I spent July in Tuscany going to school at La Scuola Toscana, a school that provides not only great…read moreeducation of a beautiful world language, but also of a rich culture.
First off, I should let you know that I am not a beginner in my travels or in my personal education, and that I come from the US where we have incredible customer service. I am also an educator. I must say that this administration, as far as European administration goes, is superior in its customer service. They are sensitive, efficient, and genuinely kind even to difficult students. Specifically, there was a clerical error with my tuition. I was panicked as I didn't speak the language fluently and realized how difficult this situation could be. Fortunately I saved all the necessary documents (as one should) showing that I had already payed. As I approached the desk asking about the notification, documents in hand and ready to 'prove' my case, the director simply stated that he was sorry, and that it was a filing error on their end, and there was nothing to worry about. No questions, no proof needed, and nothing but smiles and relief on their end.
Also they have a 'welcome' package all ready for their new students. It's full of little tidbits that will help you get through the first few weeks on your own. So thoughtful! They make you feel welcome, are very sensitive to any anxieties you may have about being there, and can manage different levels of fluency in Italian seeing as the administration speaks a great deal of other languages fluently. (I personally witnessed, not only English, but Japanese, Spanish and Hungarian.)
Secondly, the scaffolding of the educational system is very well done. There were classes for beginners of all levels, intermediate studiers, and even for those who wanted to master the language. Outside of grammer and conversation, are myriad classes to take, I chose the COOKING class with Signora Fiammetti. I have to say that this cooking course was far superior to any of the cooking courses I attempted to take in France. When I tried to do my research to find a place in France to do this, I found that either the prices were outrageous OR the skill level of the educators in the kitched were disappointing either in the language pedagogy OR in the skills/products used or made in the kitchen. Neither of these were true about the cooking course I took. Signora Fiammetti is a professionally trained chef/caterer, raised in Tuscany/Italy and trained in Paris. Her organization was unbeatable, exceptionally well paced, and her tips on cooking were among the top I have ever seen. I am no stranger to the kitchen, but she was able to give me a very wide range of tips, even on the basics of cutting an onion, or tearing basil. The 4 course meals we prepared were unbelievable in the subtleties of flavors and the colorful presentation of food. If you are a lover of food and cooking, I highly HIGHLY recommend this as an option. I also have to say that our course had about 3-4 people in it, and of different levels of fluency in Italian. No matter! We still spoke whatever level of italian we were equipped with, and her patience and teaching skills still helped us learn while we were cooking! Incredible!
Lastly, the teachers were so well adapted for their subject matter. One member of my family was in the beginners level, while I found myself in the advanced group. The instructors for beginners had, for people just getting used to the language, teachers with an unparalleled amount of patience, kindness, organization and genuinity. The advanced group had teachers that were of university-level brilliance in their subject matter (literature, language, etc.) and while at times their pedagogy seemed unfamiliar, I found myself challenged not only on a linguistic level, but an intellectual level as well. The extra tours with Caterina were fantastic!!!
Areas of improvement:
Air conditioning: During the hot months (and I imagine the same of the cold months) the lack of air conditioning made the learning particularly difficult for everyone in the class.
Pedagogy (differentiated instruction for different groups taught) schoolwide is probably needed on a small level. Therefore it might be a good idea for the administration to sit in on all classes from time to time to comment on style of instruction and just to provide feedback. Also, perhaps all the teachers get together periodically to discuss methods. I feel that it would improve the solidarity of the school and increase the available methodologies of instruction between teachers. Strengths of each teacher can benefit the entire school in this way.
In summary, I would easily go back to this school. The school is unbelievably rewarding for anyone wanting to learn about not just Tuscany, but Italy in general! Put this on your list!
