We offer a professional Italian language proficiency evaluation for a refundable $25 charge. The amount will be deducted from tuition when you enroll in our classes.
Register and email the completed test to: sabrina@theitalianculturalcenter.orgSabrina Infante, Director of the Italian Language Program.
You will be contacted to schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss the results of the test, your oral skills, and which class best fits your language needs.
* This test is recommended for those who have some knowledge of Italian and are registering for our classes for the first time. Students registering for Beginner 1 and current students don't need to take this test.
Give the Gift of Italian Culture!
Italian Cultural Center Gift Certificates
We are happy to offer gift certificates for membership and classes at the ICC.
Giving a membership or language class as a present to your close friends and family is a unique and wonderful way to spread the joy of the Italian experience and to introduce them to a vibrant community of Italian native speakers, Italophiles and millennia of Italian art, literature, culture and daily life. It truly is a gift that keeps on giving.
Certificates available include:
-> Individual Membership
-> Family Membership
-> One term language class at any level (ages 18 and older). Membership is required to enroll in language classes.
A perfect gift at any time of the year, and for any occasion, to say "Benvenuto" to the singular experience of all things Italian.
Grazie mille!
Join us for a 60-minute in-person lesson designed for Elementary School children with little or no exposure to Italian. Students will build their confidence in speaking and listening by focusing on vocabulary and oral communication skills through interactive songs, dances, stories, games, and imaginative play. They will also explore simple reading and writing in Italian. The lessons will emphasize contemporary Italian culture, traditional holidays, and geography.
After each lesson, families will receive a summary of the topics and activities covered, suggestions, and links for optional exercises to practice at home during the week.
Join us for a 60-minute in-person lesson designed for preschool and kindergarten children with little or no exposure to Italian. Our engaging sessions focus on vocabulary building and oral communication skills through interactive songs, stories, games, and imaginative play. Students will also learn about contemporary Italian culture around traditional holidays.
After each lesson, families will receive an email summary of the topics and activities covered in class. We will also provide links to the music, online games, and videos used, allowing families to reinforce the material at home throughout the week.
This 60-minute in-person lesson is designed for Upper Elementary and Middle School students with little or no exposure to Italian.
The focus will be on building vocabulary, enhancing oral communication skills, reading, writing, pronunciation, spelling, as well as cultural competency.
Students will have a structured and progressive learning experience by engaging in dynamic activities while following an age-appropriate workbook. Our dynamic activities include role-plays, music, movement, and games, all conducted entirely in Italian. We also emphasize contemporary Italian culture, traditional holidays, and geography.
After each lesson, families will receive an email summary of the topics and activities covered in class. We will also provide suggestions and links for optional exercises to review and practice at home during the week.
Please note that no class will be on October 19 and November 30.
Explore our engaging 60-minute, in-person, full-immersion lesson for High School students with little or no previous exposure to Italian.
Students will build their speaking and listening comprehension confidence, improve their reading and writing skills in Italian, and explore grammatical concepts while expanding their cultural competency.
Students will have a structured and progressive learning experience by engaging in dynamic activities while following an age-appropriate materials. After each lesson, families will receive an email summary of the topics and activities covered in class, along with optional material to practice the material during the week.
Explore our engaging 60-minute, in-person, full-immersion lesson for high school students with exposure to Italian or the opportunity to hear Italian at home.
Students will have a structured and progressive learning experience by engaging in dynamic activities and following an age-appropriate textbook. After each lesson, families will receive an email summary of the topics and activities covered in class, along with specific exercise suggestions to practice the material during the week.
Explore our engaging 60-minute in-person lessons, designed for early elementary school children (1st-3rd graders) who want to immerse themselves in the Italian language or who have Italian-speaking backgrounds at home.
These sessions aim to boost students' confidence in speaking and listening comprehension while introducing them to fundamental reading and writing skills in Italian. Activities are diverse and include interactive elements such as singing, dancing, acting, role-playing, and educational games.
Following each lesson, families will receive a comprehensive email summary detailing the topics and activities covered during class. Additionally, we provide tailored suggestions for supplementary materials to facilitate continued practice and reinforcement of learning throughout the week.
Join us for a 60-minute, in-person, full-immersion lesson designed for preschool kids and kindergarteners who have previous exposure to Italian and the opportunity to hear Italian at home.
These lessons will focus on vocabulary building and oral communication skills through interactive songs, stories, games, and imaginative play. We will also emphasize contemporary Italian culture, traditional holidays, and geography.
After each lesson, families will receive an email summary of the topics and activities covered in class. This email will include links to the music, online games, or videos used in class, giving families the option to reinforce the material at home throughout the week.
Join our 60-minute, in-person, full-immersion Italian lesson designed for Upper Elementary and Middle School students with prior exposure to Italian or the opportunity to hear Italian at home.
In this engaging course, students will:
The goal of the course is for students to be able to speak more extensively about themselves, their profession, their likes and dislikes. Students will also learn how to handle situations related to ordering at restaurants, shops, ask about prices, clothes, and daily activities. Each class will provide information and discussion on cultural aspects of Italian life.
Prerequisite: Beginner Level 1
Please contact the school if you have not taken any other classes at ICC before registering. An instructor will assess your level.
Use these links and order a copy of your text and workbook prior to the first day of class:
Textbook: NEW ITALIAN ESPRESSO UPDATED EDITION -BOOK + E-BOOK INTERATTIVO
The E-BOOK contains audios and videos.
Please note: duration of access to E-book 14 months
Workbook: NEW ITALIAN ESPRESSO UPDATED EDITION
The goal of this course is for the student to be able to communicate about events of the past, working on when and how to use the different past tenses, and to express feelings, emotions. Each class will provide information and discussion on cultural aspects of Italian life.
Prerequisite: Intermediate Level 1
Use these links and order a copy of your text prior to the first day of class:
NUOVO ESPRESSO 3 (BOOK + INTERACTIVE E-BOOK)
The E-Book contains all audios and videos. Duration of access to E-book: 14 months
Note: the textbook includes homework exercises (with keys)
The goal of this course is for students to be able to give recommendations, express needs and desires, provide opinions, and talk about work, health, food, and sports. Each class will provide information and discussion on cultural aspects of Italian life.
Prerequisite: Pre-Intermediate Level 1
Use these links and order a copy of your texts prior to the first day of class:
Textbook:
NUOVO ESPRESSO 2 (BOOK + WORKBOOK + INTERACTIVE E-BOOK)
For additional practice:
NUOVO ESPRESSO 2 - Esercizi supplementari
The goal of the course is for students to be able to describe personalities, accept and refuse invitations, discuss and compare Italian social habits, understand and give recommendations and instructions. Each session will provide information and discussion on cultural aspects of Italian life.
Prerequisite: Beginner Level 4
Use these links and order copies of your text and workbook prior to the first day of class:
Chapters 13-15
The goal of the course is for students to be able to talk about past events, make predictions and express probability, ask and answer questions about time, weather, locations, and places. Each class will provide information and discussion on cultural aspects of Italian life.
Prerequisite: Beginner Level 2
Textbook: NEW ITALIAN ESPRESSO UPDATED EDITION (BOOK+E-BOOK)
In this class, students will review and reinforce their language skills at the upper-intermediate level while exploring cultural topics related to contemporary Italy.
We will revisit the previously studied grammar structures in detail and practice them thoroughly.
Prerequisite: Practice and Consolidation 1
Use this link below to order your textbook before the first day of class: Nuovissimo Progetto Italiano 2b
Duration of access to E-book : 14 months
The goal of the course is for students to be able to talk about memories and past habits, ask/give advice, compare people and objects, and make formal requests. Each class will provide information and discussion on cultural aspects of Italian life.
Prerequisite: Beginner Level 5
Textbook: NUOVO ESPRESSO 2 (BOOK + INTERACTIVE E-BOOK)
The E-Book contains audios and videos.
Duration of access to E-book: 14 months
Note: the textbook includes the workbook (with keys)
The goal of the course is for the student to be able to express surprise, doubt, agreement/disagreement, preferences, and emotions. Students will learn how to make assumptions, apologize, and invite a person to join in an activity. Each class will provide information and discussion on cultural aspects of Italian life.
Prerequisite: Pre-Intermediate 3
Use this link and order a copy of your text prior to the first day of class:
The E-Book contains all audios and videos.
The textbook includes homework exercises (with keys) for each chapter.
In this course, students will learn to introduce themselves, greet others politely and informally, get to know others by asking and sharing information about their place of origin, occupation and free time, as well as how to order in a cafe and a restaurant. Each class will provide information and discussion on cultural aspects of Italian life.
We also suggest to purchase English Grammar for students of Italian as a reference for differences in English and Italian grammar structures
Students will engage with authentic material focused on different emotions (fear, shock, love, hate, laughter, to name a few) and presented in various cultural and sociolinguistic contexts. The goal of the course is for the student to express opinions precisely and thoroughly, use accurate and appropriate vocabulary, and participate in discussions while practicing advanced grammatical structures.
Pre-requisite: Advanced 3
Textbook: Colori d'Italia
In the third course of the "Practice and Consolidation" series, students continue to review and reinforce their language skills at the upper Intermediate level while working on cultural topics related to contemporary Italy. Grammar structures previously studied will be addressed in their nuances and practiced more in depth.
Prerequisite: Practice and Consolidation #2
Textbook will be communicated shortly.
Before proceeding to Upper Intermediate 1, students have the opportunity to reinforce the most important grammatical structures covered in previous Intermediate levels to become more confident in speaking and writing. Students will engage in meaningful conversational topics with classmates and the instructor to increase ease and automaticity in conversation.
Pre-requisite: Intermediate 3
If you do not already have the text Nuovo Espresso 3, you have the option of ordering the e-book version, which will give you sample sentences and structures, as well as practice activities to help prepare for each lesson's conversation topics.
LINK: NUOVO ESPRESSO 3 - E-book
The goal of the course is to be able to critique opinions, express regret, surprise, disbelief, and report about historical facts. Cultural aspects of Italian life will be discussed in each session.
Prerequisite: Bridge Class #1
Please contact the school if you have not taken any other classes at ICC before enrolling. An instructor will assess your level.
Use this link and order a copy of your textbook prior to the first day of class:
NUOVO ESPRESSO 4 + EBOOK INTERACTIVE - it includes textbook+workbook, plus access to e-book (license duration for e-book: 14 months)
The goal of the course is for students to talk about future events, recall events that have repeated in the past, discuss one's eating habits, and express opinions on use of technology in daily life. Each session will provide information and discussion on cultural aspects of Italian life.
Prerequisite: Beginner Level 3
Chapters 10-12
SPERIAMO CHE SIA FEMMINA (Let's Hope It's a Girl)
Year: 1986
Directed by: Mario Monicelli
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Giuliano Gemma, Stefania Sandrelli, Philippe Noiret.
Set in the picturesque Tuscan countryside, "Speriamo che sia femmina" revolves around an old villa, home to a group of women bound by family ties and friendship. The matriarch, Elena, a former aristocrat, leads the household gracefully, surrounded by her daughter Francesca, niece Marta, friend Claudia, housekeeper Piera, and young apprentice Anna. Each woman faces challenges—financial struggles, personal conflicts, and the threat of losing their home—while the arrival of Elena's ex-husband, Leonardo, stirs old tensions.
As the women navigate these trials, they bond over shared experiences, from heartfelt conversations to their touching acts of kindness. These acts of compassion resonate with the audience as they devise a plan to secure their independence and preserve the villa, ultimately celebrating their unity and resilience.
A masterpiece of Italian cinema, Speriamo che sia femmina won 7 David di Donatello awards (including Best Movie, Best Director, and Best Screenplay) and 3 Nastro d'Argento awards.
Secure your tickets now, and prepare for bittersweet comedy and a splendid gallery of female characters. The Cineforum movies will be in Italian with English subtitles.
The movie will follow an Italian-style aperitivo.
CINEFORUM is curated and presented by Ileana Tamberlani, Programming and Administrative Manager of the Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis / St. Paul.
CINEFORUM is hosted in partnership with Movieitaly+, the first on-demand streaming platform that promotes Italian culture through cinema. All ticket holders coming to this event will enjoy an exclusive 30% discount on a Movieitaly+ yearly subscription!
Movieitaly+ is the first on-demand streaming platform that promotes Italian culture through cinema. Our main goal is to provide our viewers with the finest Italian filmography, both classic and contemporary, signed by the iconic performers and the illustrious directors that still define Italy's cultural identity.
INTRODUCING our NEW Accelerated Kids' Course!
This class meets for 90-minutes IN-PERSON on Saturdays from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. This faster-paced track is designed for students (Age 9 and older) who are highly motivated and capable of completing practice assignments at home. It's also ideal for bilingual students who already speak another language and want to strengthen their understanding of Italian spelling and grammar.
Our Accelerated course is a comprehensive program that focuses on teaching the fundamentals of Italian grammar while building students' speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing skills. The course offers a well-rounded learning experience by successfully weaving together culture and language, ensuring that students learn the language and gain a deeper understanding of Italian culture.
After each lesson, families will receive an email summary of the pages and activities covered in class. This will help you keep track of your child's progress and guide them in completing the practice and review assignments for the following week.
Please note that there will be NO CLASS on October 19 and November 30.
CLICK HERE to purchase the Espresso Ragazzi 1 textbook with an interactive e-book.
Note: We will use the Espresso Ragazzi 1 book exercises and online activities, so please ensure you purchase this version, which includes the e-book. GRAZIE!
