Collina Italiana

My experience was quite a disappointment. With personal courage, I signed up for a 10 week beginner’s class.
The starting date was changed twice which made me a bit anxious because I already paid for the classes. My first instructor was Ricardo and there were 3 students (including myself) in the group. The 2 hours went quickly and I was less anxious about learning Italian.
He never came back :(
My 2 classmates, however, were not beginners but solid intermediates. [Note: I taught ESL for years.] The replacement instructor taught to that much higher level which left me feeling lost, slow and stupid. I’m grateful that I knew about language instruction. This empowered me to request removal from the class. I offered 2 options: a refund of the remaining classes minus a generous admin fee or a full class set of beginner lessons when the school was able to offer one.
The school was totally inflexible and I still feel ripped off.

I have studied with many different teachers of Italian throughout the past ten years, and can say without a doubt that Collina Italiana provides excellent language instruction and opportunities to attend cultural events*.
The owner, Patrizia is a familiar and friendly face at the school. She welcomes students of all ages and walks of life. Patrizia is a very generous and enthusiastically encourages the promotion of the Italian language.
Alessandra, Riccardo, and Raffaella (please excuse me if I forgot to mention anyone else) are the three amiable teachers that work there. I studied privately with Alessandra for 6 months. The private lessons were expensive for me ($ 75/​hr) but I was willing to pay in order to get the best instruction. I was preparing to take my OPI in order to become an Italian high school teacher in NJ. Through careful guidance and instruction Alessandra coached me through the stressful process of improving my Italian. Alessandra is one of the best teachers I have ever had in my academic career. She genuinely cares about the progress of each student and works with them patiently. I passed my exam with a higher score than I thought I was capable of achieving. Alessandra is an inspiring teacher, any student would be lucky to have her.
This is an amazing school with talented teachers. The teachers use authentic materials straight from Italy, and any student will excel in this positive learning environment.
* In addition to offering language & grammar lessons and conversation hours, Collina Italiana also holds cultural events such as movie nights and holiday parties. I was able to practice my Italian with other teachers and students at such events.