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.

37. Scudit: No Orientation or Welcome

At Scudit there was nothing for incoming students -- no welcoming event, no orientation, nor any attempt to introduce students to each other outside of one’s own class. There was no sense of a society of people pursuing the same goal. Except for a few of us in my class, I did not find that there was any interaction between students. The school was very much one where one attended one’s class and then left; or attended the weekly film and left. If this lack of social activity appeals to you, you will like Scudit. Presumably, you have a social life outside the school where you can practise your Italian. However, most foreign students who go to Italy to study the language do not have this luxury.

It is really quite ironic and UNTRUE that one BIG advantage in going to Italy to learn the language is that one will be able to practise by speaking to the populace. In my opinion, students are really an isolated group in the midst of a larger populace with whom there is little communication. Sure, hang out at the bars [coffee and alcoholic] or at the discotheques and you can doubtless find the opportunity to chat with someone. But not everyone likes to spend time at these locations. Or, if these places are the true source of learning the language, then I would recommend that you save your tuition money and spend it at the bars! The truth is that most of one’s speaking of Italian is done with other students and teachers, and this is especially true in Rome, where people will more often answer you in English as soon as they detect that you are an English speaker!

Unlike Scudit, at both Linguait and Scuola Leonardo non-class activities played an important role in furthering one’s language skills. At Linguait there was a very strong effort to encourage intermingling through inter-class activities such as games and excursions. Although it did not have a common room, the local bars were two minutes from the school, and students were encouraged to meet there for a drink. Scuola Leonardo lacked a Common Room or a local bar, but the school was very active in introducing students to cultural features of Siena – all in Italian. During my stay Scudit offered very little in terms of extra curriculum activity.

36. Scudit: Class Instability

It seems to come with the territory, but all three private language schools I have attended manifested a lack of stability in its student population over the declared length of the course. Ostensibly, each course was four weeks, but the “four weeks” was really broken into two-week periods, and so those of us who travelled from afar to attend the entire course were subjected to the inevitable disruption that occurs while new students are tested and placed. To make matters worse, it appeared that one could join or leave at any time.

This practice of allowing students to enter at any time may be economically advantageous to the school, but it is highly disruptive and, in my opinion, unfair to those of us who sign up for the entire course. If a course has a set day when it starts and ends, the school should respect these dates. Either declare the course a 2-week course -- or for whatever period of time the school deems fitting -- or allocate the students accordingly. Students who attend all four weeks should be in one class, and those for 2 weeks or less in another. With the current practice, the schools are exploiting the forbearance of those who attend the entire four weeks of the course.

At Scuola Leonardo, we were actually stalled for an afternoon while the incoming students were tested. We also lost most of the third week as the instructor went over the same material with the new entrants. At Scudit I lost the entire class after my second week. In fact, I got the impression there was a wholesale shuffling of students old and new. I even found material that had been taught to me in one class repeated in the next right down to the handouts. Ironically, the course had a definite start-up and final date, and yet students could join at any time. Full credit must go to Linguait because there my class was fairly permanent for the four weeks, and the small number of new entries did fit in easily.

Let me repeat: I think a school that truly respects those students who sign up for the entire 4-week course as advertised should run a separate class for them. Otherwise we are being unduly exploited because it is most disruptive if not also dishonest to hold back our class while they test and place the incoming students. I strongly urge anyone who is thinking of registering for all four weeks of a 4-week course to first find out from the school what is its practice with respect to short-term students. If possible, avoid those schools that allow students to enter at any time.

35. Scudit's Method

The typical night-school courses in Italian, and perhaps even intermediate Italian at a university, would consist mainly of grammar drills. For example, when I started learning Italian in Vancouver, in my first three courses --Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced (really a hyperbole)-- we did nothing but exercises and dictation ad nauseam. Students who have suffered through this style of language learning would certainly benefit from Scudit’s approach. What Scudit did well was to extract from these standard language courses what is essential. At the end of four weeks I had a good bird’s eye view of the tenses, and this was fleshed out with knowledge of certain word usage and phrases.

Like Scuola Leonardo da Vinci [Siena], the ambience at Scudit was professional in that communication was strictly in Italian. At no time did any instructor (as far as I know) break into another language. This was laudable, for after all, we attend the school in Italy in order to learn and practice Italian. In this respect, I think Linguait could learn from Leonardo and Scudit.

An interesting practice was to “forbid” the use of dictionaries. The instructors would protest loudly but humorously if a dictionary were produced. Their reasoning was that if the student did not know the word there were other words and ways to express oneself. And if really stuck, one could ask the instructor. Not allowing the use of a dictionary was an excellent and refreshing practice because verbally we had to stand on our two feet rather than rely on the dictionary as our mental crutch. And surprisingly, I soon discovered I didn’t need it. In fact, I even stopped carrying my dictionary when I went for walks in Rome – although I should hasten to add -- I hardly spoke Italian in the city. Still, a certain confidence comes with not having to fall back constantly on a dictionary. And confidence is what we need to speak a foreign language.

The teaching that I received was of a high level, for my instructor knew her material and also demonstrated a high level of energy. So if content and delivery were excellent, why would one not attend Scudit? If these are your only criteria, then by all means go there. However, I would imagine that many other language schools in Italy could also serve your purpose to develop both a good grounding in Italian grammar and the ability to speak. For example, Leonardo da Vinci has a well-established programme with its own set of textbooks for each level. You also receive a certain time of the morning devoted to conversation – all this and a lot more (see blog 8). On the other hand, if you want to base your studies more on the everyday language of the street, you can go to Linguait (See Blog 21). From my perspective, other criteria also come into consideration such as stability of the class and extra-curriculum activities. Finally, choice of location may play a role, but this has less to do with the school.

34. Scudit's Entrance Test

All entering students have to take a test on their knowledge of Italian grammar. The test I took covered tropics found in a “standard” Italian language course. There was no testing on comprehension or conversation. Given the “method” of the school, the test serves as a template with which to place the students.

My knowledge of grammar was rusty because for the past year I had avoided studying grammar. Rather, I had focused on comprehension by watching movies, reading, and conversing – at least as much as I could get. I’m sure I made a mess of the test, although a night’s review of my notes soon brought back the grammar. On the other hand, I am certain that a week, a month, a year later, I still would not remember the rules because learning to speak Italian is a hobby and not a university or job requirement. I expect to continue to make errors when I speak and to be corrected until I assimilate the rules.

Although the simple grammar test might serve its administrative purpose for placing students according to their ready knowledge of grammatical topics, it also had its drawback. As happened at the University of Perugia, a class would have a mixture of those adept at speaking the language but weak in grammar and those who were weak in conversational Italian. When it came to conversing, those students who could speak tended to dominate. There is also a natural predilection for the instructor to turn more to the students who can speak rather than listen to the halting attempts of the weaker students.

I presume it was because of my test result that I was placed in a class which I found too easy, and, in my opinion, wasted my first week. In fairness to the school, when I complained to the Director, he was sufficiently flexible that he placed me in a different class. If the other three weeks could have been as my second I would have been very, very happy.

33. Scuola d’Italiano [Scudit ] in Rome

It was Alexander Pope who said, “fools rush in where angels fear to tread,” and with hindsight, I can tell you that I was a big fool. As I mentioned in my last blog, I read Scuola d’Italiano’s [Scudit’s] brochure, I liked what I read about emphasising conversation, and so I signed up without further ado. What spurred me to go to Scudit was the following sentence in its English-written brochure:

Great stress is therefore laid on the spoken language . . ..We concentrate mainly on getting the students to speak ….

Well, I thought, Scudit is the school I have been looking for, because after taking courses in Siena, Perugia, Verona, Vancouver, and at home, I really did not need more of the same. Not that I knew my grammar, but what I didn’t remember I could easily review. What I needed (and need) was conversation and more conversation until I could with ease use the right tenses and find the right word at the right time. I believed, and still believe, that only practice would give me this ease. And here was a school that promised emphasis on conversation.

My mistake (not the school’s) was to think that Scudit was comparing itself to other Italian language schools in Italy. For example, at both Leonardo da Vinci (Siena) and Linguait (Verona) we studied grammar and we conversed. So obviously, I thought, Scudit was offering something very different – a course where (I thought) conversation was stressed and grammar derived from the conversation as the need arose. How else could it offer a different approach? Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Scudit was really comparing its method to the “traditional” old-fashioned approach which, for lack of a better word, I call “academic”. I think this is still quite common for most of us who study Italian in our home country. For example, my first three Italian courses at night school were of this nature – essentially grammar and written exercises. Size of the class is often also a limiting factor. Given this comparison, I would say that certainly Scudit does stress the spoken language.

However, when compared to the other private language schools I attended in Italy, I would say these schools gave more opportunity to converse than Scudit. Like Scudit, both Leonardo and Linguait had a mixture of conversation and grammar. As at Scudit, initial conversation occurred when the instructor asked each of us to recount what we did the previous day. Then the grammar or language lesson began. But unlike Scudit, both Leonardo and Linguait gave over the second half of the morning to conversation. Even the University for Foreigners at Perugia, with its large class, had special hours for conversation.

In short, Scudit does not focus on conversation beyond that practised at the two private schools I had attended in Italy. Indeed, even less so. In fairness, it does not claim to offer anything different from other Italian language schools. Moreover, what it does do it does well enough, and its teachers are lively. But why choose Scudit over another school? Frankly, if I knew then what I know now about the school, I would not have chosen it even though it does a good job teaching. Many reasons come into choosing a school – at least for me, and I will discuss them in subsequent blogs.