The Best Program for Language Immersion Past Review

By A student (Anthropology, Oberlin College) - abroad from 09/01/2010 to 06/01/2011 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Florence

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I gained Italian fluency and by the end was extremely proud of my ability to navigate on my own in and outside the city. I made personal connections that have continued to stay with me, and I had a very rewarding academic experience.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I chose this program because of the focus on the language immersion and was not disappointed. The Language Pledge and the courses I took directly at the Università degli Studi di Firenze really helped me to gain fluency, and I was very happy with my progress at the end of the year.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The staff were all supportive and helpful. They were there for everything we needed, from housing to safety to cultural activities.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I loved my host parents and am still in touch with them today. They made me feel like part of their family and introduced me to their friends and relatives so I had a network of people for extra support and the chance for greater integration.
* Food:	There are plenty of great choices for dining in Florence. The best food I ate was always with my host family.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	There are lots of US students in Florence, and Italian students are used to international visitors so I really had to make an effort to get to know people. By the end, there were a few groups of people that I hung out with (and am still in close contact with), but students should know that they'll have to put themselves out there to meet people. The Language Pledge definitely helps - Italians always seemed a little surprised and pleased that I spoke the language.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	The local health care system does not run as efficiently as I was used to back home, but everything I needed was taken care of.
* Safety:	Florence is a very safe city. I felt comfortable walking around at night, but always accompanied by others. There are definitely parts of the city to avoid when wandering alone, and the program talked about safety at length during orientation to help us understand how to navigate safely.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget? (1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)	At that time, the exchange rate did not favor the US dollar, but I was able to keep my expenses down pretty well. Living with a host family meant that I didn't have to buy my own groceries or have to deal with budgeting apartment utilities.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	The program has a language pledge, so only Italian is spoken on the program
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Advanced
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	5th semester
How many hours per day did you use the language?	10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Talk to everyone you can. Even if they try to switch to English, insist that they speak Italian. After all, when you're in the country, you should be taking advantage of the chance to improve your language skills!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?	10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	The chance to focus on Italian and use it 24/7 I had the independence to travel and take part in activities outside of the program. Students are able to make the program exactly what they want. Host Family and personal connections made
* What could be improved?	The group activities were fun - more of those!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wished I had known how many US students studied in Florence. It was a shock to hear so much English in the historic center, which motivated me to stand out as someone who was there to speak Italian.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.	The Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	European Union
Course Department:
Instructor:	Sara Lagi
Instruction Language:	Italian
Comments:	This was one of the best courses I ever took. The professor was engaging and extremely organized. The class was challenging, but she made it easy to follow and provided the perfect combination of lecture and discussion.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No issues

Course Name/Rating:	Cultural Anthropology
Course Department:	UNIFI Anthropology
Instructor:	Emanuela Rossi
Instruction Language:	Italian
Comments:	This instructor was incredible and assigned fascinating reading. Middlebury provides a seminar to accompany all university courses, and the professor of this course ended also teaching the seminar. So I was able to work with her one-on-one to make sure I was following the material appropriately, and she helped me significantly with my writing and in my understanding of the content.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No problem at all. I was an Anthropology major and had already taken a course called "Cultural Anthropology" at my home school. The content of this course was different, though, as it looked at the field of Anthropology from the Italian perspective.