VICTOR SH., JUNE 2017
Victor about his Italian language course in Sanremo
FDA – Hello, Victor! You have attended courses of Italian in the city of Sanremo. Can you describe this experience?
– Hello. Of course, it would be a pleasure for me.
FDA – How good was your Italian before the trip?
– B1. I had passed the test before the trip, that is why I am talking with confidence about my level. Now, in Kiev, I will continue my studies and will have had B2 level. After year or two I am planning on achieving C1-C2.
FDA – You have spent 2 weeks in Sanremo. In your opinion, was it a lot or little?
– A little. However, even a 2-week period was very useful. I would not get such an experience in Kiev. You know, when you are in the foreign culture, you are ‘forced’ to know the language. There is no other way. It is just necessary to understand all the questions and being able to answer quickly and correctly. Of course, I would like to stay there for a longer period, because our memory cannot fully develop within 14 days.
FDA – Do you need Italian for your work?
– I need it for myself, actually. Also, it can be required for my future work, probably.
FDA – The motto of the school in Sanremo is ‘Study relaxing!’. How did you feel it?
– I felt 100% of this motto! I am very satisfied with Italy – it was the first time for me to be there. Early in the morning, before the start of our classes, I went to the beach, and tried to go there in the afternoon. Although we were studying hard in the class and during practice exercise, I had enough time to relax. Everything was simply perfect! I had a great fun while studying: we had to come up with interesting questions for different people we faced in the city or during excursions. Moreover, it was important to interpret their answer correctly! Interacting and communicating with other people is a necessity in our lives: you should be able to know how to get to this or that place, where to buy food, or how to refill your balance. It is like the school of life. In addition to that, I had a great vacation by the Ligurian Sea.
FDA – What was the most interesting part about these courses?
– I would say communicating with the great people. With the owner of the clothes shop in Sanremo; with those who work at the factory producing olive oil in Imperia; with a guy from a restaurant-bar who shared the information about his business with us.
FDA – What was the most difficult thing for you?
– To be honest, I do not know. To return home! Talking about courses, it was difficult to study grammar for 2 hours in the morning when you are on holidays! I already know all aspects of grammar, so it was just a repetition for me. Probably, it would be more useful to learn more idiomatic expressions or phrases spoken by native people in Italy.
FDA – Did you live in an Italian family?
– No, I lived in the student dormitory.
FDA – What would be your message to the future students of the courses in Sanremo?
– What can I tell them! I would rather have them wish for me to join them any time soon. I would like to visit every place that I did not have time for. For example, we had one issue during one of the trips: the museum we planned to visit was closed, so we had to go to another place.
FDA – Are you planning to continue your studies in Italy in the Cultural Centre of Fabrizio de André?
– Oh, I would like to continue, but I cannot afford it right now. That is why I am going to study in Kiev.
FDA – Do you have any plans about passing an international exam to get CILS certificate from the University of Siena?
– Yes, I plan to do this. Great that you can get the certificate in Kiev.
FDA – Thank you, Victor, wish you good luck!
– Always glad to help.