The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada West - Vancouver Office is pleased to offer Italian lessons for all levels and Italian conversation classes to our Members and to anyone who is interested in learning Italian, increasing his/her level or learning more about the Italian culture. For more information, check our Weekly Schedule or contact us.
email: school@iccbc.com | tel: +1 (604) 682 1410 (9:00 am – 1:00 pm)
The courses are organized in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Toronto and with the Dante Alighieri Society of BC.
Students gain the understanding and speaking skills necessary for everyday social situations while learning basic Italian grammar and pronunciation.
They will be able to respond to simple questions about family, likes/dislikes, and pastimes, order a meal in a restaurant, express their needs in a store, make a hotel reservation, and communicate simple ideas both orally and in writing.
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Starting Dates: Courses start in September, January, March/April, June/July
Price: 295$ + taxes
Textbook: Nuovo Espresso 1 (55$)
Students develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, improve pronunciation and learn idioms.
At the end of the course, they will be able to speak Italian with some confidence, take part in routine conversations in everyday social and travel contexts, and understand a wider range of grammar and vocabulary.
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Starting Dates: Courses start in September, January, March/April, June/July
Price: 295$ + taxes
Textbook: Nuovo Espresso 2 (55$)
Students take part in extended conversations, write simple essays and understand most of a newspaper article or a lecture.
By the end of this level, they will be able to communicate effectively in Italian.
Advanced Plus
This course focuses mainly on conversation at a very advanced level.
It deals with the multiple aspects of the Italian culture such as current events, history, art, literature, cinema, travel, food, traditions, music, and iconic personalities. A wide variety of resources is employed for class discussion: book excerpts and articles from major national newspapers, films, videos, TV series, songs and radio broadcastings. Emphasis is also given to different linguistic registers (colloquial, formal, literary, journalistic).
A review of the advanced grammar (especially upon students request and needs) is also part of the course curriculum.
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Starting Dates: Courses start in September, January, March/April, June/July
Price: 295$ + taxes
Textbook: Nuovo Espresso 3 (55$). Advanced+ does not require textbook.
These courses are designed for those who want to develop and reinforce their conversational skills. Instructors will suggest a variety of activities in which participants review the vocabulary and the grammar they have previously studied and apply their learning to new situations and contexts through literature, cinema and websites of interest.
Conversation 1 suits best learners who are at a beginner level of knowledge of the language (after levels Beginner1&2) while in Conversation 2 participants practice vocabulary and structures of intermediate levels (after Intermediate1&2). Conversation 3 is recommended following the two Advanced levels, where students are encouraged to promote independent exploration of Italian language and culture.
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Starting Dates: Courses start in September, January, March/April, June/July
Price: 295$ + taxes
The course is designed mainly for professionals in commercial and economic fields doing business with the Italian market. Emphasis will be given to the teaching of a specialized vocabulary and the development of oral and written skills for business communication.
The course will handle topics such as business terminology, common etiquette of the most common business situations, business letter formats, commercial invoice analysis, and trade catalogues requirements.
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Starting Dates: Upon request
Price: upon request
This course is open to all levels and it does not assume any prior knowledge of Italian grammar for attendance.
The program focuses on different areas of the tourism sector and it consists of two parts: the first part aims at providing students with the basic vocabulary and expressions that are most often used while travelling through Italy.
The second part of the course introduces students to a geographic overview of the country and to the most important tourist attractions (museums, castles, exhibitions and archaeological sites), accompanied by a description of the public transport system.
The lessons will include case studies from daily situations – e.g. restaurant, hotel, street directions, shopping – from which students can gain an extensive understanding of the Italian culture.
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Starting Dates: Upon request
Price: upon request
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
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| 6:00 pm |
Morning Schedule classes available upon request, please contact us!
Classes won’t be held on Statutory Holidays.
The teachers at the Vancouver Italian Language School are native speakers with university qualifications and experienced in teaching Italian as a second language. To view each teacher’s bio, please click on their name;
Cecilia was born and raised in the Marche Region of Italy where she studied Modern and Euro-American Literature and Language at the University of Macerata.
After serving as a Language Tutor and Teacher in both private and public schools and working as a professional translator and interpreter for the DPA – Department for Anti-drug Policies – Presidency of the Council of Ministers in Rome, she decided to undergo a PhD program in Translation Studies at the University of Montreal (Quebec, Canada). In Montreal, Cecilia had the chance to teach Italian as a second language to manifold passionate second and third generations of Italian immigrants. This helped her fall in love with her beautiful culture and language for the second time. Life then took Cecilia to Denver (Colorado, USA) for one year and there, she kept on teaching Italian and translating for the Italian community. Since September 2018, she has been living in Vancouver. She is so glad to have found such a vibrant community very fond of the Italian culture.
Since she was a child, she dreamed of living abroad and discovering new cultures, all while keeping practicing her native language and sharing her own traditions and habits with others.
“When I teach Italian, I feel I can travel back to my home country, share its hidden treasures and unfold its cultural and linguistic mysteries. I like to think about my students as ‘close travelers’ I share this journey with.”
Cinzia Candela Bicego is a teacher and an actress. She is a pronunciation and a “narrative voice” coach for those who wish to improve their pronunciation of the Italian language. She studied Journalism Radio television at I.E.D. in Milan and then at the Cherubini Conservatory in Florence. She was a pupil of Arnold Foà with whom she studied diction and dubbing at C.I.M. of Verona. She create a series of courses called “Modulavoce (or, VoiceShape” in English): Phonetics and Diction”. Cinzia then studied with prof. A. Alberto Paolillo and Prof. Gabriella Minarini and with them produced the double dvd “Why a beautiful voice speaks for itself: Course on Italian Diction” edited by R.A.I. from Florence.
She recited for the Pomeriggi Musicali della Scala of Milan for Music in Villa at Palazzo Isimbardi.
As an actress,Cinzia played Marguerite Gautier in “Marguerite’s Music” for the OperainProsa project devoted to Traviata by G. Verdi with the LyberaMusica string orchestra and performed in other theatrical productions.
She was a student of Prof. Gabriella Minarini from 2002 to 2012 in the studio for the “Optimaze of Scenic Performances” at “L’Atelier della Voce” in Florence.
In 2016-17 she collaborated with UBC and Simon Fraser University for a meeting between Italian Professors coordinated by Professor Stefania Ciccone at the Italian Cultural Center and conducted lectures for the class of students taught by Professor Maria Benimeo at the Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies at UBC.
Italy is not only my Country but represents an entire style of life. I love speaking about it, and I believe this love transfers into my passion for teaching. I think that only through being able to speak Italian will you be able to truly understand this country to its fullest. I have always loved to learn foreign languages; I’ve studied: English, French, German, Chinese and Korean. I received my Laurea in Modern Foreign Language and Literature from the Istituto Universitario di Napoli, Italy where I studied Chinese, English and Korean as well as Far East Asian history, philosophy, arts, and linguistics. I studied and worked in China for two years where I met my Canadian husband and moved to Vancouver in 1999. I truly enjoy helping my students to achieve their goals, and when goals become successes, these are also my successes. I think that a good teacher should be fun, kind, patient and enthusiastic, and I try to bring these things to all my classes.
I was born in Canada to Italian parents. Grew up in a vibrant Italian-Canadian community in Metro Vancouver while spending the summers at my family home in the Veneto region. I studied French and Italian Studies at the University of British Columbia and received my Masters degree from the University of Toronto. Along with guiding cycle tours in Puglia, I also studied at the Università di Lecce, the Università per Stranieri di Siena and the Università per Stranieri di Perugia where I took classes for Italian language teachers. I teach French Immersion and Spanish with the Vancouver School Board and I am always excited to share my love of Italian language and culture through storytelling with students attending courses at the Chamber of Commerce.
I was born in Milan where I studied Humanities (Modern Literature) at the “Università degli Studi di Milano”. I worked for several years In Italy as Human Resources Manager in different international and multinational companies.
In 2015 I was ready for new professional challenges and I embarked on a new career: teaching and promoting the Italian language and culture abroad. I completed PROMOITALS, a Master Program in “Promoting and teaching Italian language and culture to foreigners” at the “Università degli Studi di Milano” and then I gained the DITALS I – a Certification in teaching Italian as L2 from the “University of Siena” in Italy.
In the meanwhile, I have worked as an Italian teacher in classes of young adults, as a tutor for Executives and in classes dedicated to women within a Charity Association.
In August 2018 I moved to Vancouver with my family to attend a Master of Education (MEd) Curriculum & Instruction at Simon Fraser University, that will last two years. I believe that such Program will provide an enhancement of my educational skillset thanks to an innovative educational approach and focus on educational curriculum theory, research and practice.
Teaching Italian is my true passion. What I love is not just to teach the Italian language, but to accompany everybody who is passionate and motivated in a journey throughout our special Italian world of which our language is the most evident expression, albeit not the only one.
I moved to Vancouver from Italy in November 2009, but I have never actually left it; on the contrary, my attachment to my birthplace has grown since then.
Being far away in a very different country made me realize the beauty of a culture whose biggest strength is diversity, stemming from two common factors: harmony and elegance.
I am originally from Lecco (Lombardy) a small and quiet city at the foot of the Alps, facing a lake that resembles a fjord. I studied foreign language and literature at the University of Bergamo and I am currently a PhD candidate at UBC, where I teach Spanish and research 19th-century Italian and Spanish literature and politics.
To teach languages is, in my opinion, to open doors to new paths and encounters. This is what I have experienced as a student, and it is for this reason I now deeply enjoy sharing my knowledge of Italian culture with my students, as well as with my kids.
Lorenzo Camerini was born in Rome where he studied Humanities (Middle Age History) at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”. He worked several years in Italy in different fields, and he was also an Italian volunteer teacher for migrants in the NGO “Casa dei Diritti Sociali” from 2010 to 2013.
In 2014 he moved to Vancouver where he worked as a teacher of Italian language at the Italian Cultural Centre and in an elementary school as an assistant teacher. Currently he is a full time Master’s student at UBC in Archival Science and Record Management.
Lorenzo loves to teach Italian and to share with his students the history and the wonderful artistic and cultural heritage of his home country, hoping to spread the love for the “Belpaese“.
Ludovica Soleri was born and raised in Milan where she studied International Law at the Catholic University of Milan and took a Fundraising and Cooperation course at ISPI (Institute for Studies of International Policy).
Her first passion is theatre and she has worked for several years in the field.
In the last few years, she worked in Milan in different NGOs helping overcome cultural diversity conflicts and volunteered as a social and legal assistant for inmates.
She loves to travel around the world, learn new languages and experience new cultures.
In mid-2018 she moved to Vancouver where she works as an Italian teacher at the Italian Cultural Centre. Here she discovered her love for teaching while sharing the wonderful Italian culture and language. Ludovica is very passionate about Italian heritage and arts; she loves to help others explore new scenarios and new skills/talents and she is always keen on a good challenge.
Sara was born and raised in the south of Italy, in the Campania region and studied in Naples at Federico II University. She holds a Master Degree in Social and Territorial Policies.
Sara started to teach Italian at the University of Tennessee as volunteer for adults and young students. After three years, with her husband, they decided to move to the beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia where she teaches Italian in different schools.
I am very happy to continue to teach and help students who are interested and love the Italian language and culture.
Shelley Reid, who holds a doctorate in Classics and currently teaches both Latin and ancient Greek at UBC, is an enthusiastic language instructor and lecturer.
She had presented several well received lecture series at the former Italian Institute of Culture on various aspects of the ancient Roman world.
I am Silvia Giabardo, an instructor at ICCC and Scuola Dante. I was born and raised in Italy, in the Veneto region, and studied in Venice at Ca’ Foscari University, majoring in Foreign Languages and Literatures.
Life took me many places before I settled in Vancouver, Canada. I have taught Italian as a second language for over 20 years: in San Francisco, Florence, at UBC Continuing Studies and at the former Italian Institute of Culture in Vancouver, among others.
So many students, stories, and unforgettable experiences have come to me through my teaching.
Throughout my career as a language instructor, I have emphasized a multidisciplinary approach, focusing on the ever-evolving everyday contexts of Italy. My aim, whatever the level of instruction, is to promote understanding of the current aspects of life, culture, travel in Italy.
With my students, I have always tried to impart knowledge of and ability in the language, while sharing direct experiences of Italy and what it is to be Italian and be amongst Italians. A special flair, an atmosphere, a taste, a sound: a new and vibrant world that opens up when you learn our language.
Teaching Italian is my passion.
I am a member of the Dante Alighieri Society of BC, and I also facilitate an Italian book club in collaboration with the Dante Society, ICC of Toronto and the Italian General Consulate in Vancouver.
Please join me and let us take up this unique adventure together!
Arrivederci a presto!
I was born and raised in Northern Italy (Novara – Piedmont).
My love for languages began at a very young age, when contrarily to all my peers, I decided to study French instead of English. I eventually added the latter as a third language in High School, and then Russian in University. I hold a Master Degree in Translation from the University of Genoa and languages have always been the core of my everyday life.
I love helping people overcome language barriers and successfully communicate, and I do that through both my profession of translator and teacher. What I love about teaching is that it allows me to learn a lot about other cultures, while sharing the love I feel for mine.
I was born in the small region of Molise and then moved to the north of Italy (Emilia-Romagna) at the age of 19. There I obtained my Master’s degree in International Cooperation and Protection of Human Rights. I discovered the passion for teaching while working as Assistant Grant Writer in an NGO in Greece. There I started to teach Italian to young refugees and to hold seminars about human rights in high schools and other non-formal educational settings. Once back in Italy, I continued to teach Italian to migrants and I started to study at Università per Stranieri di Siena.
Furthermore, as a Grant Writer, I had the chance to promote inclusion and diversity in the education system, thanks to proposals I made in the areas of Youth and Children, Disabled people, Education and Social Services. I proposed strategies for parents, teachers and community workers to confront educational poverty in disadvantaged backgrounds, introducing intercultural teaching practices with the help of cultural-linguistic mediators.
To me teaching holds so many invaluable meanings: it is turning into success the potential that every student has; it is understanding our communities to build better ones; it is a life-learning process thanks to the engagement with students from different backgrounds; it is falling in love every time with the Italian culture.
Students choose our school because:
Please use the form bellow to submit it to the Vancouver Italian Language School. You can also email it to (school@iccbc.com)
All cancellation requests must be received via email before the second class of the course. After the second class refund applications will be refused.
Where cancellations are received before the first class, the Dante Italian Language School in Vancouver will withhold an administrative fee equal to the 15% of total amount.
Where cancellations are received before the second class, the Dante Italian Language School in Vancouver will withhold an administrative fee equal to the 25% of total amount.
The Dante Italian Language School in Vancouver will process all refunds within five business days of receipt of both email and the bank account or card details.
DISCONTINUOUS ATTENDANCE
If a student, when registering, already knows that he/she is going to be missing more than the 50% of the course, he/she can pay the 50% of the total fee of the course before taxes. No other discount will be allowed. This arrangement must be taken before the first class. No arrangements, discounts or refunds will be allowed after the first class. Attendance will be monitored and the amount of classes agreed must be confirmed when registering.
DIPLOMA
Students will receive certificates of attendance upon completion of the 70% of the course (7 classes minimum out of a 10 or 11-class course).
DISCOUNTS
Associates of Dante Society of BC and members of the Italian Chamber of Commerce have a 5% discount on the courses registration fee. No discount will be applied on the purchase of textbooks. Discounts are cumulative but no discount will be allowed over 15%.
TRIAL CLASSES
The Dante Italian Language School in Vancouver will allow trial lessons in the limit of max. 1 per student.
All registration fees are payable:
Students are required to pay the full course fee no later than two days before the first class.
The Dante Italian Language School in Vancouver reserves the right to discontinue or rearrange classes. A course may be cancelled if an insufficient number of students register. In this event, tuition fee payments will be returned.
All cancellation requests must be received via email before the second class of the course. Where cancellations are received before the first class, the Italian School of Language will withhold an administrative fee equal to the 15% of total amount.
Where cancellations are received before the second class, the Italian School of Language will withhold an administrative fee equal to the 25% of total amount.
After the second class refund applications will be refused.
The Dante Italian Language School in Vancouver will process all refunds within five business days of receipt of both email and the bank account or card details.
Students will receive certificates of attendance.