Cannot recommend. And do NOT pay in full for more than one week at a time. It is NON refundable no matter the reason . Poor to nil to worst instruction for beginning beginners. .School expects the intermediate students to teach the beginners . Poor facilities with no A/C read more

Koinè Center - Arthur, first day - Adult Education Near Me - Lucca, LU

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I had an excellent experience studying Italian at the Koine Center in Florence for a week (four hours a day) in a small group class. My teacher, Marco Ferretti, was an inspiration! He was super-prepared, engaged, attentive, and entertaining. I speak at a low intermediate level and had my doubts about a four-hour class solely in Italian, but it was no problem and, as a result, my conversational ability increased considerably. If you're looking for grammar instruction, tests, or an insistence on correct usage, this is not the place for you (at least, these were not featured in the one-week course). The school's goal seems to be to instill in people the confidence to attempt communication in Italian. I felt that the school offered good value for the price, and I enjoyed being with other adult students. However, perhaps because of the time of year (January), there weren't many people studying. I came with two friends, both of whom were in a class with one other person. I know I wouldn't have enjoyed this nearly as much as being in my class of four. Students aren't placed until they arrive at the school, so one can't know ahead of time exactly how many will be in a group, but perhaps the school could "guesstimate" the enrollment. It's worth inquiring. read more

AVOID THIS SCHOOL! As a doctoral student of linguistics and language pedagogy, and as a teacher myself, I have taken language courses all over the world and understand the 'science' of learning a new language. In summer 2017 I found Centro Koine online; the school's website boasted an "intensive" Italian course in week-long increments. Upon arriving at the school, I was surprised because there was no formal diagnostic exam determining new students' incoming levels of Italian. Instead, a five minute interview apparently sufficed to place students into one of three levels. There was absolutely no reference to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the most widely established and accepted system of language assessment in Europe. I was placed into the advanced class with four other adults from various countries. Our first assignment was to "talk with a partner" about ourselves. Speaking in a foreign language is a helpful tool for language learning only to the extent that a framework of expectation already exists and consistent guidance is provided. The course instructor, upon giving us these brief instructions, immediately left the room and was gone for almost 10 minutes. Unfortunately, the course did not improve from that first activity. Instead of the promised "intensive" course (that is VERY expensive at Centro Koine), we spent the majority of our time doing crossword puzzles and other canned, impractical activities that demonstrated a complete disregard for our individual class makeup. There seemed to be no planning tailored specifically to our group. This is the opposite of an intensive course. Beyond the lackluster content of the class itself, the women in the office seem incredibly rude and made me extremely uncomfortable. I spoke to one, politely informing her that the course did not meet my expectations and that I wanted to reduce the number of weeks I had originally planned to stay at the school. She curtly informed me that this was not possible and that I was obligated to pay the entire amount (over $350 for two weeks of class). I thus felt trapped into paying an exorbitant price for a service which did not meet my personal standards and, more importantly, did not deliver what was expressly promised on the school's website. Objectively, the school does not deliver what it promises on the website. Beyond the fact that the courses are not truly "intensive", one pays for 20 hours of instruction per week but realistically gets about 15, factoring in 30-45 minute "breaks" every day that are actually included in the 20 hours, as well as the fact that instructors were perpetually 5-15 minutes late to start the lessons. I was incredibly disappointed with my experience at Centro Koine. Given my own expertise in language learning and teaching, Centro Koine fails not only in terms of course content (let alone to call it an "intensive" course), but also in subpar instructors and teaching methods. I hope this review helps others seeking Italian language instruction to make an educated decision with their time and money. Look for one of the many other language schools in Lucca. Please, learn from my mistake and avoid this school! read more