Learn Italian in Sydney at Italia 500 Italian Centre for Language and Cultural Studies, which is located in the very heart of Sydney's CBD. At Italia 500 we've been offering Italian language courses for adults, ranging from Italian for beginners to advanced Italian throughout the year, since 1995. Our Italian lessons are conducted in a friendly, convivial, richly Italian enviroment that inspires and infuses the students, and the teachers too. If you want to learn Italian from A to Z, or you simply want to learn some Italian before heading to Italy, with like-minded fellow students whose contagious enthusiasm for all things Italian and zest for life turn each lesson into a gathering of friends rather than a formal class, then there's a learning experience waiting for you at Italia 500 (cin-que-cèn-to), Italian Centre for Language and Cultural Studies. So, join our Italian classes in Sydney's CBD, or join us online for our online Italian lessons, and be surprised at how much you will learn, and how much fun it is to learn and speak Italian!

Italia 500: the Centre

Along the corridor, up the stairs and into Italy. Italia 500 is like a microcosm of Italy. Alessi, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Marcello Mastroianni, Federico Fellini, Sophia Loren, Roberto Benigni, Emanuele Luzzati, etc., cinema, music, art, design combine to create a bright, richly Italian enviroment that inspires and infuses the students, and the teachers too. What does Italia 500 look like? Here's a preview:
"Italia 500 has given me a learning experience of the highest quality, tailored to my interests, aims and the constraints on my time. The school is one of Sydney's treasures."  Kathy Kang

"Giacomo understands that learning a language should be fun, particularly the language he loves - Italiano!  For entertaining, expert and affordable Italian lessons right in the heart of Sydney, visit www.italia500.com.au and take your passport with you, for the minute you set foot in Italia500 you'll swear you've travelled to Italy! Buon viaggio!"
Chris Harrison, at www.chrisharrisonwriting.com.

Our approach to teaching 

At Italia 500 each lesson is based on a real life dialogue, a real life Italian text relating to the dialogue, and a cultural segment.

The dialogues deal with both practical topics - like ordering in a bar or a restaurant, asking for directions, buying tickets and catching public transport - and conversational topics - like talking about yourself, asking people about themselves, inviting people out, talking about your and someone else’s experiences, likes and dislikes, opinions, films, travel plans, describing people and places,and so on.

The real life Italian texts range from train timetables or restaurant menus, to newspaper or magazine articles, website pages, extracts from the Italian television news, Italian movies, documentaries, books, etc.

Each dialogue is studied in depth: we examine the vocabulary, useful expressions, phrases, pronunciation and grammar. We then practise the dialogue, with the use of our "storyboards", over and over until you can hold that particular dialogue with ease and confidence.

Once you've learnt the dialogue, we expand on it, role play the dialogue in class, bring in new elements, modify it to suit different circumstances and situations, link it to previous dialogues and promote freer practice and the chance to personalise and expand on what was covered by engaging in a range of communicative activities, by listening to a dialogue and answering verbally to questions relating to the dialogue, by playing quizzes and games. We then study the real life Italian text to further practise our hearing and reading skills, and provide further “prompts” for conversation and role-playing. The dialogues are accompanied by the Italia 500 “Practice” CDs which help you absorb and practise during the week what was covered in class.

The real life dialogues are generally set in areas of particular interest in Italy. For example, several lessons at the Intermediate I level are based in Venice.
This provides us the opportunity to study in greater depth, in our cultural segments, the history of Venice and the Veneto region. We study its art, cuisine, music, the problems facing the city, traditional feasts (like the Carnevale and ​ the Festa del Redentore), we take "day-trips" to Padova and Vicenza, and lots more. The objective is to expand one's language skills because the cultural segment is in Italian, and to ad variety and interest to the classes. In fact, to give you a feel of the places, the people, and the issues, we use a vast selection of visual material, such as slides, extracts from documentaries, television programmes and films.

​At Italia 500 you start speaking “real” Italian from the very first lesson. As you progress, your vocabulary expands, the range of topics and situations you can handle and your confidence increases, you speak for longer periods, you start seeing the patterns in the language (“patterns” is how we think of grammar) and it all starts falling into place.

"A friendly atmosphere. Lots of laughs while you learn. It's amazing how much you can learn in ten weeks." Jackie Wallbank

Our students

Italia 500 students come from all walks of life. What they have in common is a desire to learn Italian - and more about Italy. This never fails to generate a contagious enthusiasm and a zest for life which turns each lesson into a gathering of friends rather than a formal class.

Why are they studying Italian? For a whole range of reasons. Many are planning to visit Italy and want to learn some Italian before they go, many have been to Italy, have fallen in love with the country, and want to return to Italy with a much better knowledge of Italian. Others are planning to move to Italy and work there, or work for Italian firms in Australia. We have medical students who are planning to undertake their option term in an 
Italian hospital and students who need to study in Italy for their PhD or Masters Degree.Others are married to an Italian or have an Italian boyfriend or girlfriend, or are from Italian background. Some study simply for love of the Italian language and of Italy’s culture.

​Whatever your reasons, our experience, the strength and fexibility of our Italian courses, material and tuition will enable us to cater for you at Italia 500, Italian Centre for Language and Cultural Studies.

"Excellent teaching method, fantastic teachers, lovely atmosphere, the friendliest fellow students. Viva Italia 500!." 
​Robert Green

Our teachers

At Italia 500 teachers are chosen not only on the basis of their knowledge of the language, but their personality, their ability to empathise with the students as learners of a second language, and their ability to motivate students. All our teachers speak impeccable standard Italian. They have a thorough knowledge of the language and are trained to explain things simply and clearly.

"Italia 500 is one of the best kept secrets among those who love all things Italian. From the moment one steps into the school, one is transported to Italy and is immersed in Italian culture. At Italia 500, one learns seemingly effortlessly and progresses at an incredible speed. Giacomo, Rosaria, Alessandra are brilliant, talented teachers who understand how adults learn."  Sawsan Madina (Former Head of SBS Television).

Where are we located?

Italia 500 is located in the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts building at 280 Pitt Street                 
Lower Ground, Suite A, in the very heart of Sydney's CBD, less than two minutes' walk from Sydney Town Hall (View our location on Google Maps).

"What's in a name?"

Students sometimes ask us: "Why is the school called Italia 500?" There's no meaningful reason at all. It's our little homage to the iconically Italian Fiat 500, and, said in Italian, it sounds very cute!