Italian Courses – Solemar Academy

Your Italian Language School in Sicily

 

Our Italian language school in Cefalù is open year-round. On this page you’ll find our full educational Italian course offerings, including all available in-person Italian courses.

If you are interested in an Italian group course, we recommend booking in advance to secure your place in class! When you send your request, please provide accurate information about your starting level and previous experience with Italian so we can assist you effectively with your booking.

We will send you our placement test about ten days before your arrival at school.

You will also be invited to do a brief conversation with the teachers on Monday morning when you arrive in order to better define your level.

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Group Italian Courses

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Corsi di Italiano

Italian group courses run weekly from February 23 to November 27, with new classes starting every Monday. Classes are formed each Monday morning based on placement tests and students’ language levels (A1–C2).

Group courses are offered to students aged 16 and over. The average age of participants is generally between 50 and 70 in the low season, and tends to be lower during the summer months.

The strength of our school is that classes are always small: on average 6 students in the low season, and about 4 in the summer. The maximum class size is 10.

Standard courses (20 group lessons per week) are usually held between 9:00 and 12:00, with a short coffee break after the first two lessons. During high season, some classes may be scheduled in a second session in the late morning or early afternoon if needed.

Each lesson unit is 45 minutes.

In combined and intensive courses, additional units are usually scheduled after a short break at the end of the standard lessons or in the early afternoon, depending on classroom availability.

Conversation courses take place in the afternoon starting at 15:00, Tuesday through Friday.

Standard Italian Course

 

The Standard Italian course is designed for anyone who wants to learn or improve their Italian in small groups. Standard courses start every Monday, and groups are divided based on students’ language skills. During the course you will work on all four language skills (speaking, writing, reading, listening) and explore topics of cultural interest.

Intensive Italian Course

 

The Intensive Italian course combines the Standard course with an additional 2 group lessons per day. Extra lessons focus on cultural themes.

This course is recognised by German authorities for Bildungsurlaub certification.

Combined Italian Course

 

The Combined Italian course is for students who want to mix group lessons with individual study time. In addition to the standard course, students take one individual lesson per day. In these extra units, students can choose to work on grammar, culture, vocabulary or communication.

Italian Conversation Course

 

Conversation courses take place in the afternoon starting at 15:00, from Tuesday to Friday, and consist of 8 weekly lessons (2 per day). During lessons, students participate in guided conversations on socio-cultural topics, including newspaper reading and discussions, narrative texts, and role-playing activities.

Students are assigned to either Basic (A1–A2) or Advanced (B1–B2–C1) based on their language level.

Group Course Rules

 

Please note that:

a) If there are fewer than 4 students enrolled in a standard group class, the daily number of lessons will be reduced as follows:

– 3 lessons per day with 2–3 students

-2 lessons per day with 1 student only

b) If there is only one student enrolled in an Intensive course, the course will automatically be converted into a Combined course.
In this case, students who have booked the Intensive course as Bildungsurlaub will be assigned additional daily self-study activities to be completed independently after lessons, in order to reach the total number of hours required for educational leave.

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Private Italian Courses

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Private Italian courses are generally held from 12:30 onwards, from March to November. The start time is set by the administration each Friday for the coming week and communicated to students via email. Early start times are possible if classrooms are available in the morning.

During December, January and February, a minimum of 10 weekly units is guaranteed.

Students who want to study irregularly or add extra units can contact the office to organise a personalised schedule, subject to classroom availability.

One-to-One Italian Course

 

The One-to-One Italian course allows students to build a fully personalised learning path. Teachers work with students to choose which language areas—grammar, communication, culture—will be covered.

One-to-Two Italian Course

 

The One-to-Two Italian course is reserved for pairs of students who travel together and prefer to share a personalised study path. To book this course, both students must have similar Italian language proficiency.

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Program 60+

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Club 60+

 

The Club 60+ program is designed for senior learners who want to combine two weeks of Italian study with a leisure program that introduces Sicilian food, culture, art, and landscapes. The program includes selected leisure activities, standard Italian lessons, and the guarantee that students in the program will be of similar age.

Program dates:
• March 23–April 3, 2026
• October 19–October 30, 2026

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CELI Exam Preparation Course

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The CELI exam preparation course (University for Foreigners of Perugia) comes in two formats and varying durations.

In the One-to-One option, the student works individually with a teacher analysing past exam tests, focusing on challenges and correcting exercises.

The Combined option combines standard course lessons with individual lessons focused specifically on exam strategies. In both formats, candidates receive tailored exercise materials and practice both written and oral exam simulations.

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Italian Cultural Programs

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– Italian Cultural seminars are paired with Standard Italian courses. They begin on Tuesday and end on Friday for a total of 4 group lessons per week. To participate students must have at least B1 level. –

 

Attualità Italiana

newspaper reading, analysis and debates

Mafia e Antimafia

history, stories, videos and testimonies

Musica e Cantautori

listening, textual analysis and insights

Cinema Italiano

film viewings, interviews and deeper insights

Racconti d’Italia

literature, stories, poems and legends

Miti e leggende siciliane

folk stories and traditions

School Closure Days

 

The school is closed on the following public holidays: Easter Monday; Liberation Day (April 25); Labour Day (May 1); Republic Day (June 2); Ferragosto (August 15); Christmas Eve (December 24); Christmas Day (December 25); St. Stephen’s Day (December 26); New Year’s Day (January 1); Epiphany (January 6).

For these holidays, students will receive a refund according to the type of group course they are enrolled in:
➢ Standard course: €45
➢ Combined / Intensive course: €75