ITALIAN LANGUAGE SCHOOL PORTA D'ORIENTE

ITALIAN LANGUAGE SCHOOL PORTA D'ORIENTE, Italian language school for foreigners, offers Italian language courses at every level in one of the most beautiful Mediterranean seaside resorts.

   WHERE THE SCHOOL IS LOCATED italian language school Porta d'Oriente italian institute for italian language and culture courses
   Otranto is a beautiful historic and artistic town on the seaside at 50 km from the main city Lecce the socalled Florence of South of Italy for its artistical beauties. A bus and train service links Otranto to Lecce. In 2002, 2003 and 2004 Otranto won "the five flags" prize for the cleanest sea of Italy by "Legambiente" and "Touring Club" (Italian associations about environment and Tourism), and the National Association of the Italian Towns listed Otranto among the first 14 more bautiful towns in Italy. Otranto is an important historic and artistic centre because it is rich in remains of the different populations that lived in the Mediterranean area.
   Otranto is a small town (but in summer it reaches 80.000 inhabitans) placed at a short distance from the other touristical seaside resorts on the beautiful coast.
  Otranto is a paradise for all nature lovers. It seems made just for the purpose of holding the interest of the traveller in search of new sensations and appealing to his imagination.
   Very famous touristical place, Otranto offers several hotels, restaurants, shops, supermarkets, banks. The town overlooks the beautiful beaches with white and fine sand and the clear water. Otranto offers the possibility to enjoy and to relax with its several pubs, open-air performances, discos.

THE CLASSES
italian language school Porta d'Oriente italian institute for italian language and culture courses   Classrooms are provided with audio and video-didactic supports. There is a library where you can find every kind of book, essay, novel, dictionaries, Italian newspapers, and the most famous films from the Italian cinema.

INTERNET, E-MAIL and FAX SERVICE
   Students at School Porta d'Oriente have access to e-mail and Internet.

ACCREDITATION
   The school cooperates with other European partners in the collaboration of innovative projects in the field of linguistic learning. It takes part in the program called "Lingua", a European network which cooperates with other institutions for the development of didactic materials and methods. Our Institute is a promoter of cultural events such as stages, workshops and international meetings on projects and cultural themes that are presented every year. The school is seat and preparation center (officially recognized by the Universities for Foreigners of Siena and Perugia) for the CILS diploma, CELI certificate and DITALS exam (for foreigners and Italian teachers who want to teach Italian). This certifications of Italian as foreign language are recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is also officially recognized by the Swedish and German authorities for Education. Our school is also in contact with the National Agencies Socrates/Comenius for the training of the foreign teachers and especially for the teachers of Italian as a foreign language.

Listed below are some of the benefits to be derived from choosing to study Italian in the beautiful Salentine region, dispelling a number of common misconceptions:
- The population of the region speaks in Italian that may be characterised as mainstream, rather than dialectic. Small pockets of dialect do remain in certain areas, but these can be considered as tasty "desserts" for those still hungry after digesting the main "course"!
- Our region of Italy is one that has thankfully escaped the negative implications of a large tourism industry. The result is that the local population has very little English fluency, meaning that students will encounter a true Italian immersion, virtually devoid of people speaking English, whether locals or tourists. Indeed, 90% of Otranto's tourists come from other parts of Italy rather than abroad, further ensuring an English-free aural experience!
- Another distinct benefit of the region's low tourist profile is the fact that the individualistic tourists who do visit this magical land have interests different from those associated with mass tourism. For these discriminating visitors, the appeal lies with the culture, history, traditions and gastronomy of Apulia. Only in August does the population of Otranto traditionally swell with an influx of Italian holidaymakers.
- The Salentine peninsula of Italy is a region which breathes more slowly and deeply... The fast pace of life and short tempers of the North are dissolved by the atmosphere of this timeless landscape. People have time to stop and speak to you (in Italian!) and are more than generous with their help and enthusiasm. Otranto is a town that distils this spirit into one word: congeniality. There are no worries about crime or disorder, the sense of tranquil security is pervasive.
- The sea flanking Otranto is not only azure blue; it is the clearest and cleanest in Italy! This is a fact established in each of the last 3 years by virtue of Otranto's winning first prize in this important environmental cleanliness category.
- Otranto and its environs offer the student a sensorial feast. The air is free from pollution, scented with nature's bouquet of sweet and spicy fragrances. This sundrenched landscape provides the perfect conditions in which verdant crops flourish, with little artificial irrigation required. The land is carpeted with olive groves, vineyards and fruit orchards; natural vegetation also includes cactus, palm trees and pine forests. There are a number of environmental areas set aside by government as nature reserves, including dramatic, wild coastlines plus an Oasis founded by the WWF. Expanses of white sand beckon visitors to swim, or simply wade, in the warm azure waters lapping shores of hidden bays and crescent beaches. The school offers very interesting guided trips allowing students to experience firsthand these, and other, natural delights.
- Our school offers a friendly, personal and attentive approach to learning Italian. We are a small, intimate institution with a big desire to inspire learning in relaxed, yet professional surroundings. Individual attention is assured at all times.
- The climate of southern Italy is very benign; the cold, frosty winters of the North are unknown here. Our summer lasts from April to October, with temperatures averaging 25°C. The hottest days of August are tempered in Otranto by gentle sea breezes from the Adriatic.
- Otranto provides a variety of services to meet all students' needs and desires. In town you will find banks, travel agencies, supermarkets, agencies to rent cars, motorbikes and bikes, restaurants, pizzerias, pubs, discotheques, a wide range of accommodation, exhibitions and cultural events, cinema, theatre and concerts (open-air in the summer).

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Scuola Porta d'Oriente
Via Antonio Primaldo, 70 - 73028 Otranto (LECCE) Italy
Web-Sites: www.porta-doriente.com - www.italienischammeer.com
www.italian-language-school.com - www.ecole-cours-italien.com
Phone: 0039 338 4562722 - Phone/Fax: 0039 0836 804431
E-mail: porta.doriente@libero.it

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