I spent a month studying Italian with Saena Iulia. I found the teaching exceptional and thought that the mini group was the perfect environment in which to learn the language. All the staff were immensely helpful and the accommodation that Saena Iulia found for me could not have been better. The school is also very well located, right in the heart of the city.
A great experience all round.
Julie & Roger France
177
Auckland - New Zealand
age: 60s
profession: ...
My wife and I are delighted to provide this feedback on our three weeks at Saena Iulia in June 2010.
It is almost impossible to fault our experience at the school.
In the first instance they gave us excellent advice on where we should overnight in Rome, how we should get to Siena and where we should stay in Siena. They then found us a superb apartment close to the Piazza del Campo and very close to the school itself at a very reasonable price.
All the staff (and for that matter all the pupils) at the school were extremely friendly and made us very welcome. Saena Iulia is not a large school: it is small and very intimate and we were made to feel at home from the moment we arrived.
Notwithstanding that it is a small school, it is nonetheless run in a very professional manner and to a very high standard. The school has a very well developed curriculum backed up by a large library of resource materials. My wife and I were taught in a mini-group lesson (with one other person) for three weeks by Sabrina who was, in one word, excellent. However, talking to other students, who had different teachers, it is apparent that all the teachers at the school are highly professional and capable.
I can offer no better testament than that my wife and I will be returning to Saena Iulia for a further three weeks in June 2011, and we can’t wait to get there.
Doerte M.-G.
176
Hamburg - Germany
age: 40s
profession: Traduttrice
Ich war im Sommer 2010 auf einem dreiwöchigen Sprachkurs bei Saena Iulia und habe die Zeit sehr genossen, die gemeinsamen Ausflüge und die familiäre Atmosphäre. Schön war, dass der Unterricht in kleinen Gruppen individuell gestaltet wurde. Ich war von Siena begeistert, einer Stadt, die kulturell viel zu bieten hat und auch im Sommer nicht nur den Touristen gehört. Ich bin ein Mittelalter-Fan und war also in dieser Stadt genau richtig - ein bisschen war es, als wäre ich in eine Zeitmaschine geraten. Ich kann Siena und die Scuola Siena Iulia wirklich empfehlen!
Al and Tracy B.
175
San Francisco, CA - United States
age: 60s
profession: Criminal lawyer and Teacher
We studied Italian for two weeks in Siena this past Spring 2010. It was an excellent experience starting with the enthusiastic assistance in helping us pick the right course, find an excellently located apartment, and making us feel comfortable from the moment we arrived! Our fellow students were from other countries and this made the learning experience even more international. The teachers were superb and the classes were tailored to our abilities and needs. The enrichment activities, including tasty field trips were well planned and expanded our cultural and historical perspectives. Siena is steeped in history and yet is a vibrant city. The lectures on the Palio and L'ultima Cena were fantastic: we will never look at a picture of the Last Supper in the same way again. And one day we will get back to Siena to enjoy the Palio first hand. Thank you to all of the staff of Saena Iulia for this most satisfying study vacation.
In 2010 I took my first trip to Siena, and therefore it was my first time at Saena Iulia. My experiences with the school and the city were amazing! All the professors were warm, and caring, taking time to help each of us individually. Besides lots of classroom time, we also enjoyed excursions to nearby villages, and wineries. Also seminars after class chatting about the history of Italian words to discussing Tosca! Living in the city of Siena for 2 weeks was a dream come true! Be ready to walk all over for the historic sites, architecture, the cathederal, other churches, piazzas, music, people watching, superb restaurants, elegant stores, and much more! Many fond memories to last a lifetime, and a yearning to return to Saena Iulia and Siena very soon.
Johanna U.
173
Frankfurt am Main - Germany
age: 30s
profession: Pianistin
Ich habe die Sprachschule Saena Iulia ganz spontan und durch Zufall gefunden. Ich bin sehr froh darüber und meine Liebe zu Italien und Siena und der italienischen Sprache hat sich durch meine Erfahrungen dort noch verstärkt.
Saena Iulia ist eine ganz besondere Sprachschule weil man dort wunderbare Menschen trifft! Den Unterricht fand ich sehr vieldimensional - anspruchsvoll, individuell, spontan.
Es findet viel Austausch statt und man bekommt wirklich viel Einblick in alles Italienische. Das motiviert sehr weiterzulernen und wiederzukommen!
Reto T.
172
Rapperswil - Switzerland
age: 30s
profession:
Meine vier Wochen bei Saena Iulia werden mir in bester Erinnerung bleiben! Das tolle Lehrerteam, die überaus familiäre Atmosphäre und die netten Mitschüler haben viel zum Lernerfolg beigetragen. Bei den wöchentlichen Schulexkursionen in der Region habe ich so manche Trouvaille entdecken können! Diese Sprachschule kann ich wirklich weiterempfehlen...
Emi G.
171
Santa Barbara, CA - United States
age: 60s
profession:
I loved the environment Saena Iulia provided! The atmosphere of the school was more like a family and inspired me to continue to work on learning Italian. When I first arrived, I was a bit nervous and spoke very little Italian, but as the weeks passed I learned not only in the classroom, but in the city of Siena. The location of Siena was perfect in the way that it helped me apply the lessons I learned daily to real life situations. When I returned two years later, it was like reuniting with my long lost family. The classroom sizes allowed attention to each student and helped improve everyone's speaking and writing capabilities. The school trips each week helped further learning in the areas of history, culture, and art better than any tour book or brochure. Overall, I would highly recommend taking a course at Saena Iulia if you are looking to get more than help with your Italian language learning. The school is in a great location, right next to the Duomo and Piazza del Campo, and allows students to explore Italian culture, art, and history in a unique and quaint setting that is not overwhelming.
Julia S.
170
Wayville, SA - Australia
age: teens
profession: student
I studied at Saena Iulia for 4 weeks in 2010 and the teachers were amazing! I learnt so much in my time there and they welcomed you and made you instantly feel at home. This was especially nice for me as I hadn't been away from home for this long before. While in Siena I stayed with a host family which was great, living the Italian way and trying new foods, as well as practicing the language. Siena is an amazing city enriched with history and character. It is an easy city for travel as everything is in walking distance and there is plenty to see. During the week the school would take us on trips to outlying places and during the weekends you can take a bus to other cities like San Gimignano, or the train to other major centres such as Pisa. The experience was priceless and I enjoyed every minute of it. One day I hope to return. For anyone thinking of going and studying Italian in Italy, Siena is a great place to do it. So GO!!!
Verena K.
169
Basel - Switzerland
age: 50s
profession: Kauffrau
Schon das zweite Mal habe ich die kleine aber feine Sprachschule Saena Iulia in Siena besucht. Dieses Mal hatte ich mich für Privatstunden entschieden, um die Konversation zu verbessern. Mauro und sein Team sind 100-prozentig auf meine Wünsche eingegangen und die Schulstunden sind jeweils wie im Fluge vergangen. Neben seriösem Lernen wird auch viel gelacht. Das Familiäre und Unkomplizierte gefällt mir sehr an dieser Schule. Auf jeden Fall zu empfehlen! Auf bald wieder in Siena.
David B.
167
Melbourne - Australia
age: 60s
profession:
I spent a wonderful four weeks at Scuola Saena Iulia in March/April 2010. It was 'low' season and the school went out of its way to ensure that each student had the best possible cultural and learning experience. The teaching was exceptional (lessons were always stimulating and sensitive to the needs and interests of each individual student), and I not only made huge strides while in Siena, but my four weeks there provided a solid platform on which to build on my own in the months since. No less impressive was the effort the school made to acquaint us with Tuscan/Italian culture, through weekly excursions (exceptional guides and fun companions) to exquisite places off the usual tourist track (Massa Marittima and Arezzo were standouts), weekly seminars on a range of interesting topics (the seminar and subsequent visit to the bottini, Siena's incredible underground water system, were unforgettable), meals at the teachers' favourite restaurants, etc. In a word: Perfetto!
Martina S.
165
Bremen - Germany
age: 40s
profession: teacher
Eine kleine, aber feine Sprachschule inmitten der wunderschönen Stadt Siena. Sehr individuell wird auf die jeweiligen Fähigkeiten des Einzelnen eingegangen. In sehr angenehmer Atmosphäre besteht hier die Möglichkeit in kleinen Lerngruppen effektiv die Sprachkenntnisse zu verbessern und gleichzeitig Land und Leute besser kennen zu lernen. Besonders gut haben mir die wöchentlichen Ausflüge und Veranstaltungen in die Region gefallen.
Laurence H.
164
Claremont, CA - United States
age: 60s
profession:
Five years ago, as an intermediate-level Italian speaker, I looked into the possibility of studying in Italy. I was hoping to find a school, located in a small city filled with charm and culture, that would be intimate and welcoming (and non-threatening), with small classes and students of varying ages and nationalities. My research led me to Scuola Saena Iulia, which turned out to be an ideal choice. The experience far exceeded my (high) expectations. Since then, I have returned several times for a couple of weeks in the summer, and have continued my studies during the year using the school's distance learning program on Skype. The staff is energetic, dedicated and skilled and my classes were truly small! The lessons are well-planned, varied and lively. And Siena is a delightful city with art, music, culture, terrific restaurants in every price range, and a lively outdoor ambiance in the summer. (Sitting at a table on the Piazza del Campo with a glass of wine made doing homework almost painless!) At the end of your stay, parting will be bitter-sweet, and you will already be planning a return visit to the school! As they say in Italian, un'esperienza da non perdere!
Janet M.
163
San Diego, California - United States
age: 60s
profession: retired college librarian
Siena is a magical place to study Italian, and Saena Iulia is one of the best parts of the magic. All affiliated with the school will shepherd you through it all with flair and style! My husband and I have returned to Saena Iulia 4 times over a 10 year period, and are determined to do it again. Each time our Italian improves geometrically, and our love for Italy and for Siena and our friends there grows as well. Our first time there, we were in a beginning Italian class for 3 weeks, and have managed to move on up the scale each time. We have stayed in apartments with roommates and by ourselves. I understand the positive comments from those who have stayed with families, who use their Italian to communicate with those with whom they live, but the apartment works too. It helps you learn to survive in the city – not always easy on the small back streets where tourists do not go. We shop, eat out, launder, dry clean, use the library and other public facilities. Great practice! Saena Iulia will accommodate your every need – travel information for weekend or future pleasure trips, private lessons in pronunciation and conversation, wonderful field trips within and without the city. Once we even did a 20-hour trip to Verona to see “Aida” in the Roman amphitheatre, returning to Siena at 5 a.m.! We recently visited Siena without time to take classes, since we were accompanied by 8 friends who don’t speak Italian. We introduced our friends to Saena Iulia's staff, and were able to arrange for a historical tour of Siena and a wine tasting trip in Chianti. Now our friends can’t wait to go back – they’re infected with the magic of Siena and Saena Iulia as well!
My husband and I are recently retired college instructors, and over these past 10 years have learned much about teaching and learning from Saena Iulia’s instruction program. I certainly became more attuned to the needs of our English-as-a-second-language students, and have a deep admiration for what they are doing, struggling to learn a new language to be able to live in a new country. I think one way to come closer to world peace and understanding would be for everyone to study a foreign language, in that language’s home country – and where better than Italy and Saena Iulia?
Kath H.
162
Warwickshire - United Kingdom
age: 50s
profession:
I have been learning Italian for two years and have been studying with Saena Iulia since April 2009, with four visits and continuing on-line lessons. This tells you my view of the school. From my first e-mail exchange, I knew that the ethos of the school was caring with the students being of paramount importance. Nothing is too much bother for any of the staff. Once you arrive at the school, which is in a superb location in the heart of Siena, you are in the safe hands of people whose priority is the students, whose teaching methods are among the best, their professionalism, enthusiasm, caring, energy and also their knowledge of Tuscan and Italian culture will ensure an exciting and worthwhile stay in Siena. One recommendation - in my experience the value of two weeks immersed in Italian at the school is way more than double a one week stay, go for as long as you can!
Hanne R.
161
Achim - Germany
age: 70s
profession: Hausfrau
Im Juli 2010 war ich für eine Woche mitten in Siena neben dem Dom an einer Sprachschule, der Saena Iulia. Ich war sofort begeistert. Mich umgab von Anfang an eine Athmosphäre des Wohlfühlens. Der Kontakt zu den Lehrern und zu den Mitstudenten war sehr familiär und warmherzig. Z.B. verbrachten wir unsere Pausen zusammen in einem kleinen Cafè gegenüber der Schule, um uns zu stärken und auszutauschen. Wir besuchten nachmittags das Museum einer Contrade; wir nahmen an einem der jährlichen Feste teil. Alles wunderbare Erlebnisse, die ich ohne die Schule nie gehabt hätte. Es war eine unvergleichliche Zeit. Ich freue mich jetzt schon auf das nächste Jahr! Naturalmente in Saena Iulia!
Evey J.
160
Placitas, New Mexico - United States
age: 60s
profession: studio artist - retired art teacher
It is wonderful to speak of Siena, a city of elegance and grandeur at every turn and it is my pleasure to speak of Saena Iulia, a school in the heart of Siena that presents to learners of all ages a personal and intimate view of language, life and culture in this hilltop Tuscan city. The staff are committed to finding a program suited to individual levels and after ten years of attendance, I am well versed in language but more importantly I have come to feel a part of the community as teachers and students share walks and talks and private moments among the hidden treasures of the backstreets of the town.
Juliane E.
159
Hellenthal - Germany
age: 60s
profession: infermiera
Weil ich eines Tages die italienischen Opern besser verstehen wollte,habe ich vor sieben Jahren angefangen diese wunderschöne Sprache zu lernen.Und weil das am besten gelingt im Land und mit den Menschen,die diese Sprache so lebendig machen,habe ich schon einige Sprachkurse in Italien gemacht,immer an einem anderen Ort.
Wiederum weil ich dadurch Land und Leute der Unterschiedlichen Regionen kennenlernen konnte.Ein absolutes highlight,um es mal neudeutsch zu formulieren
war Siena mit der kleinen Schule SAENA IULIA. Dort wurden meine Eindrücke und Erlebnisse, die ich mit der Schönheit
und Kultur dieser einmaligen Stadt hatte,durch die Art und
Weise,die Zugewandtheit und Kompetenz der Lehrer nochmals
vertieft. Die nachmittäglichen Ausflüge oder Besichtigungen waren sehr interessant und einfach schön. Sehr gerne denke ich an meine Zeit in Siena zurück, und wer weiß, vielleicht werde
ich meinem Prinzip doch untreu und kehre nochmal nach SIENA IULIA zurück. Vale la pena!
Ralf S.
158
Bonn - Germany
age: 40s
profession: Pastoralreferent (Seelsorger)
In 2009 war ich das erste Mal für eine Woche in der Schule Saena Iulia, um endlich richtig Italienisch zu lernen, nachdem es in den Jahren vorher durch heimatliche Kurse eher so "dahindümpelte". Es war eine hervorragende Entscheidung! Schon der nette Mailkontakt im Vorfeld lließ die Vorfreude wachsen und gab mir die Sicherheit, mit allen notwendigen Informationen ausgestattet zu sein.
Die Herzlichkeit des gesamten Teams ließ die anfängliche Nervosität schnell verfliegen, nach kurzem Test und Beratung des Lehrerteams stand die Einteilung der Schüler und Schülerinnen für die Woche fest. Ich habe die jeweils zwei Stunden Einzelunterricht bei Sabrina wirklich genossen. Ihre sehr hohe Kompetenz in der Vermittlung der Lerninhalte und ihre Freude am Umgang mit Menschen waren beeindruckend. Selten hat Lernen soviel Spaß gemacht! Das Lernen ging in der gemeinsamen Kaffeepause weiter, in der ich den Kontakt zu den anderen Lehrerinnen und TeilnehmerInnen fast jeglichen Alters aus Asien, Australien und Europa pflegen konnte. Für mich war es eine ideale Kombination aus effizientem Lernen im eigenen Tempo und Kontakt mit offenen Menschen.
Ein Vortrag über den Palio und der Ausflug waren zusätzliche Lern- und Begegnungsmöglichkeiten.
Bei meinem zweiten Aufenthalt (diesmal für 2 Wochen) habe ich schon fast heimatliche Gefühle entwickelt, so sehr fühlt man sich willkommen. Diesmal hatte ich über die Schule auch eine Wohnung gebucht; es war alles perfekt; eine großzügige Wohnung zu einem guten Preis-Leistungsverhältnis im Herzen der Altstadt (von der Küche bis zur Schule nicht eine Minute Fußweg!!!).
Wieder war ich begeistert von der ans Vorjahr anknüpfenden und in großen Schritten voranschreitenden Unterrichtsgestaltung, den beiden kunst- und kulturhistorischen Vorträgen und den Ausflügen. Außerdem wurde mir eine thematisch passende Lerneinheit in einer Kleingruppe geschenkt und am Schluss wurde gemeinsam gekocht und gegessen. Der Abschied fiel mir wirklich nicht leicht - da sei übrigens jeder gewarnt!
Das Komplettpaket Siena mit dieser Schule ist für mich wirklich einmalig - diese kulturhistorisch bedeutsame Stadt, die Tradition mit Lebendigkeit verbindet und dennoch gemütlich und überschaubar ist; diese Schule im altehrwürdigen Gebäude direkt am Dom; und dieses Team, das inhaltlich und organisatorisch absolut kompetent arbeitet, sehr auf individuelle Bedürfnisse und Anforderungen eingeht und menschlich spitze ist!
Erwähnt seien noch die guten Möglichkeiten, je nach eigenem Interesse online weiter in Verbindung zu bleiben.
Patricia A.
157
Grenoble - France
age: 60s
profession:
Je n'imaginais pas à quel point ce séjour linguistique pouvait être aussi agréable... En effet j'ai été enchantée par ces 2 semaines passées à Sienne que j'ai découvert avec émerveillement. Je remercie encore ici tous les professeurs dont j'ai énormément apprécié la gentillesse et la disponibilité, tous sont extrêmement sympathiques, amicaux, souriants, dynamiques, compétents.... les superlatifs me manquent... grazie mille a loro. Les cours sont très intéressants et chacun a l'occasion de s'exprimer librement sur la problématique du jour. J'ai eu l'occasion de rencontrer à l'Ecole Saena Iulia des personnes d'horizons différents et cela aussi est une expérience enrichissante. J'étais émerveillée comme une enfant tous les matins lorsqu'avec mon amie allemande qui partageait mon logement situé à deux pas nous arrivions sur la place du Duomo illuminé par le doux soleil matinal qui semblait lui faire un écrin et que nous devions traverser pour aller à l'Ecole. Le temps de pause au café du coin était aussi l'occasion d'échanges avec les autres étudiants et enseignants et de déguster un excellent capuccino ou un cafè macchiato accompagné de brioches... J'ai découvert la campagne environnante et les autres villes pittoresques de la région avec ravissement soit lors d'excursions organisées par l'Ecole ou par nos propres moyens avec d'autres
