42 A Comparison of Scudit with Linguait and Scuola Leonardo da Vinci (Siena) (1 of 4)
In this and the following three blogs I will attempt to compare Scudit (Rome) with Leonardo da Vinci (Siena) and Linguait (Verona). I have omitted the University per Stranieri, at Perugia because it was such a BAD experience that I wouldn’t wish it even on my worst enemy. Do bear in mind that I attended Leonardo da Vinci at Siena four years ago and things may well have changed. There are several Leonardo schools, including one in Rome, but remember that beyond the text books, what applies to Siena may not (probably does not) apply to the other Leonardo schools.
City
Leonardo: in Siena, Toscana. Beautiful city, beautiful Tuscany countryside with accessibility to other interesting cities. Had very little contact with the local people, whom I am told are highly insular. The taxi drivers, waiters, and sales clerks I encountered were honest!
Linguait: in Verona, a beautiful Roman city – a smaller Rome, or a smaller Florence -- take your pick. More of a Northern European feel about the place. I liked the city and the people I met.
Scudit: in Rome. The Eternal City; The city of dog poop; of churches, museums …it’s all here. Most clerks and bus drivers insisted on speaking English.
Course Attended
I attended the Standard 4-week Course at each of the schools. These courses had a definite start and end date. However, at all three schools these dates seemed to have little significance since students could enter and leave at any time. At both Leonardo and Scudit the so-called 4-weeks was broken into two 2-weeks periods to accommodate new students. I maintain that if a school advertises a course for a set period it should limit entry to those students who take the entire course.
Disruption by Incoming Students
At Leonardo and Scudit there was a definite interruption as the instructors awaited the distribution of new students.
Leonardo: we were “occupied” by a film while new students were being tested. We also wasted a good portion of the first week while the instructor reviewed what we had completed with the new students.
Linguait: most of the students stayed for the four weeks and there was no pedagogical cooling of heels while we waited for new students. We received three new students in a class of 10, but there was no going over earlier material. These students appeared to fit in well. In this respect, Linguait did offer the best sense of continuity.
Scudit: My class from the second week dissolved away after one week and I was placed into a new class in my third of four weeks! So much for the so-called 4-week “course.”
City
Leonardo: in Siena, Toscana. Beautiful city, beautiful Tuscany countryside with accessibility to other interesting cities. Had very little contact with the local people, whom I am told are highly insular. The taxi drivers, waiters, and sales clerks I encountered were honest!
Linguait: in Verona, a beautiful Roman city – a smaller Rome, or a smaller Florence -- take your pick. More of a Northern European feel about the place. I liked the city and the people I met.
Scudit: in Rome. The Eternal City; The city of dog poop; of churches, museums …it’s all here. Most clerks and bus drivers insisted on speaking English.
Course Attended
I attended the Standard 4-week Course at each of the schools. These courses had a definite start and end date. However, at all three schools these dates seemed to have little significance since students could enter and leave at any time. At both Leonardo and Scudit the so-called 4-weeks was broken into two 2-weeks periods to accommodate new students. I maintain that if a school advertises a course for a set period it should limit entry to those students who take the entire course.
Disruption by Incoming Students
At Leonardo and Scudit there was a definite interruption as the instructors awaited the distribution of new students.
Leonardo: we were “occupied” by a film while new students were being tested. We also wasted a good portion of the first week while the instructor reviewed what we had completed with the new students.
Linguait: most of the students stayed for the four weeks and there was no pedagogical cooling of heels while we waited for new students. We received three new students in a class of 10, but there was no going over earlier material. These students appeared to fit in well. In this respect, Linguait did offer the best sense of continuity.
Scudit: My class from the second week dissolved away after one week and I was placed into a new class in my third of four weeks! So much for the so-called 4-week “course.”
posted by Toby1939 at 11:10 AM
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