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All Italian schools in Taormina (Sicily)
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Babilonia Taormina (Sicily), Italy

4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

21 students - overall rating
Via Timoleone 10 - 98039 Taormina (Sicily) - see on map
Pay less than booking at the school
What we like about the school
  • Easy access to the beach and the historical heritage and natural beauties of Sicily
  • Excellent rating of student apartments
    4.3

    Rating: 4.3/5.0

  • Free assistance in applying to college/university programmes by a qualified consultant.
  • Free assistance in finding flats for long-term students.
  • Electronic whiteboards in all classrooms.
What we dislike about the school
  • Younger students should consider that the average age of students at this school is significantly higher than at most other schools.
Age of students
  Percentage of students
1-18 years 0%
18-24 years 20%
25-34 years 25%
35-50 years 30%
>50 years 25%
The average age outside summer is 10 years higher than in summer.

Location: The Centre is located in the heart of the world-famous town of Taormina, the most beautiful town in Sicily. Courses and programs are held at “Casa Silva”, a historic villa, built-in 1817 just 200 metres away from the Greek Theatre: an architectural, natural and historical treasure that Taormina has miraculously managed to conserve. The villa still today boasts a luxurious botanical garden filled with citrus trees, Mediterranean plants, centuries-old palms, monkey puzzle trees and magnolias, as well as many other exotic trees and plants.

Italian Courses

General Language
Private
Work & Study
Business
Exam PreparationWhy exam preparation courses are excellent for optimum progress
Language Plus Activity

Our prices for Babilonia include

  • INCLUDED Organized activities
  • INCLUDED Internet access and use of school computers
  • INCLUDED Wireless LAN zone at school
  • INCLUDED Free certificate of course attendance
  • INCLUDED Language level placement test at first day of classes
  • INCLUDED Language level placement test before arrival
  • INCLUDED For adult courses: a minimum of one free organized leisure activity per week
  • INCLUDED Free consultation about suitable college/university programs by a qualified consultant
  • INCLUDED Free assistance in applying to college/university programs by a qualified consultant
  • INCLUDED Free assistance in finding flats for long-term students

Videos & Photos

  • Garden at Babilonia school
    Garden at Babilonia school1/46
  • Outdoor lesson
    Outdoor lesson2/46
  • Vulcano
    Vulcano3/46
  • Learning
    Learning4/46
  • Explaining
    Explaining5/46
  • Exploring ancient ruins
    Exploring ancient ruins6/46
  • garden
    garden7/46
  • Trekking in Taormina
    Trekking in Taormina8/46
  • Yoga in Taormina
    Yoga in Taormina9/46
  • Studying at Babilonia
    Studying at Babilonia10/46
  • Adventures in Taormina
    Adventures in Taormina11/46
  • Accommodation terrace
    Accommodation terrace12/46
  • Babilonia class
    Babilonia class13/46
  • Class
    Class14/46
  • School building
    School building 15/46
  • Coffee
    Coffee16/46
  • Babilonia outdoor area
    Babilonia outdoor area17/46
  • Accommodation in Taormina
    Accommodation in Taormina18/46
  • Beach day in Taormina
    Beach day in Taormina19/46
  • students
    students20/46
  • Students at Babilonia
    Students at Babilonia21/46
  • at the beach
    at the beach22/46
  • Welcome to Babilonia
    Welcome to Babilonia23/46
  • Hiking in Taormina
    Hiking in Taormina24/46
  • Accommodation bedroom
    Accommodation bedroom25/46
  • lesson
    lesson26/46
  • Babilonia lesson
    Babilonia lesson27/46
  • Study group
    Study group28/46
  • Learning at Babilonia
    Learning at Babilonia29/46
  • Paragliding
    Paragliding30/46
  • Reading
    Reading31/46
  • Babilonia accommodation
    Babilonia accommodation32/46
  • Reception
    Reception33/46
  • Babilonia front desk
    Babilonia front desk34/46
  • Front desk
    Front desk35/46
  • Excursions in Taormina
    Excursions in Taormina36/46
  • Hiking
    Hiking37/46
  • Surfing
    Surfing38/46
  • Taormina
    Taormina39/46
  • Exploring Taormina
    Exploring Taormina40/46
  • Horseback riding
    Horseback riding 41/46
  • Selfie
    Selfie42/46
  • Working together
    Working together43/46
  • Activity
    Activity44/46
  • Playing cards
    Playing cards45/46
  • Fun activities
    Fun activities 46/46

Student opinions about Babilonia , Taormina (Sicily)

4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Overall school rating of
Babilonia , Taormina (Sicily)
21 authentic ratings from students who reserved with us
School
Location of the school
4.7 

Rating: 4.7/5.0

Facilities
4.1 

Rating: 4.1/5.0

Social activities
3.6 

Rating: 3.6/5.0

Organisation
4.1 

Rating: 4.1/5.0

Course
Quality of teaching
4.2 

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Value for money
3.9 

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Accommodation
Homestay
3.0 

Rating: 3.0/5.0

Shared Flat (apartment)
4.3 

Rating: 4.3/5.0

Overall school rating by student age group
Students < 18 years (0 ratings)
0.0 

Rating: 0.0/5.0

Students 18-30 years (2 ratings)
2.5 

Rating: 2.5/5.0

Students 31-49 years (4 ratings)
4.3 

Rating: 4.3/5.0

Students 50+ years (15 ratings)
4.5 

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Verified reviews only, uncensored. All student opinions from students who booked a course at the school with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
All Babilonia staff members were extremely friendly, and even outside the school you were greeted by name when you met them by chance. I immediately felt at ease, the atmosphere was very personal and human. I also have a lot of praise for the organisation; small requests for changes were implemented immediately and without any problems, and with a friendliness that cannot be taken for granted. I liked this exceptional flexibility. The lessons were varied and learning in the group was fun. I particularly liked the cooperation in small groups and the fact that care was taken to get into contact with everyone here, which was very conducive to the community. I would almost like to say that I learned Italian in a playful way during this week!
Disliked
However, I would like to comment on a few minor points: the methodology of the lessons could still be worked on a bit, some of the exercises were too lengthy. For example, in some of them only one sentence was reconstructed until the end of the learning unit, so for me the learning effect was not as high as I would have imagined. That's why I didn't give the maximum number of stars for price/performance. I thought the communication method was good, but in my opinion, the teacher should not be so reserved, but should correct mistakes when speaking etc. or intervene and give tips, because you want to learn something. I found it very positive to exchange ideas with the course participants, but you have to remember that they actually make the same mistakes as you. As I said, these were just tips on what I might improve. Apart from that, I can only say: it was a great week!
Review details
Course: Combo Intensive - 1 week
Review date: 4. Apr. 2023 by Erika Marko
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Everyone at the school was very friendly, especially my instructor, Anna. I took private lessons which enabled her to spend extra time on things I didn't quite understand. This was a fun and engaging experience. My Italian language skills are much improved!
Disliked
Everything was great, I wouldn't change anything.
Review details
Course: Private Language Course [Italian] 5 lessons per week - 2 weeks
Review date: 4. Feb. 2023 by Linda Dimmick
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
3.0

Rating: 3/5.0

Liked
I took one week of private lessons in April. The lessons with Stefano were very good and I learnt a lot, and the school itself is in a very nice location. I thought the price was reasonable for the quality of the lessons.
Disliked
Maybe I was just unlucky, but the organisation was not ideal in my case. The teacher I was actually assigned to fell ill half an hour before the first lesson. It was completely understandable that this led to complications in the planning; it was nobody's fault and I had a lot of sympathy for that. However, what bothered and annoyed me was the way I was initially told that I would have lessons with a different teacher the next day in the morning, only to be told hours later (when I had already made plans for the week) that I would now always have lessons in the afternoon instead of the morning. Fortunately, as I was in Taormina for a total of two weeks, I had the opportunity to postpone the course completely to the following week, otherwise I would have had to cancel various activities I had already planned due to the last-minute changes made by the school. I also didn't like the fact that there were no activities organised by the school during the week in which my lessons took place. Unfortunately, this meant that I wasn't able to socialise with other language students, which I found a bit of a shame and know much better from other language schools. At the end of the day - at least that's what I thought - you're paying for the organisation of the activities somehow.
Insider tip: A tour to the Etna, a visit to the "greek theatre", eating granita for breakfast at least once
Review details
Quality of teaching / language progress: Very good lessons, nice, patient teacher (Stefano)
Other comments The school is really very pretty with a beautiful garden - a dream when the weather is good.
Course: Private Language Course [Italienisch] - 1 week
Review date: 29. Apr. 2024 by Heidi Vogt
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
It had been several years since I had taken an Italian course, so it was good for me to start at a beginner level. The school is well organized and very helpful. Has a nice garden.
Disliked
We had a different teacher every week which in itself is not bad at all because the first 2 weeks they were excellent, however in the 3rd week there was one (fellow students) who was an internship / starting, this teacher was very timid and insecure. Someone was there to supervise, unfortunately we were not informed about this.
Insider tip: There is a restaurant at the school, very good/excellent but despite the discount the meals are very pricey, except during the morning break for coffee normal price.
Review details
Quality of teaching / language progress: No, as said good.
Other comments Afternoon activities done nice, not kayaking at my age but fun topics, worth doing and definitely doing.
Course: Standard Course - 3 weeks
Review date: 24. Jun. 2022 by Edda Draisma
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
3.0

Rating: 3/5.0

Liked
The school is very nice and the atmosphere among the students is very good, during the break there is a very nice garden and a nice cafeteria with a really nice waitress, Daniela.
Disliked
The principle of the school is that you just always speak, however well. This makes sense in part, but it is never corrected, which would absolutely help. We did a lot of small discussions in small student groups during the class, everyone just speaks as he can, grammar is not a priority. I was able to speak beforehand; I actually wanted to improve my grammar. The management of the school was not very helpful with student problems.
Review details
Quality of teaching / language progress: Lessons were canceled twice due to storms, why is there no substitute teacher?
Course: Standard Course - 2 weeks
Review date: 1. Nov. 2021 by Martina Borst
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Warm welcome, very nice garden with a coffee bar, a friendly barrista prepares excellent cappucini, interesting activities in the afternoon, good teacher.
Disliked
Liked everything.
Review details
Other comments Best school out of six, I attended this year in Italy.
Course: Intensive Course - 1 week
Review date: 21. Nov. 2022 by Peter Von Thun
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
The location was sensational. The participants were international, mostly from the USA. I would book again at any time! A great experience!
Disliked
The level in the class was very different,... The main problem was an 80+ year old American who never understood what to do, whose turn it was, etc. This often made it quite tedious...
Review details
Quality of teaching / language progress: Great products, great opportunity to speak Italian. Simply perfect!
Other comments Very uncomplicated handling
Course: Intensive Course + Food & Wine of Sicily  - 1 week
Review date: 10. Jun. 2024 by Ingrid Lebersorger
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
The teachers at Babylonia showed strong commitment and used modern methods to introduce you to the Italian languages.
Disliked
Unfortunately, the afternoon program was almost entirely in Italian, making it difficult for some participants to follow what was being said.
Review details
Quality of teaching / language progress: Good combination of culture, cooking and tours
Course: Club 50+ Programme 10 - 2 weeks
Review date: 14. May. 2024 by Gerd Irion
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
3.0

Rating: 3/5.0

Liked
The private lesson I bought was worth more than all the other lessons put together.
Disliked
Very big focus on different listening exercises where the content would be discussed with a classmate. Didn't work at all when all 8 students were wearing face masks, it was virtually impossible to hear what the other was saying. The school should have taken into account the problems caused by the masks and used other ways of teaching.
Review details
Course: Standard Course - 1 week
Review date: 11. Apr. 2022 by Annika Bodelius
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
Friendly and skilled teachers Lovely outdoor facilities good location in the city
Disliked
Definitely not suitable for people with walking difficulties Many stairs to get to school
Insider tip: Nicely arranged course
Review details
Course: Club 50+ Programme + Italian 20 - 2 weeks
Review date: 20. Sep. 2021 by Inger Bejder
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
The teachers, interesting teaching methods, very helpful staff.
Review details
Course: Standard Course - 2 weeks
Review date: 30. Aug. 2021 by Katarzyna Rychalska
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Location and gastronomy, friendly and competent teachers
Disliked
Sometimes the monolingualism is annoying, slight overload due to listening comprehension exercises spoken too quickly. Homework should be checked.
Insider tip: EATING WITH course participants
Review details
Quality of teaching / language progress: Nice people
Course: Club 50+ Programme 20 - 2 weeks
Review date: 16. Oct. 2023 by Andrea Krampe
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Location and small number of people in one class.
Disliked
Working in couples a lot and too difficult listening.
Review details
Course: Semi Standard Course - 1 week
Review date: 9. Sep. 2020 by Stepan Soutner
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
International students.
Disliked
Not enough activities with audiovisuals.
Review details
Course: Standard Course - 2 weeks
Review date: 1. Sep. 2021 by Lidia Wojda
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Atmosphere, didactics.
Review details
Course: Intensive Course - 1 week
Review date: 19. Oct. 2024 by Lukas Dunkl
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
Tailored-made course
Disliked
I was sorry to find myself the only participant in the course at my level in the second week.
Review details
Quality of teaching / language progress: Good teacher, fun method
Course: Intensive Course - 2 weeks
Review date: 24. Jun. 2024 by Elsa Collomp
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.

Ratings of Babilonia compared to ratings of all schools in Italy

 Babilonia Taormina (Sicily)Average of all other schools in Italy
Overall school rating4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

4.5

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Location of the school4.7

Rating: 4.7/5.0

4.8

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Facilities4.1

Rating: 4.1/5.0

3.9

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Social activities3.6

Rating: 3.6/5.0

4.0

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Organisation4.1

Rating: 4.1/5.0

4.5

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Quality of teaching4.3

Rating: 4.3/5.0

4.5

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Value for money3.9

Rating: 3.9/5.0

4.4

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Homestay4.0

Rating: 4.0/5.0

4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Shared flat4.0

Rating: 4.0/5.0

4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Babilonia

Accreditations and Quality seals
ASILSIALCEDUITALIAPreferential Terms in Case of Visa RefusalUniversity for Foreigners of Perugia
Italian teacher qualifications
100% hold a university degree
100% hold a recognised language teaching qualification
Languages spoken by school staff (cannot be guaranteed by school)
First day of course
Students should arrive at 8:30
Student gender mix
25% male / 74% female
Offer for returning students
You will be refunded/waived the school's administration fee if you already attended previously a course at Babilonia and you book here.
Payment methods accepted for payments made directly to the school
Visa - logoMastercard - logoPayPal - logoBank Transfer - logo
Year of school foundation
1992
Legal name/parent company
Babilonia SRL | Tax registration ID: IT04041230873

General school facilities

  • Restaurant

  • Cafeteria

  • Movie rental

  • Movie room

  • Garden

  • Student support desk

  • Copy machine

  • Printer for student use

  • Free WIFI

  • Non-smoking (all indoor areas, but not all outdoor areas of school)

  • Tourist information

  • Assistance with reservations for restaurants, bars, clubs

  • Assistance with organizing transportation

  • Facilities for islamic students

    • Available area to pray at the school

  • Classroom equipment

    • TV in all classrooms

    • Electronic whiteboard in all classrooms

    • Air conditioning in all classrooms

    • Heating in all classrooms

    • Ample natural light in all classrooms

    • Number of classrooms: 9
    • Number of public PC workstations: 1

    Facilities for disabled students

    • Adapted for deaf students

    • Adapted for blind students

    • Adapted for students with learning difficulty

Student Age / Nationality

Average number of students
In summer: 75
Throughout the year: 45
Minimum age of students
17 years
Average number of levels
Adult courses In summer: 7
Adult courses Throughout the year: 7
Average age of students
In summer: 35 years
Throughout the year: 45 years

Top student nationalities

Student Nationality Percentage of students
Germany 22%
Switzerland 16%
USA 15%
Sweden 7%
England 5%
France 5%
Netherlands 5%
Japan 3%
Spain 3%
Other nationalities 19%

Information for all courses offered by Babilonia

Lesson duration
45 minutes
Course material
Generally course material is distributed free to students and will stay in student property.
Individual classes
Single individual lessons of tuition can be reserved at 38 €. The combination of group and individual lessons is highly recommended. Individual lessons will encourage you to actively speak the foreign language and will offer you the opportunity to discuss individual problems and weaknesses.
Days without class
In 2024 (including national and regional bank holidays):
01 Jan 2024 - 04 Feb 2024, 01 Apr 2024, 25 Apr 2024, 01 May 2024, 02 Jun 2024, 15 Aug 2024, 01 Nov 2024, 08 Dec 2024, 23 Dec 2024 - 31 Dec 2024.
In 2025 (including national and regional bank holidays):
01 Jan 2025 - 02 Feb 2025, 21 Apr 2025, 25 Apr 2025, 01 May 2025, 02 Jun 2025, 15 Aug 2025, 01 Nov 2025, 08 Dec 2025, 25 Dec 2025, 26 Dec 2025.
School policy regarding bank holidays:Full corresponding tuition fees are reimbursed
Level test
A test to assess your exact language level takes place before the start of the course via an online form.
Lessons needed per Italian language level
Level (CEFR) LESSONS needed per level WEEKS needed
(20 lessons per week)
A1 Beginner A1 to A2 80 4
A2 Elementary A2 to B1 160 8
B1 Intermediate B1 to B2 180 9
B2 Higher Intermediate B2 to C1 200 10
C1 Advanced C1 to C2 220 11
C2 Proficiency
Data above gives some guidance. For more details consult our page How long does it take to learn a language or reach a specific level.

Visa Documents

Nationals from United Kingdom do not require a visa to study short term courses up to 90 days.
Check visa requirements for nationals from other countries.
Nationals from countries that require a visa will receive documents from the school, related to booking confirmation, which is required for the visa application.
Full payment of all fees required before school dispatches documents required for visa application
No
Free shipment via regular mail
Yes
Preferential cancellation terms in case of visa refusal
School agreed that students booking online on this site will benefit from preferential cancellation fees in case of visa refusal, and in this case will never exceed EUR 180.

Leisure activities

activity possibledistance from school
Ballet-
Basketball-
Cooking-
Dancing-
Diving7 km
Football (soccer)-
Golf50 km
Horse riding10 km
Mountainbiking-
Music-
Rugby-
Sailing-
Skiing-
Squash-
Swimming-
Tennis-
Volleyball-
Windsurfing-
Yoga-

Examples of leisure activities organized by the school

Adults - Free activities

Seminars on the history of Sicily, film nights, cooking lessons, weekend excursions.

Adults - Paid activities

For fee-based activities, registrations and payments are to be made at the school by the deadlines indicated for each activity which changes regularly.

Accommodation

Map  

Loading map content

Questions and answers about Babilonia

  • Yes, please note that the tourist tax is to be paid by the student directly to the hotel.
    Saeko, Area Manager German from Babilonia - Dec 07, 2022
  • Shared apartment means accommodation that student shares with other tenants. They are mostly other students from the school, but you may also share housing with locals.
    Gosia Mazur, LanguageCourse.Net - Feb 17, 2023
  • Yes, the school is registered with Erasmus+ and can sign the Mobility Agreement and issue the certificate without any problem.
    Gosia Mazur, LanguageCourse.Net - Jul 08, 2023
  • The flats offered by the Babylonia school have a kitchen shared with other tenants.
    Gosia Mazur, LanguageCourse.Net - Feb 08, 2024
  • Yes, the school is recognised for educational leave in Baden-Württemberg. Just bear in mind that 40 lessons per week must be taken for this educational leave.
    Saeko, Booking manager from Babilonia - Jul 16, 2024

FAQ about Babilonia , Taormina (Sicily)

  • Italian courses at Babilonia start at 238 € for Semi-Intensive Course course with 10 lessons per week. When booking here you benefit from an exclusive discount.
  • The accommodation Studio apartment is the most popular among all our clients of Babilonia
  • Yes. The following courses can be attended as an absolute beginner: Super-Intensive, Intensive Course, Semi-Intensive Course, Combo Intensive
  • Depending on the chosen course, the maximum number of students at Babilonia varies from 1 students (Private Language Course ) to 12 students (Super-Intensive)
  • 100% of teachers at Babilonia hold a university degree. 100% hold a recognized language teaching certificate.
  • The highest Nationality percentage at Babilonia comes from Germany with a 22% representation, followed by students from Switzerland (16%) and USA (15%).
  • Yes, there is an exclusive discount that only applies when booking online here.
  • Babilonia offers courses from 16 years to 99. Average age is 35 during the summer and 45 for the rest of the year.
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Starting date
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Taormina (Sicily)
Taormina (Sicily) city attractiveness rated by our students:
4.2 

Rating: 4.2/5.0

More information about Taormina (Sicily) including climate data and events on our Taormina (Sicily) page with a list of all 0 Italian schools in Taormina (Sicily).
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