solemar-sicilia aspra/ mongerbino

At Mongerbino, lessons are dealt outdoors, weather permitting. In this way, the student learns without missing out on the sun and the splendid ocean view. We assure that you cannot find a more appropriate condition for learning. We have a central location with classical modern classrooms. At Cefalù, our students use the rooms of an ancient school, which, today, is partly inhabited by a nuns' order. The school also has an outdoor courtyard. Language courses, of a two weeks medium length (40 lesson units), take place from Monday to Friday in the morning hours. It is possible, of course, to reserve a week only, or to prolong the frequency, having, beforehand, the certainty that the course continuation will seriously consider the knowledge level reached until that moment. The integration into the appropriate groups will be decided through a preliminary written valuation test and a short guided conversation. Usually groups for lessons are formed by 4 - 5 students (max. 8 per lesson).

MONGERBINO and SANTA FLAVIA are located on the gulf of Palermo, a coast line rich in natural beauty with pretty fishing villages, beaches, lighthouses, little ports and enormous rocks thjat form the coast line of the sea such as Capo Zafferano. Aspra and Porticello are two picturesque sea villages with fishermen's houses built in a typical simple architecture. In the large square of Porticello there is a fish market famous for its lively and colourful atmosphere. A scenary that the students attending the language courses will certainly enjoy. Students can choose among different possibilities according to his/her needs such as triple, double and single rooms in apartments with a view of the sea. Such apartments have bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom with shower or bath, and a common dining-room. Every apartment has a terrace with a beautiful view and a private access to the sea. Another possibility is a single room accommodation with an Italian family. It is also possible to book an apartment for which the price, according to size and the season, must be agreed upon on request.

COURSES By booking an "intensive" Italian course (2 weeks - 40 lesson units of 45 min. distributed into 4 lesson units each day), beginners, after two weeks' lessons, possess a wide vocabulary to express themselves and to understand, not disregarding the construction of an excellent grammar basis, seen as a means and not as a purpose, onto which one could continue to build up a serious study of the Italian language. Students with pre-knowledge enrich their vocabulary and learn to go more and more deeply into the beauty of the Italian language. Students of advanced levesl, too, and even teachers of Italian as L2, have the opportunity to attend a course that offers practicing their language skills with our highly qualified teachers. Our school issues a professional certificate at the end of such a course. "Personal" Italian course - 2 weeks' "intensive" course + 10 individual - personalized - lesson units " an individual way to learn Italian even better"… The results you have reached by attending the "intensive" course are even more consolidated during the 10 extra lessons. While getting one-to-one instruction, the student has an opportunity her to practice the vocabulary and the grammar structures he/she has learned during the group lessons. During such personalized lessons, the student can express his/her linguistic needs and thus accelerate his/her language learning process. Italian course "business" - 2 weeks - 6 lesson units of 45 min. per day. For all those people who, for working reasons or personal desire, have decided to learn Italian very quickly, without missing out on the advantages of the group lessons dynamic. "One-to-one” or “one-to-two”: the content and the subject of this kind of Italian language course are tailored to your specific needs and you can use it to develop your general Italian skills further, or you can choose more specific areas, such as Italian for tourism, or for art or for cooking and literature ect... The duration of the course in terms of hours can be decided by students when they fill in the enrolment form. This kind of course suits also children well. "Learning on the job": it is an opportunity for the students, who would like to be awarer of the southern Italy working area, by enjoying a period of work as apprenticeship. This will be the result of a regular language course, focused on the basic Italian business expressions and sentences. DEVELOPMENT: 4 week Italian language course (4 hrs/day + 1 hr one-to-one lesson per day). The course will be improved by a 4 week apprenticeship in a firm, or an office or a service centrer. In town you can find a member of the school in case of “troubles”. In your one-to-one lesson the required business language will be developed as well the content about the future working sector. This is a wonderful combination of daily spoken and business Italian language. Our well trained teachers claim the most extensive experience in the instruction of the Italian language, known as L2 in Sicily, and have a degree in literary subjects. They constantly update their knowledge about current teaching proposals and didactical instruments. They deal with courses of all levels: ranging from that of absolute beginners level to the preparatory one for those who wish to teach the Italian language abroad. The teaching methodology follows the most advanced research lines of glottodidactic and developes, equally, all the linguistic abilities: reading, writing, listening and comprehension and, stressing most of all, fluency in oral production. All didactic materials are provided free of charge by the school.

“Villaggio Santino” in Mongerbino -This apartment complex consists of about 15 two-storied holiday houses in Sicilian country-house style. Particularly charming is the sunny southwest position of the houses, which allows you to relax on the terrace even in the early or late season enjoying the fantastic landscape and, perhaps, the most beautiful sunset in Sicily. The 3-room apartments (4 beds) directly face the sea (a rocky cove with a plateau, very clear sea water); they are adjacent to the school

Our school organizes a free excursion to the ancient remains of Solunto which was one of the main Punic towns in western Sicily, along with Motia and Palermo. According to the students' interests, the school offers cheap entertaining activities such as a Sicilian cookery course, excursions by mountain bike, guided tours in the surrounding mountains, trips by boat, a pottery course, diving course and a guided social cultural tour of Palermo; in addition, the students will also be able to practice some sports and, upon request, we will be glad to organise trips to Erice, Segesta, Etna, Taormina, Agrigento, etc. . . The mildness of Sicily’s climate and the original character of the Sicilian people will make the stay at Mongerbino a unique and fascinating experience.