Why Babilonia – Italian Language School

Taormina is a pearl that shines on the Ionian Sea. Founded by the Greeks on Mount Tauro, it is known worldwide for its spectacular panorama that stretches from the Strait of Messina to the Etna volcano. Taormina is a jewel where the lights of all Sicily shine, the Greek and the Roman, the Byzantine and the Arab, the French and the Spanish – a place made memorable by the great travelers of the Grand Tour and by the hundreds of international artists – writers, painters, actors, poets, photographers – who have stayed there, including writers such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who highlighted Taormina in his Journey through Italy (Italienische Reise), Roger Peyrefitte, Truman Capote, André Gide, DH Lawrence, Salvatore Quasimodo, Tennessee Williams, Anna Achmatova, Gabriele D’Annunzio, Edmondo De Amicis, intellectuals and artists Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Bertrand Russell, Richard Wagner, Gustav Klimt, the baron photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden, the painter Otto Geleng, crowned heads Tsar Nicholas I, Kaiser Wilhelm II with his cousin Tsar Nicholas II, Zarina Aleksandra Fëdorovna Romanova and Queen Juliana of Holland and famous actors Soraya, Ava Gardner, Romy Schneider, Liz Taylor, Richard Burton, Greta Garbo.

For those who live and study in Taormina, Taormina is synonymous with Dolce Vita. Attending an Italian course and, at the end of the lesson, enjoying the beach is not Dolce Vita? And, in the evening, attending a concert at the Greek Theater with the Bay of Naxos and Etna in the background also Dolce Vita? Sampling the delicious Sicilian cuisine or sipping a cocktail in one of the many picturesque medieval streets or in one of the squares with breathtaking views of Taormina… Dolce Vita? And who would not want to enroll in an Italian course in Paradise and simply only have to decide whether to go swimming or join an excursion to discover Sicily? In other words, what you risk if you enroll in an Italian course in Taormina is not wanting to return  home!

Yes, Sicily is a treasure and Taormina is its pearl but the school …?! To guarantee the absolute quality and professionalism of Babilonia – Italian language center many official recognitions and accreditations make Babilonia one of the most accredited schools in Italy. The positive feedback and comments of many of our students who have been attending our courses since 1992 are also testimony.

All our teachers are certified by the University for Foreigners of Perugia with the Certifications in Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language DILS II and most teachers also have other certifications in Didactics of Italian (DITALS, DILIT, ITALS). But the main characteristic of our teachers is their understanding and their personal qualities. With them you will not feel in school; you will feel at home with a group of friends!

In our small classes, teaching is tailored. We believe that a teacher centered teaching in which the student is a passive listener does not contribute in any way to learning a foreign language. In our classes, students become researchers and are at the center of their learning experience through analytical activities in which, through observations and analysis, the solution of a linguistic problem arrives only after making assumptions and hypotheses and working as a group.

Our communicative method will introduce you to authentic materials, by using the same media Italians use in their everyday life, “the Italian of Italians”, and this will allow you to acquire real language skills that will assist your living in Italy among Italians, instead of acquiring only a mere knowledge of grammar rules. Our goal is “to use the language” and not simply “to know how it is done”. We assume this is your goal too and for us this is what matters!

A language is not the result of a series of grammar rules, but the result of a culture and a way of life. Language is the verbalized representation of a common culture. Are you interested in learning more about Italian culture? You can combine your Italian course with a wide range of extra courses (cooking, food and wine, diving, hiking, ceramics), culture courses (literature, history, cinema, art history), courses for special purposes and 50+ programs to optimize your study-holiday

Our classes are multi-generational and multi-cultural. Students are aged from 18 to 80 years and share the same passion and curiosity for the Italian language and culture. Our students come from different latitudes and lengths: from all over Europe and North America, from Japan and Russia, from South America and … from Italy too (South-Tyrol).

Studying a foreign language is like wearing a new pair of glasses which allows you to look at the surrounding reality from another perspective. This is a gift that only a language course abroad can give you; take advantage of it! Only a multilateral vision of our society can help the peaceful coexistence of people respecting the history and traditions of all. So, why not wear Made in Italy glasses for a better view on the Italian Life Style?! We are looking forward to welcoming you!