Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Siena
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Siena
4.5
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Learn Italian in Siena at language school Scuola Leonardo da Vinci with the "The Learn and go program". It is suitable for those that wish to taste Italian culture and language, all in just one day.
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Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Siena
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
29 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
2
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
1
saltmal
Canberra, Australia16 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
We spent a week (as absolute beginners) at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Siena. The experience was fabulous. We were in a small class of 5, just right for language learning. Our teacher Monica was great. Everything was in Italian but she was patient and helped us carefully allowing us to feel a sense of achievement even on the first day. And we laughed throughout the classes. Language learning is so much better if it is fun, even though at the end of each lesson, our heads felt as though they were exploding with new knowledge.
The lessons were held in the morning and in the afternoon there were optional activities organised by the school, again all in Italian. We went on a couple of walking tours around Siena, thoroughly enjoyed them and possibly understood at least part of what was happening.
The school also organised accommodation at our request. We chose a home stay with half board, ie breakfast and dinner. This experience was an absolute highlight. Our hosts only spoke Italian but we muddled along and as the week progressed we understood each other better. Our hosts were charming, the accommodation comfortable with a fabulous view of old Siena and the food was great.
If you're looking for a way to get a little deeper into the travel experience, this is the way to do it.
The lessons were held in the morning and in the afternoon there were optional activities organised by the school, again all in Italian. We went on a couple of walking tours around Siena, thoroughly enjoyed them and possibly understood at least part of what was happening.
The school also organised accommodation at our request. We chose a home stay with half board, ie breakfast and dinner. This experience was an absolute highlight. Our hosts only spoke Italian but we muddled along and as the week progressed we understood each other better. Our hosts were charming, the accommodation comfortable with a fabulous view of old Siena and the food was great.
If you're looking for a way to get a little deeper into the travel experience, this is the way to do it.
Written July 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mari S
1 contribution
Jul 2014 • Solo
Some years ago I decided to spend vacation time in Italy with the goal of improving my knowledge of the Italian language and culture. I wanted a balance between having structured and free time and decided to look at some of the language schools that are found in Italy’s smaller cities. Through research and recommendations I came across the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Siena which, indeed, turned out to satisfy all my needs on all fronts. The Scuola offers a family-type atmosphere that you feel as soon as you walk into the reception area. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. I took a language test the first day and was placed in a class that I felt was commiserate with my abilities.
Before leaving home, I had arranged living accommodations through the school, and these turned out to be in a beautiful apartment in the city center. The school itself is located on a side street right off a main piazza. It’s an easy walk to Siena’s main cultural attractions as well as to stores, restaurants, a large supermarket and cafes. It is also close to the main bus station, from which it is easy to make day trips to Florence and other cities in Tuscany and beyond. The train station is also nearby.
My program at the school involved language lessons in the morning and my choice of activities in the afternoon. I found the instructors experienced and enthusiastic. They use a wide range of teaching tools, including texts, articles, and videos. Students were from all over the world and all ages. I was happy to find many adults and developed friendships with a number of them which continue to this day. Conversation was encouraged immediately and reinforced with both written and oral exercises.
The afternoon activities ranged from art historical tours of museums and churches to wine and cheese tastings to a trip underground to see Siena’s amazing medieval aqueduct. On weekends, there is almost always an opportunity to join a scheduled tour of another town, again arranged through the school. Among the places I visited were Volterra, San Gimignano, Montalcino, Montepulciano, and San Galgano. I was also happy to have free time to continue exploring Siena’s many nooks and crannies. The city is breathtakingly beautiful, amazingly well preserved and has a profound local culture that culminates every summer in the exciting Palio horse race.
In all, I got out of my experience at the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci exactly what I hoped for: a better command of Italian, a more profound understanding of Italian culture, enduring friendships, and a real taste of “la dolce vita.” I can wholeheartedly recommend this school to anyone who wants a positive and memorable experience in Italy.
Before leaving home, I had arranged living accommodations through the school, and these turned out to be in a beautiful apartment in the city center. The school itself is located on a side street right off a main piazza. It’s an easy walk to Siena’s main cultural attractions as well as to stores, restaurants, a large supermarket and cafes. It is also close to the main bus station, from which it is easy to make day trips to Florence and other cities in Tuscany and beyond. The train station is also nearby.
My program at the school involved language lessons in the morning and my choice of activities in the afternoon. I found the instructors experienced and enthusiastic. They use a wide range of teaching tools, including texts, articles, and videos. Students were from all over the world and all ages. I was happy to find many adults and developed friendships with a number of them which continue to this day. Conversation was encouraged immediately and reinforced with both written and oral exercises.
The afternoon activities ranged from art historical tours of museums and churches to wine and cheese tastings to a trip underground to see Siena’s amazing medieval aqueduct. On weekends, there is almost always an opportunity to join a scheduled tour of another town, again arranged through the school. Among the places I visited were Volterra, San Gimignano, Montalcino, Montepulciano, and San Galgano. I was also happy to have free time to continue exploring Siena’s many nooks and crannies. The city is breathtakingly beautiful, amazingly well preserved and has a profound local culture that culminates every summer in the exciting Palio horse race.
In all, I got out of my experience at the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci exactly what I hoped for: a better command of Italian, a more profound understanding of Italian culture, enduring friendships, and a real taste of “la dolce vita.” I can wholeheartedly recommend this school to anyone who wants a positive and memorable experience in Italy.
Written March 22, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
S M
Eugene, OR2 contributions
Jul 2015 • Solo
This one of the best language learning experiences I have ever had! Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Siena is a professional school with dedicated, capable and warm staff. From the start, when I contacted the school for information, the responses were quick, thorough and friendly. The teaching staff are highly qualified and responsive to the needs of the group. No two days were the same and the lessons brought us closer to communicating in Italian realistically. The private lessons were outstanding and pushed me closer to achieving my desired conversational proficiency. The afternoon enrichment lessons in Siena's history and pronunciation provided real-world application for our newly-aquired abilities. Evening social gatherings with fellow students from the world over made this a true international experience. By the time I left the school, the staff felt like family.
Written September 21, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sil951
Swansea, UK38 contributions
Jun 2015
Our experience was probably a bit different to most in that we booked 8 weeks at the school. As complete beginners to Italian it started well with a class of 5, the same class reviewed by another student. Our teacher Monica was patient, fun and taught us a lot in the first 3 weeks. After that things got chaotic. Each week we had a different teacher teaching wildly different levels and it stopped being fun and became stressful. My husband dropped out after four weeks and I did so after 6. It wasn't the teachers it was the admin. After school activities were great with a lot around the Palio that made it a wonderful experience. The accommodation was poor but centrally located so that worked out ok. Better for two weeks than eight.
Written July 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many thanks for your comments which we always value because they help us improve our service. We are writing this response to say that we are sincerely sorry by the difficulties you experienced during your stay at our school. Our objective is always to meet as best we can the expectations of our students .
As soon as we became aware of your difficulties, we offered various solutions. We first placed you in a different class that was more commiserate with your comfort level in Italian. When that didn't prove completely satisfactory, we advised taking individual lessons on a one-to-one or two-to-one basis. These lessons are tailor-made for each student and are usually an excellent way to practice one's language skills at a pace that is comfortable for them. This was the second solution that we offered, even going against our own best (economic) interests to do so. You then accepted this offer for one week only.
Many students take our courses for extended periods of time and obtain excellent results that even include passing rigorous Italian language and culture exams. It's useful to remember that our long-term courses require dedication and study, but also the capacity to accept the small and sometimes large frustrations that may come between our personal expectations and the concrete realizations of our goals.
In terms of the accommodation: your apartment was in a convenient location, just two minutes walk from the school, with air conditioning and WiFi. The price was quite reasonable considering the services. You made many requests during your stay, including for household products which are usually not included in the price. The landlady of the apartment and our staff at the school tried to serve you in as many ways as possible, including increasing the internet speed in the apartment, sending faxes abroad, making photocopies, scheduling trips and researching information.
Again we are truly sorry for any discomfort on your part. We are genuinely happy to have made your acquaintance and would welcome you back should you decide to study Italian again in Siena.
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci staff
Written August 11, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Whitney | Whit 'Round the World Blog
Indianapolis, IN5 contributions
Jul 2017 • Solo
I've attended 4 language immersion schools in various countries over the years, and unfortunately, this was by far, my worst experience.
I took a 2-week course in June/July of 2017 and the first thing that I noticed was the complete lack of organization. Though we had workbooks, my teacher was constantly leaving the room (honestly - at least once per lesson) to make photocopies from another book. Why she couldn't make those copies ahead of class so as not to interrupt the time we are PAYING for active instruction, I'm not certain. This seemed to be a common theme among other teachers as well.
Additionally, the lessons were not cohesive. The structure and continuity did not make any sense. I think this is partly due to allowing new students into the same class with students who have been there for 1+ weeks already and are not at the same level.
My homestay, was also not ideal. The host lady did not seem to want to engage in conversation, and actually left me and another student home alone with nothing but a salad and wine to eat for two days. No matter that we had already paid for entire meals those two days and had to spend additional money on buying real food to feed ourselves.
Overall, I learned a little bit of Italian, but not nearly the amount I could have learned had the courses been better structured and the teachers more serious about instruction and less concerned with making photocopies.
To anyone considering this school, I would say I wasn't the only student to feel this way in my time there, and there is maybe 1 really great teacher (more advanced level), however, given the number of students this school has ~25+ for the 2 weeks I was there and the fact they have only 15 reviews here, please think about what that might indicate.
I would not recommend this school to friends.
I took a 2-week course in June/July of 2017 and the first thing that I noticed was the complete lack of organization. Though we had workbooks, my teacher was constantly leaving the room (honestly - at least once per lesson) to make photocopies from another book. Why she couldn't make those copies ahead of class so as not to interrupt the time we are PAYING for active instruction, I'm not certain. This seemed to be a common theme among other teachers as well.
Additionally, the lessons were not cohesive. The structure and continuity did not make any sense. I think this is partly due to allowing new students into the same class with students who have been there for 1+ weeks already and are not at the same level.
My homestay, was also not ideal. The host lady did not seem to want to engage in conversation, and actually left me and another student home alone with nothing but a salad and wine to eat for two days. No matter that we had already paid for entire meals those two days and had to spend additional money on buying real food to feed ourselves.
Overall, I learned a little bit of Italian, but not nearly the amount I could have learned had the courses been better structured and the teachers more serious about instruction and less concerned with making photocopies.
To anyone considering this school, I would say I wasn't the only student to feel this way in my time there, and there is maybe 1 really great teacher (more advanced level), however, given the number of students this school has ~25+ for the 2 weeks I was there and the fact they have only 15 reviews here, please think about what that might indicate.
I would not recommend this school to friends.
Written June 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Due to technical issues we were quite delayed in reading the observations that you made a year after you took a course at our school in Siena. Please excuse our late response, but it is quite important to us to share with you a few observations .
Italian language course
We sincerely thank you for having taken the time, even after many months, to give us your vision of our course. Please understand as a first recourse, we would always suggest to all our students that any difficulties or problems regarding the lessons or the teachers be brought to us while the course is still in progress. We would always recommend speaking to your teacher or to the administration directly. It doesn’t help to be passive. Express your doubts and your desires in respect to the course. After you have returned home, unfortunately, we can’t change the situation or find a better solution for you!
In terms of your comments about the frequent need for additional material produced during the lesson and about your impression that there was little cohesion or continuity to the structure of the course, it’s helpful to remember that our classes include students from many different nationalities and that generally we regard this intersecting of languages and cultures a precious and valuable opportunity. At the same time, understandably, it makes the instructor’s work more complex.
In our long experience teaching, as well as in creating and understanding didactic material, at times we find that a specific exercise, text or audio is particularly suitable for addressing the students’ needs during the lesson and we try to incorporate this new material as quickly and efficiently as we can. Rest assured that our teachers follow a structured curriculum, but we have to maintain a certain flexibility that accommodates the students’ learning styles and levels. We consider it an asset that our teachers can assess the students’ changing needs while in the classroom and are ready to respond to them by bringing forth the appropriate exercises, examples and demonstrations. These “digressions” may not always be predictable but we feel they result in a more personal and meaningful experience for the student.
Accommodation
In terms of the homestay, we offer the same advice as mentioned above, that is, to communicate with your host to let her/him know of any problems you may have with the accommodations or meals. You would also be welcome to voice your concerns with the administration of the school. It so happens that the particular host family you were placed with has a very favorable reputation among our students, who, on repeat visits, often request being lodged there. But please understand we want our students to feel comfortable in their home stay and would always make an effort to assist you in any way possible, even in changing accommodations, if necessary. The important thing, as always, is to communicate your discomfort while you are here.
Written September 4, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fredrika S
Kalmar, Sweden3 contributions
Jun 2015
The school is located right in the historical medieval citycenter of Tuscany's most beautiful town Siena. What i like most about the school is the atmosphere, you feel really welcome and the teachers are all very involved, very good and nice! You learn so much in every lesson! The school organizes a lot of activities, several a week...trips to tuscan small towns, guided tours, winetasting, dinners etc. Benissimo!!
Written September 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heather H
USA44 contributions
Oct 2017 • Solo
The scuola and its staff are top-notch! I'm a professor and travel writer who has brought groups to study here over the years for 1, 3, and 4 month stays. They can help find housing accommodations, are an endless source of information about things to do in the area, and have the best, most patient, teachers in the region. In fact, their staff remains dedicated and loyal teachers for decades... They also organize cultural activities for language students. The scuola is great for young people, college-aged students, and older adults. I particularly enjoyed it as a single woman traveling alone.
Written April 8, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pauline B
Wiltshire, UK10 contributions
Sep 2015 • Friends
I visited the school for one week to improve my limited, self-taught Italian. I had such a good time that I can't wait to go back. The lessons were held in the morning and I was in a class of seven beginners/intermediate speakers of varying nationalities. Our teacher Roberta was excellent, managing to communicate with us in a combination of Italian and gestures. In the afternoons there were various activities - visits to San Gimignano, Cortona etc - or you could spend time sightseeing and eating gelato in Siena. After you'd done your homework, of course!!!
Written September 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike D
Seattle, WA6 contributions
Oct 2019
My wife and I attended week-long language immersion classes at the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Siena and had an exceptionally wonderful and beneficial experience. We are each at different levels in Italian and were placed in classes that were perfect for our abilities. The teachers integrated us seamlessly into classes with other students who were there for one-week, two-week and longer programs. We also took private lessons on top of the immersion classes which were very helpful. All of the teachers are very talented and engaging and the staff are gracious, welcoming and helpful. The school organizes optional afternoon activities around Siena and the surrounding area which we also took advantage of. We hope to return and continue improving our Italian at the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Siena and will definitely keep in touch with our teachers there.
Written November 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rjk376
Oceanside, CA36 contributions
May 2017 • Solo
I attended Scuola Leonardo da Vinci for four weeks, three in Siena and one in Rome. I do not quarrel with the many fulsome reviews, and I add below my own positive comments below. But overall it did not suit me well and I suspect others will have similar reservations.
Leonardo da Vinci is a large operation (in four cities) and exhibits the efficiencies that large scale confers. It has been around a long time, so has evolved its methods to a refined level. Within the boundaries of those methods, the teachers are excellent. They are cheerful and encouraging and know how to connect with students. On these traits, I give the place the highest marks. So what’s the problem?
Basically, it is that the classroom learning is done without preparation, on the fly. We arrive most days not knowing what subject will be covered that day. Yes, there is a book, but it is little used, and when used, the instructors jump around. They use surprise handouts more than the book. So we come to class “cold.”
This is inefficient. The classes should be exercises in consolidation and fluency. Instead, because we have not prepared, they tend to be stumbling and halting. A lot of time is wasted.
Having been a successful student during 21 years of formal education, I developed my own style of learning. Its core is careful preparation for each class. This school thwarts that style. So while I have unquestionably absorbed a lot of Italian, it has been frustrating. I shall try other schools for the next phase
Leonardo da Vinci is a large operation (in four cities) and exhibits the efficiencies that large scale confers. It has been around a long time, so has evolved its methods to a refined level. Within the boundaries of those methods, the teachers are excellent. They are cheerful and encouraging and know how to connect with students. On these traits, I give the place the highest marks. So what’s the problem?
Basically, it is that the classroom learning is done without preparation, on the fly. We arrive most days not knowing what subject will be covered that day. Yes, there is a book, but it is little used, and when used, the instructors jump around. They use surprise handouts more than the book. So we come to class “cold.”
This is inefficient. The classes should be exercises in consolidation and fluency. Instead, because we have not prepared, they tend to be stumbling and halting. A lot of time is wasted.
Having been a successful student during 21 years of formal education, I developed my own style of learning. Its core is careful preparation for each class. This school thwarts that style. So while I have unquestionably absorbed a lot of Italian, it has been frustrating. I shall try other schools for the next phase
Written May 26, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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