"Gap Semester"

Scuola Leonardo da Vinci

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Course description

The «Gap Semester» Course includes all that a foreign student is looking for: to live several months in Italy, to dive into Italian culture, to take part in language and cultural courses and to study for an Italian language certificate. Since you will spend a prolonged time in Italy, you will have more time to practice your Italian in real life situations while visiting monuments and socializing with native speakers. This course is particularly suitable for absolute beginners of the Italian language and for participants with intermediate knowledge.

This course, held from Monday to Friday, includes:

- 16 weeks of Intensive Italian language course, 4 lessons/day, for a total of 320 lessons;
- Preparation course for the «Firenze» Italian language Diploma Examination of the Accademia Italiana di Lingua - AIL: 40 lessons;
- 2 weeks of cultural courses (Art History, Literature, Fashion): 20 lessons.

Students can also take part in the weekly cultural and social activities organized by the school.

RECOMMENDED FOR: those students who want to deepen their skills in the Italian language or study it from scratch by attending a course that is something more than a simple study trip, offering a real taste of Italian life.

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
18 weeks
Start dates
19 Aug 2024
Classes per week
20 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 45 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday
School holidays
01 May 2024, 24 Jun 2024, 15 Aug 2024, 21 Dec 2024 - 06 Jan 2025

Scuola Leonardo da Vinci does not hold classes on the holiday dates above. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test before your arrival in Florence to determine your class level.

Class size

Average 10 students
Maximum 14 students

Student age

Age range 16 years old and older
Average 18 years old
(20 in the summer)

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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photos

Photos

  • Classes at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 1/17
  • Classroom at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 2/17
  • Students of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 3/17
  • Activities offered at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 4/17
  • Activities offered at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 5/17
  • Students of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 6/17
  • Classes at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 7/17
  • Reception of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 8/17
  • Classes at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 9/17
  • Students of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 10/17
  • Students of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 11/17
  • Students of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 12/17
  • Classes at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 13/17
  • Activities offered at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 14/17
  • City of Florence 15/17
  • Students of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 16/17
  • Students of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci 17/17
reviews

Reviews

100% recommend

based on 4 reviews
5 stars
4
4 stars
0
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Excellent experience!"

Isabella Troccoli, student from USA

SLD provided the perfect mix of theoretical grammar and practical day to day communication, I had very basic Italian coming in and left with enough conversational skills to speak to native italians including my Nonna! They also provided plenty opportunities to get to know the city of Florence and its surroundings, social events so the students could mingle and get to know each other.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
5 Jun 2023 - 30 Jun 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Geraldine, Manager assistant at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci responded to this review.
10 August 2023

Cara Isabella,
Thank you for sharing your experience.
We are happy you enjoyed your program with us and mostly that you learned!!
Keep practicing the Italian language and we hope to see you soon again here!

Cari saluti da tutti noi!!

"Enjoyable, informative."

Danielle Feehan, student from UK

Excellent course; lessons at a good pace. Helpful resources provided and some opportunity for discussion.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
16 Aug 2022 - 19 Aug 2022
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Absolutely worth it"

Gina Erigero, student from USA

I started in January and finished my time at Scuola Leonardo in May. I decided to stay on my own in an apartment in Santo Spirito. My landlady was fantastic and helped make my stay so easy. All the teachers I had (a total of 3) were outstanding. Monica, who I had the longest, made sure everyone engaged in conversation and did not hold back on discussing complex topics. I felt prepared to take the CILS B2 exam at the end of May. I decided to take it one level down from what I finished at (C1) based on the recommendations from Scuola Leonardo. It made the testing process so much less stressful. Overall, it was more than I could've hoped for, and I advise anyone looking at the school to go.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
23 weeks
Date of study
17 Jan 2022 - 1 Jul 2022
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Very professional teachers and very inspiring activities"

Alexandra (Sandra) Lilliehook, student from Sweden

I liked it a lot although it was too much to have 4,5 hours intense course with very short pauses. I should have chosen private lessons in the afternoon. Too many young people in my class so that made me feel a bit lonely as I did not get to know anyone. Next time I will chose La Dolce Vita maybe. The teachers were excellent, competent and really nice. Location perfect very central. Cultural interesting activities. I stayed close to the school in a lady's apartment and it was comfortable and clean.

I fell in love with Florence and I highly recommend the school. I did not get enough opportunity to speak and I lack fluency in the language.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
11 Oct 2021 - 29 Oct 2021
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
housing

Housing

Scuola Leonardo da Vinci offers the following housing types:
homestay

Homestay - Single room - Breakfast - "Gap Semester" Special Offer

A$ 438
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast (7 meals per week)
Facilities: Heating
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, after 02:00 PM
Check-out: Saturday, before 10:00 AM
A$ 438
The school collaborates with trustful host families. The word "family" should not be taken too literally, as a family can be traditional with children, a single parent or a childless couple who take in students because they enjoy the company.

Breakfast usually consists of coffee or tea and bread, butter and marmalade. Students are not allowed to use the kitchen or do the laundry by themselves (the use of the washing-machine is not included, but arrangements may be made between the landlord and the student).

Homestay - Single room - Half board (breakfast and dinner) - "Gap Semester" Special Offer

A$ 633
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Facilities: Heating
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, after 02:00 PM
Check-out: Saturday, before 10:00 AM
A$ 633
The school collaborates with trustful host families. The word "family" should not be taken too literally, as a family can be traditional with children, a single parent or a childless couple who take in students because they enjoy the company.

Students have their meals (breakfast and dinner) together with the family but they should be aware that Italian eating habits can be rather different from their own. Breakfast usually consists of coffee or tea and bread, butter and marmalade. Dinner is a complete meal served normally around 8 pm. Students are not allowed to use the kitchen or do the laundry by themselves (the use of the washing-machine is not included, but arrangements may be made between the landlord and the student).
apartment

Shared apartment - Single room - No meals - "Gap Semester" Special Offer

A$ 377
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Shared apartment
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen and heating
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, after 02:00 PM
Check-out: Saturday, before 10:00 AM
A$ 377
The shared apartments are often between 5 and 25 minutes away from the school on foot. The student has his/her private room, but shares bathroom and kitchen with other students or with the owner.
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you. If you wish to receive your paperwork by express mail, you will be charged 40 € when you register.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Florence based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from Scuola Leonardo da Vinci staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

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