Madrelingua?
"Not Madrelingua" 0% "Maybe Madrelingua" 24% "Probably Madrelingua" 76%
Would you do another recommend Madrelingua?
"No" 0% "Maybe" 0% "Yes" 100%

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:

"It was wonderful and the instructors were excellent. "

"Thank you! "

"My e-mails requiring more information were answered quickly and in a friendly way giving a good impression of the school. "

"The school is flexible and adapts itself to the needs of the students "

"Discounts available, excellent website "

"Very enjoyable experience. Great teachers. Nice buzz around the school. Definitely coming back. "

"Lucia, Francesca Piccola and Francesca Grande are wonderful teachers. Stefania you were so lovely and helpful. Thank you. "

"There is a definite feeling of informal efficiency that comes across from the website. It is also very student focussed rather than school and rules focussed. "

"A very good course, very challenging with the tutors giving a lot of energy and support "

"I was already in Bologna and Madrelingua had the best resources, prices and the friendliest staff "

"It shows that the teachers put in a lot of time to ensure that each student is improving "

"I plan on returning to Bologna in the future and probably taking up some private lessons because that's where I saw the most improvement in my Italian "

Results of questionnaire November 2008

In November 2008 we sent around 75 of our ex-students questionnaires asking them to give us ANONYMOUS feedback on their experiences studying at our school. Around 30 people replied. Here is a summary of the results.

How satisfied were you with the quality of the teaching?
"not satisfied" 0% "satisfied" 33% "very satisfied" 67%
How satisfied were you with the improvement in your level?
"not satisfied" 8% "satisfied" 54% "very satisfied" 38%
How satisfied were you with the school's facilities?
"not satisfied" 0% "satisfied" 37% "very satisfied" 63%
How satisfied were you with the price of the course?
"not satisfied" 12% "satisfied" 63% "very satisfied" 25%
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" 17% "satisfied" 37% "very satisfied" 46%

We also asked our ex-students:

Would you do another course in Bologna?
"Not Bologna" 16% ""Maybe Bologna" 32% "Probably Bologna" 52%
Would you do another course at Madrelingua?
"Not Madrelingua" 0% "Maybe Madrelingua" 20% "Probably Madrelingua" 80%
Would you do another recommend Madrelingua?
"No" 0% "Maybe" 4% "Yes" 96%

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:

"I personally visited as many schools as I could find and Madrelingua was friendly, well supported with a library and computers, and the price was reasonable."

"It was a very nice week!"

"I did a lot of online research and contacted several former students via email and received only positive feedback."

"I chose Madrelingua because the story on the website was beautiful and made me want to come in and meet the teachers. After meeting the teachers in person I decided to take classes with the school. I also liked the website because of the amount of information posted. I found it easy to use and it answered all of my questions upfront."

"My husband and I were in Bologna for 2 months and wanted to take Italian lessons. We looked at various courses and yours offered the flexibility that we were looking for. You have a great location too. We wanted afternoon sessions to give us time to exercise in the morning, we wanted a class together even though I can speak manageable French and he doesn't have a second language, we are adult learners AND we weren't doing it for a specific certificate, just general interest."

"We didn't use the accommodation services as we had our own place. Staff and owners were just super and very helpful. Lucia is a wonderful instructor and was very impressive as she juggled our two levels of language experience. She tied in a lot of our everyday life in Bologna with the lessons."

"Madrelingua was a big highlight for us. We appreciated Daniel's offer to sit in on a class to help us make up our minds. We would definitely go to Madrelingua again and have recommended it to others. Social options were great too. My only grumble.. we took the courses in July and it was HOT.. at least for this Canadian. I found the class rooms without air-conditioning a challenge. Fans did help but were dangerous to our papers!"

"I will be back in March."

"When calling the school to enquire, the staff (especially Stefania “Grande”, was extremely helpful and very friendly."

"Your website was comprehensive and easy to use. The student comments really helped me decide to go with you over other schools in Bologna."

"I wanted to come back for some one-to-one lessons to improve my spoken Italian but did not hear back from the school despite having sent the email several times. Not sure what happened. Perhaps another time."

"Francesca was an excellent teacher and we all had fun and learned a lot – even grammar! I would not hesitate recommending your school to others."

"Good location – in the center."

"I had never been to an Italian langauge school before and didn't know what to expect. I was very impressed with Madrelingua, in particular, the very friendly and helpful staff, the quality of the teachers and the social outings. After 4 weeks at the school I found my Italian had improved beyond my expectations and feel the experience was well worth it. I am planning to come back to Bologna next year and would happily do some further study at Madrelingua. Many thanks to all the staff!"

"Your website convinced me that Madrelingua is a reliable and serious Italian language school."

"The general word of mouth on the Net about ML is very good."

"I like languages as much for the new friends and human contact as with the language itself, which is more a hobby/side thing."

"The position of the school in the center is very convenient. The school is welcoming because of the library, the computer room and the atmosphere."

Student comments on Italian courses in Bologna April - June 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 April - June 2008:

Over the years I've attended three schools in Italy, all similar in cost, but Madrelingua was far and away the best for services offered and friendliness of all staff, which in its turn influenced relations among the students.

As a teacher myself, I was very impressed with Madrelingua and my experience there. I would and do happily recommend the school to those considering language study in Italy.

I felt right at home from my first visit to the school, everyone was welcoming and the course, facilities and options were clearly explained. The staff were very professional and extremely helpful in helping me achieve my language goals. The social activities (l'aperativo) were excellent and loads of fun...we even got a little language practise in!

I liked the response from the school to my expression of interest - very quick, very warm and inviting, tolerant of endless questions and small worries.

Madrelingua attained a fine balance between offering a serious academic programme and activities that were great fun even while often being informative. During my time there the age-range of students was very wide but proved to be entirely unimportant both during classes and excursions.

I feel that the social program at the school and all the extra activities offered really enhanced my learning experience. In particular, it was nice that the teachers were involved on a social level, not just with the students in class.

Overall I think the school is excellent. It is run very well and in a professional manner. I would definately come back again for more lessons in the future. Bravo.

I soooooooo enjoyed your course and your school Stefania !!! You and Daniel and of course Paola were very nice and I would recommend your to anyone !!!!

I did a lot of research on the net when trying to find an italian language school and I kept coming back to Madrelingua because the site was well set out and answered most of my questions by navigating around the site. Generally though I just got a good feeling from the site.

I choose the school based somewhat on price, but looking at the website Madrelingua seemed like a good mix of culture and language learning. It was nice to read about the teachers before I started classes. It made the school seem more personable.

I feel the most important aspect to language studies are the quality of the teaching and resourses available. The social programme is important as I found it enriched my overall experience.

There is usually a very good atmosphere at the school. For me it has been a place where I was always comfortable and at ease, due to the very friendly and warm staff.

All teachers dealt extremely well with differing levels of language ability in one class. Even during time out of school we were constantly being taught and staff were very generous with their own time.

E-mail from former student, historian and author, 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."