Program Overview
Study Italian language and culture in the small southern Italian city of Piedmonte Matese, at the foot of the Matese mountains in the scenic region of Campania. Unlike larger Italian cities, Piedmonte Matese has remained largely untouched by tourism, and hence, English is seldom spoken. The main objective of this program is to offer students an environment in which they can acquire language in a truly communicative way, thanks to continuous contact with people who are not yet strongly affected by globalization. In simpler words, students will be forced to speak Italian to the local people and acquire cross-cultural and linguistic competency. Courses will be taught by accompanying University of Delaware faculty as well as a local instructor, and will involve significant interaction with the daily life of the town.
Following their arrival in Italy, the group will spend four days in Rome before proceeding to their new home in the foothills. Additional excursions to the nearby cities of Naples, Caserta, Capri, and to Pompeii or Herculaneum will also be included. Visits to art and archeological museums, historical landmarks (Cassino), mountain villages, natural parks, religious landmarks will round out the program. Finally, because Piedmonte Matese has preserved an untouched Italian lifestyle, and since it has not been targeted by mass tourism, it will allow students more opportunities to participate in peoples' daily activities: they will have the chance to visit farms, make bread, shop at the local farmers market, and attend local festivals.
Students will be lodged in spacious double rooms in a hotel in Piedmonte Matese, where a small breakfast will be provided daily. In addition, occasional meals will be provided on the group’s excursions.
Whether you’re a beginner in Italian or an intermediate-level language learner, the Summer Session in Italy is your chance to acquire communicative skills through interaction with the local population while at the same time learning firsthand about the culture and history of this beautiful region.
UD students pay all program fee deposits by direct bank transfer via this website: http://www.udel.edu/studyabroadpayments. Non-UD students should send a check, payable to the University of Delaware, to CFIS, Elliott Hall, 26 East Main Street, Newark, DE 19716. Credit card payments are not accepted.
