ALCE Bologna

About the center

ALCE, founded in 2000, is a medium-sized Italian language school for foreigners, managed by its owners.

We are a family-run school offering intensive Italian courses in Bologna for students from all over the world who wish to learn the language, communicate fluently, and immerse themselves in Italian culture.

We offer a varied range of courses, from general language and preparation for official exams to technical courses (including Business) and recreational programs such as cooking and wine tasting.

We are known for our personalized attention, both inside and outside the classroom. We provide professional teaching in a friendly and informal environment, with competitive prices. In addition, we guarantee a rich cultural diversity, welcoming students from over 40 countries each year.

Our headquarters is in Bologna, home to the oldest university in the world, a city that combines art, history, culture, gastronomy, nightlife, and much more. Studying in Bologna means discovering one of Italy’s best-preserved cultural gems.

The ALCE team, made up of passionate and experienced teachers, is ready to offer you a unique and unforgettable experience that will enrich your life.

We look forward to welcoming you to Bologna with open arms!

Our courses

The 4-5 daily lessons of 60 minutes will take place during the time slots detailed below. The exact schedule will be assigned on the first day of class, according to your level:
Morning: 9:00 – 13:15
Afternoon: 14:00 – 17:00
Possible course durations: 1-99 weeks
Language levels of the course: Suitable for all levels: Beginner (A1) – Proficiency (C2)
Minimum required student age: 17 years
Students per class: Maximum: 8 / Average: 6

20 general Italian lessons + 3 additional lessons (2 afternoons, Tuesday and Thursday): 1.5 grammar workshop lessons + 1.5 conversation or phonetics lessons per week.

The grammar workshop is a complementary lesson where students focus on specific grammar topics, specially designed and divided by indicated levels. With this extra class, students have the opportunity to revise and clarify the grammar they have worked on throughout the previous week. One topic per workshop!

The phonetics and pronunciation workshop is a complementary lesson essential for learning a foreign language. Teachers often use the school’s soundproof dubbing and recording laboratory. Students get recorded to hear their voice and pronunciation in order to correct their mistakes and imperfections.

The conversation workshop is a complementary lesson where students practice their communication skills through everyday life topics.

This course consists of 20 group lessons and 10 hours in a mini group.
If there are fewer than 2 students with the same level, the school guarantees 5 individual afternoon classes per week.

The 10 hours of mini group may be held from 16:00 to 18:00 in some cases (for example, during high season).

This course is available year-round and is ideal for participants who only have 2 or 3 weeks. Students have many opportunities to improve their language skills more quickly and also to:

Ask all the questions about their doubts.
Put into practice everything learned in the morning.
Consolidate learning immediately.
Study more Italian through different topics and enrich their vocabulary.

Course specific data
General course schedule
6 daily lessons of 60 minutes will take place within the following possible time slots. The exact schedule will be assigned on the first day of class according to your level:

Morning: 9:00 – 13:15
Afternoon: 14:00 – 16:00

Possible course durations
1-99 weeks

Este curso consta de 20 lecciones en grupo y 5 lecciones individuales por semana. El horario se entregará el primer día de clases.
El horario de las clases privadas se dará el primer día.

Las 5 lecciones privadas permiten a los estudiantes concentrarse en sus propias necesidades e intereses individuales.

Datos específicos del curso
Horario general del curso
Se realizarán 5 lecciones diarias de 60 minutos en los siguientes horarios posibles. El horario exacto se asignará el primer día de clase según el nivel del estudiante:

Mañana: 9:00 – 13:15
Tarde: 14:00 – 18:00

Posibles duraciones del curso
1-99 semanas

Niveles del curso
Adecuado para todos los niveles: Principiante (A1) – Avanzado (C2)

Edad mínima requerida
17 años

Estudiantes por clase
Máximo: 8 / Promedio: 6

Accommodation

Homestay

All of our host families are carefully selected and are inspected regularly. We choose only families who are friendly and are able to provide good quality accommodation.

Living in a host family gives you a wonderful opportunity to learn and practice your Italian and staying with an Italian family is also a great cultural experience as you interact daily with local people.

We offer 2 types of stay in host families:

Half-board: with breakfast and dinner included
Self-catering: no meals included, but kitchen use allowed

This accommodation option includes:

Laundry service (once a week)
Stay in single rooms (unless you wish to share with a friend, spouse, etc.)
In most cases, the bathroom is shared with other members of the family
Maximum number of students per household is two, and at any time, we do not place two students of the same mother tongue in the same homestay, unless requested

Here is some information on what to expect:

Type of families: You can be hosted by different kinds of host families: Parents with children or teenagers, married couples with no children, mothers with children, elderly couples, single women.
Keep in mind that any type truly has its advantages and that all our families have been carefully selected! We are all different, so there cannot be standards.

Type of house: Our homestay families may live in a house or an apartment.

Distance from ALCE: Generally, most homestays are located no more than 30 minutes (walking distance) or 10/15 minutes (short bus ride), with a maximum of about 2 kilometers. Bologna is also a great city to cycle!

Keys: You will get your own keys so you can move freely as you wish.

BILBO and FRODO HOUSES

There are 2 different shared apartments located in the same elegant building, less than five minutes walking from the school. They have both recently been entirely renovated and are finely furnished.

Centrally situated, the residence is within walking distance to the famous shopping streets of Bologna. The most beautiful city park, the Giardini Margherita, is only a few hundred meters away and represents a perfect spot for recreation activities or simply to relax and enjoy the luscious green spaces.

BILBO House apartment (1st floor - elevator)

Contains 5 bedrooms and includes the following facilities:

Fully equipped kitchen with flat screen / cable television
2 shared bathrooms, with shower and toilet
Washing machine and dryer (free of charge)
Common area (an open space living / dining area)
Wi-Fi (free of charge)
4 air-conditioned rooms (included in summer Price: mid June to mid September)
- The only twin room of the apartment does not have air conditioning

Tipo de alojamiento	1 sem.	2 sem.	3 sem.	4 sem.
Frodo House	222€	400€	600€	800€
Homestay - Single room with breakfast	295€	590€	885€	1.179€
Homestay - Single room, no meals	200€	400€	600€	800€

Why choose our accommodation?

Attendance and additional support

When staying with us, you will have the support and assistance of the school staff. We search for the best accommodation that suits your needs.

Connections

Sharing an apartment with other students will help you connect and integrate better into the school. And if it's with a host family, your language immersion will be complete."

Comfortable journeys

The accommodations are carefully selected to ensure the most comfortable, safe, and reliable journey to the school.

Prices

Curso	1 sem.	2 sem.	3 sem.	4 sem.
Intensive course 23	255€	470€	615€	780€
Super-intensive course	425€	850€	1.140€	1.480€
Combined 20+5	435€	830€	1.155€	1.500€

Course and books	Price
1-5 weeks	€ 35
6-12 weeks	€ 65
13-24 weeks	€ 95
25-40 weeks	€ 120

Holidays

In 2025 (including national and regional holidays): April 21, 2025, April 25, 2025, May 1, 2025, June 2, 2025, August 15, 2025, December 8, 2025, December 22, 2025 - December 31, 2025.

School policy regarding holidays: Private lessons are either made up or refunded. As with almost all language schools, group lessons that fall on holidays are neither refunded nor made up.

Facilities and services

General school facilities

Fridge for student use
Library
Movie rental
Movie room
Lounge
Student support desk
Copy machine
Free water dispenser
Free WIFI
Non-smoking (all indoor and all outdoor areas of school)

Classroom equipment

TV in all classrooms
Air conditioning in all classrooms
Heating in all classrooms
Ample natural light in all classrooms
Number of classrooms: 13
Number of public PC workstations: 1

Additional comment about facilities of school
Classrooms with modern devices (projectors/flat screens) Professional kitchen for cooking classes * Classroom designed for wine tasting sessions with AIS sommeliers (national official association)