38. Scudit: Insufficient Extra-Curriculum Activities
My purpose for attending a language school in Italy is two fold: to improve my Italian and to have a holiday. Living thousands of miles away in Western Canada, I have to spend a lot of time and money to pay a visit. Not surprisingly, I want a school that offers both good instruction and a full plate of interesting extra-curriculum activities. I think most private schools recognise this second need. They see these activities as both entertaining and educational, for they not only contribute to the enjoyment of the visit but also create opportunities to practise the language. With this in mind, I must admit that I was quite disappointed with Scudit’s very limited offering.
What the school did offer it did well. During the first week we were taken on a guided tour of Piazza Popolo and its neighbourhood. But that was the only tour in my four weeks. There were no visits to churches, galleries, or restaurants. Rumour had it that the person in charge was sick, but there appeared to be no backup policy in place. So those of us who had come from afar and did not have the benefit of a quick return were deprived of an important aspect of our visit.
The weekly film was generally well advertised, with the Director going from class to class and advising students of the upcoming film. Each film was generally introduced or followed by a short lecture. We also had a lecture by the Director on the modern Italian song. I can’t remember if this lecture was in lieu of a film or in addition to the weekly film.
The one other activity offered and the highlight of my four weeks was an excursion to Frascati. Following a guided tour of the town we adjourned to a cafe where we drank the famous Frascati white wine. This was a wonderful evening, and full marks must go to the school. Most importantly, the cost was low – price of a train ticket was 1.90 Euros one way, 5 Euros for the tavern, and we bought our own food from the local stores. The total cost was such that everyone could afford it, and I think other schools could learn something from this philosophy of an outing.
Unfortunately, that was the extent of the extra-curriculum activities at Scudit for my four weeks. Perhaps one reason why it did not offer much in terms of activities could be that it tends to cater more to European students for whom Rome is just a step away. Perhaps the school failed to realise that we outlanders from overseas may be on our one and only visit to Rome and want to make the most of it. To appreciate how slim were the offerings by Scudit, compare them to those of Scuola Leonardo at Siena [Blog 3] and Linguait in Verona [Blog 25]. Or type http://www.it-schools.com* and locate those schools listed in Rome.* You can find out what cultural-social activities the different schools offer. Perhaps some of these schools might be overstating their “offerings,” but nonetheless extra-curriculum activities appear to play a major role in their educational and social philosophy.
*I recently met someone who had attended a school named Ciao and sang its praises both for its teaching and its extra-curriculum offerings. I myself was seriously considering attending this school but chose Scudit because, as I indicated in Blog 33, I had misunderstood what its brochure meant by “emphasis on conversation”. However, I must stress that I have no personal experience of Ciao.
What the school did offer it did well. During the first week we were taken on a guided tour of Piazza Popolo and its neighbourhood. But that was the only tour in my four weeks. There were no visits to churches, galleries, or restaurants. Rumour had it that the person in charge was sick, but there appeared to be no backup policy in place. So those of us who had come from afar and did not have the benefit of a quick return were deprived of an important aspect of our visit.
The weekly film was generally well advertised, with the Director going from class to class and advising students of the upcoming film. Each film was generally introduced or followed by a short lecture. We also had a lecture by the Director on the modern Italian song. I can’t remember if this lecture was in lieu of a film or in addition to the weekly film.
The one other activity offered and the highlight of my four weeks was an excursion to Frascati. Following a guided tour of the town we adjourned to a cafe where we drank the famous Frascati white wine. This was a wonderful evening, and full marks must go to the school. Most importantly, the cost was low – price of a train ticket was 1.90 Euros one way, 5 Euros for the tavern, and we bought our own food from the local stores. The total cost was such that everyone could afford it, and I think other schools could learn something from this philosophy of an outing.
Unfortunately, that was the extent of the extra-curriculum activities at Scudit for my four weeks. Perhaps one reason why it did not offer much in terms of activities could be that it tends to cater more to European students for whom Rome is just a step away. Perhaps the school failed to realise that we outlanders from overseas may be on our one and only visit to Rome and want to make the most of it. To appreciate how slim were the offerings by Scudit, compare them to those of Scuola Leonardo at Siena [Blog 3] and Linguait in Verona [Blog 25]. Or type http://www.it-schools.com* and locate those schools listed in Rome.* You can find out what cultural-social activities the different schools offer. Perhaps some of these schools might be overstating their “offerings,” but nonetheless extra-curriculum activities appear to play a major role in their educational and social philosophy.
*I recently met someone who had attended a school named Ciao and sang its praises both for its teaching and its extra-curriculum offerings. I myself was seriously considering attending this school but chose Scudit because, as I indicated in Blog 33, I had misunderstood what its brochure meant by “emphasis on conversation”. However, I must stress that I have no personal experience of Ciao.