What they say about us:



>>> WEB SITES:

www.inabbondanza.com

>>> Agents:

"The welcoming atmosphere found at La Lingua La Vita warms the heart like the sunflowers which grow in the beautiful countryside surrounding Todi. All my students have always felt at home here, staying in elegant, comfortable apartments while at the same time quickly improving their knowledge and understanding of the Italian language. I am very happy to work with La Lingua la Vita.”
Emanuela Vinciguerra 725 Coleman Ave. Menlo Park, Ca 94025 - Usa

"All my students learn very quickly while having fun at the same time. They tell all their friends of how fascinating Todi is and of the beautiful atmosphere found in the school. We are already organizing a group for next year!"
Michael Russo, Private Instructor coordinating study-travel programs to Italy, Miramar, Florida USA

>>> STAMPA:

Gael Mustapha Green Valley news and sun
Usa 26 Aprile 2000
"The occasion of my visit to Todi, Umbria, was not to visit Italy as a tourist, but to experience a full immersion in the language, culture and arts with opportunities to meet and interact with resident Italians..." (read the article)

Teri Ann Bengiven June 2001
"Altre Voci" Newsletter of the Italian Cultural Society
Sacramento, CA 95818 - USA
I went to Italy for the first time last March. I was headed to Todi, an ancient Etruscan-Roman town in Umbria, population 20,000. Why Todi , you may ask” (read the article)

>>> FORMER STUDENTS:

I have attended six language schools in Italy and my favourite by far was "la Lingua la Vita" in Todi. The teachers were all enthusiastic, friendly, and professional, the lessons interesting and well-organized, and the classes small. The atmosphere at the school was very warm and friendly, and I felt like part of a family there.

Having travelled to Italy about a dozen times and having seen every region from north to south, I now visit Italy not expecting to be surprised. But my first trip to Todi was a shock. I have never in my life seen a city half as beautiful, though I have seen many beautiful places in Italy. I cannot recommend the location enough. Todi is quiet, friendly, and easy to get around---everything is within walking distance. If you are interested in travelling to Italy for the food, Todi’s restaurants will keep you happy. If you have already spent any time in Italy, you do not need to be told that Umbria is the greenest and most beautiful region, and a great place to drink wine. If you lack the time to drive from vineyard to vineyard, you can sit in the Piazza del Popolo in Todi and sample the wines there. Todi is a magical place that everyone should see at least once before they die.

When attending language schools in Italy, I have always allowed the school to arrange my accomodation---with decidedly mixed results. I am happy to say that the apartment that was arranged for me by the school in Todi was excellent---large, clean, beautiful, and with a lovely view. Thanks to all of the staff at "la Lingua la Vita" for an outstanding vacation!
Steve Clark
Canada

It has been nearly a year since I was in Todi attending La Lingua La Vita and I look fondly back on that time. At the time I arrived in Todi I had been learning Italian for a few years in the United States and my hope for attending a school in Italy was to learn the language continuously while I was away from home. With this in mind I had the goal of not speaking English during my entire time in Italy at school. I can say that La Lingua La Vita helped me more than reach these ambitions of learning and speaking Italian while I was in Italy.
I have many good memories of my time in Todi. From the moment that I arrived, the family arranged for me to stay with was warm and friendly. Over my time with them they were always quite willing to chat with me and to help me understand their way of living. We discussed many parts of life from family matters, to politics and history, and even to television game shows and they were always patient with me during the times that I struggled with my Italian. Clearly they understood that I was learning the language and they encouraged me constantly. I found their warmth and acceptance to be true of most of the people that I met in Todi, with the owner of the Caffè on the ground floor of the school being of special note. She made a point of engaging with me and the students of the school and introduced us to all of her other patrons, who from that point on would visit with us on the streets and in the shops.
In my opinion the city of Todi is a great location to attend a school. It is old, charming, and very clean, and it can be explored completely on foot. However, it is not so small that there is little to see. I passed much of my free time walking the city and seeing the interesting buildings and sites, as well as enjoying the breathtaking views of the surrounding Umbrian landscape.
As to the school itself, I found it to be ideal for me. It is small with a lively and friendly staff. The teachers were fun to learn from and made the class time enjoyable. The number of students per classe was small and the capabilities of the students worked well together. All of the students were diligent in preparing themselves for lesions, thus the time together in the classroom was quite productive. The rapport between the students and with the teachers was terrific, even though the only language that we had in common was Italian. From the lesions and the informal times together with the teachers, I believe that I was able to increase my ability to speak Italian to a level that was much higher than would have been possible through another learning experience. Even to this day I still refer to my notes from my time in Todi and these when I review them, give me the assurance that I am using the language correctly.
Since returning from my days in Todi I have continued to attend Italian lesions weekly. While these help me to improve my abilities with the language, it was my time in Todi that permitted me to reach a much higher level with the language than I could have obtained otherwise. For this and for the friendly atmosphere of the school and the city, I am grateful to La lingua La vita. It is a school and a program that was right for me and many times I have thanked the head of the local Italian school for having recommended it to me. Additionally, many local students of Italian have asked me of my experience at La lingua La vita and to each I have given an enthusiastic account and have recommended it to them. As to other students, those who would like a small, friendly, and relatively informal school, in an environment that is supportive of learning during the entire day, I can happily recommend to them La lingua La vita.
Duncan B. Pitcairn
Pennsylvania USA

At the end of each course our students are asked to fill out a feedback form which indicates, in detail, the level of satisfaction of all services rendered. In the section dedicated to final comments, we usually find expressions of esteem - some of which are very funny! More than being purely boastful, however, these represent for us a constant stimulus to improve all aspects related to our courses. Below are a few selections:

« Bonsoir,
Un petit mot pour vous dire que tout TOUT c’est tres bien passe et que ce sera sans objections que je recommanderai votre « école »
Le logement, la nourriture, le service et surtout les 2 charmantes instructrices tout a été parfait.
Bien merci, Jc »

"The teachers at La Lingua La Vita are excellent! Their coordination of language courses and free time is efficient and fun! I can’t wait to come back to Todi!"
Susanne Eckstein (Tuebingen- Germany)

"I am very pleased with my stay at Todi and to have studied at La Lingua La Vita. My husband and I lived with a family in Todi’s center. They were so kind and the lady of the house is a great cook. We were invited to take part in their social life, we had lots of fun and we had the chance to speak Italian all the time!"
Renate Holley (Vienna-Austria)

"I began studying Italian because I was interested in the culture, especially Renaissance art, lyric operas and cuisine..." (read the article)
Yasuko Hatanaka – Tokyo

>>> INSTITUTES AND UNIVERSITIES

"It is my pleasure to write a letter of recommendation for La Lingua La Vita which I became acquainted through the director of the school, Dr Stefania Belli. I have known the school for five years, first when I was a guest professor for the Pennsylvania State University in Todi, and then as the head of the Moore College of Art program abroad. When I first met Stefania, she was the coordinator for the Pennsylvania State University Program in Todi, a complex job involving finding compatible families for housing Penn State students, and arranging an educational travel itinerary and the transportation to support it. I was so impressed with her intelligence and personality that I asked her and the school to help me organize a program for my College. My College is an Art College and Stefania and her staff understood my needs perfectly. They found housing for my students, arranged the Italian lessons at La Lingua La Vita as well as setting up transportation and an itinerary appropriate for my program. My students enjoyed the teachers’ intelligence and humor. They were wonderful teachers and Stefania was an extremely reliable and trustworthy coordinator for my program. It is without hesitation that I give La Lingua La Vita a high recommendation. Please feel free to contact me if you require any additional information".
Professor Steve Sherman Department of Fine Art, Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA


"Le scale: desiderare la luce"
painted by Kunie Nishizawa , student of La Lingua la Vita