ITALIAN LANGUAGE CLASSES
Experience the language of la dolce vita with our university-qualified, native Italian instructors.
Whether you are a complete beginner or already fluent, we welcome you. From business and travel to pure passion for the language, our courses are designed to help you achieve your goals.
Classes are conducted in Italian, immersing you from day one while building strong skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and grammar.
We do not offer the B1 certification exam. For more info. refer to Istituto Italiano di cultura di San Francisco.
Group Courses:
Group Courses have a minimum of 8 students / maximum of 15 students per class. Each Session is 8 to 10 weeks depending on the particular class. We offer online and in-person options, so read the course descriptions carefully to determine the best fit for your needs.
Course Pathway Overview
Core Language Courses
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Beginner Italian – foundational grammar and structured learning
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Intermediate Italian – builds on grammar and communication skills
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Advanced Italian – prepares students for continued advanced study
Practice Courses
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Laboratorio (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) – immersive, level-specific practice designed to follow each core grammar course (Summer Session)
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Conversation – focused speaking practice to reinforce fluency and encourage active language use (Winter & Fall Sessions)
The Summer Session will begin the week of July 6. Early Bird pricing ends on June 5 and the last day to register is July 3rd. The Zoom link for online classes will be sent to students registered and paid in full.
In the event that a class does not reach a minimum enrollment, it will be canceled and students will be offered a full-refund or an opportunity to move to another class.
Students will need to purchase required text unless specified that the instructor will provide. The primary grammar textbook "Italian: A Self-teaching Guide 3rd edition, by Illaria Serra, Edoardo Lébano" which can be ordered from BookShop Santa Cruz (arrives within 2-14 days) or can be found online.
* Members can use a discount code to save on group classes. Contact us at dantesantacruz1265@gmail.com prior to registration to request the code to use at checkout.
Starts Jul 6
295 US dollarsLoading availability...
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Starts Jul 6
295 US dollarsLoading availability...
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Starts Jul 6
295 US dollarsLoading availability...
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Starts Jul 6
295 US dollarsLoading availability...
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Starts Jul 6
295 US dollarsLoading availability...
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Starts Jul 7
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Class reviews from students:
"I wanted to let the Dante Society know what a wonderful experience I had with teacher Mirella Savegnago. I have taken both her beginning and intermediate classes on zoom and am planning to sign up for her in-person intermediate class."
"She is a marvelous instructor. I felt nervous that the classes would be too difficult, but her skills as a teacher made all the difference. She possesses all the qualities that make a good language teacher: deep knowledge, patience, compassion and an outstanding ability to explain concepts in different ways in order to make the material understandable. I love that she engaged us in little games that helped us get more comfortable with speaking. Her classes were always interesting, engaging and fun."
- review from Beginning & Intermediate online student
" È importante per me condividere la mia gratitudine e ringraziarti per le nostre lezioni in italiano. Mi hai aiutato a crescere in molti modi e mi hai aiutato a migliorare il mio italiano. Le lezioni a volte erano impegnative ma sempre divertenti. Grazie per averci fatto parlare e imparare in italiano. È un regalo per me. Sei un’insegnante fantastica. Voglio ringraziarti molto e spero che un giorno potrò dirtelo senza doverlo leggere."
- review from Laboratorio student
"If you are looking for a practical, useful, and fun Italian language course, I cannot recommend Francesca and the Dante Society enough. I have been using Duolingo every day for nearly three years, and while this helped with vocabulary, I never felt confident speaking with others. This class helped me feel more comfortable with real-life dialogue; I am less scared to talk with my husband's family when we visit them in Italy this summer! I am very excited to continue learning Italian with Francesca and the Dante Society! "
- review from Beginning Italian student
"Ringrazio per l’eccellente lezione. C’era uno buon equilibrio tra grammatica, lettura, e conversazione. Ho imparato molte nuove parole e frasi. Grazie per essere un insegnante brava e per una classe meravigliosa di studenti altamente motivati."
- review from Intermediate Italian student
Private Classes for Dante Members:
1-on-1 Personalized Instruction; Online or In-Person - maximum of 2 students per class. Options:
Online 5 (1 hour) - Class Package $300:
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Live 1-on-1 virtual session
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Flexible scheduling
In-Person 5 (1 hour) - Class Package $350:
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Face-to-face instruction
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Hands-on guidance
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Faster progress
How to book:
Please write to us at dantesantacruz1265@gmail.com and let us know if you have a preferred teacher and if online or in-person. Be sure to let us know whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced. We will reply with the next steps and available options.
Cancellation Policy:
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Cancellations made at least 24 hours in advance are eligible for rescheduling (no refund).
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Cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance are non-refundable and non-transferable.
* Please be advised that private lesson bundle packages must be used within two months from the date of purchase.
Classes will be a mix of Online Only & In-Person Only.
Please read carefully before selecting the best class for you.
Conversation Class Location:
550 Water Street, Suite A
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Aptos Class Location:
United Methodist Church
221 Thunderbird Dr, Aptos, CA 95003
Capitola Class Location:
620 Capitola Ave, Capitola, CA 95010
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS
MIRELLA SAVEGNAGO
was born and raised in Italy and is a graduate in education and psychology from Catholic University, Milan, and is qualified as a teacher in Italy. She has spent many years in marketing and management world-wide, but since she arrived in California in 2017 has been teaching Italian, both to groups and individuals, as well as Italian cooking. She is currently teaching beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes for Dante. She is fluent in English and has studied French, Spanish, and Mandarin. She travels to Italy several times a year where she and her husband Francesco have a home, where her son lives. Her daughter is a UC Davis. graduated. If students have concerns about ability levels, feel free to contact this instructor.
FRANCESCA
BENINI
was born and raised in Verona, Italy. She moved to the USA in 1998 with her husband, who is from Bologna, and their daughter. She has been teaching Italian and Italian cooking classes in every city she and her family have lived in the U.S. These include: Cincinnati, Ohio-Amici School, Santa Cruz, California-Dante Alighieri Society, Jacksonville, Florida-University of North Florida Continuing Education, and Melbourne, Florida and Irvine, California, her current home, where she conducted private classes. Francesca travels to Italy several times per year to see her family and friends. Her daughter is a student at the George Washington D.C.Law School. Francesca enjoys reading historical non-fiction and biographies, cooking, and playing mahjong. If students have questions, feel free to contact her.
BARBARA
GRAMAZIO
PEARSON
Barbara, born and raised in Rome, Italy, has a diverse cultural background with an Italian father and a Scottish mother. During her time in Italy, she studied Latin, Greek, and French, and taught English to Italians. After moving to California in 1991, Barbara expanded her language skills by learning Spanish and teaching Italian at Pasadena City College. She also contributed to an Italian immersion program for the Glendale Unified School District and offered private Italian lessons.
With a degree in Communication Studies and experience in advertising and real estate, Barbara appreciates different cultures and languages and loves meeting new people. She and her husband enjoy spending time with their two grown children, traveling, reading and walking their dog Cooper.
IRENE
BARGETTO
has been teaching the Dante Conversational Italian class since 2009. Irene was born and raised in Chieri, Piemonte, Italy, where she graduated with a degree in Accounting. She also speaks French and Spanish. Irene returns to Italy every year to visit her family and to keep well connected to her Italian heritage. Over the years, Irene has enjoyed tutoring family members and friends in Italian. She lives in Soquel with her husband, Peter, and their two bilingual children, Simone and Sabrina. Irene is the Business Manager for Santa Cruz Ear, Nose and Throat Medical Group in Santa Cruz and also helps her husband with their business, Soquel Vineyards. If students have concerns about ability levels, feel free to contact this instructor.