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Italian
Language and Culture Flourish at Scuola Leonardo
da Vinci
By
Lisa Richards
International
Connections Consulting talked with the Marketing
Assistant, Giambattista Pace for Scuola Leonardo
da Vinci about the school and what makes it
a unique program. For starters, Scuola
Leonardo has campuses in three of the most famous
historical world centers-- Florence, Rome, and
Siena. All of these Italian cities are
unique in their own right with regards to food,
wine, art, culture, and landscape. In
Italy, "everything can change within a few miles...."
This option allows the students to take courses
in the three cities within in one program term.
And because the school is open all year round,
and students can be enrolled anywhere from two
weeks to a year, makes it all the better in
terms of trotting about Italy.
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Photos
Provided by Scuola Leonardo da Vinci.
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Since
the schools' founding in 1977, the school has
prided itself on its teaching staff which is
comprised of only the best university graduates
in Italy who are specially trained to teach
Italian to foreign students. Also, the school
is very proud of the fact that they offer their
students the possibility to take the Italian
Certificates "Firenze" (basic, intermediate,
advanced levels) under the supervision of the
Accademia Italiana di Lingua (Academy of Italian
Language). In the classrooms, Italian
is the only language spoken. The school
believes that this method promotes a standard
for verbal communication from the very beginning,
and inevitably enhances the students' confidence.
Scuola Leonardo accepts students who are at
least 16 years of age and who are very interested
in Italian culture and have a strong desire
to learn the Italian language. The average age
of a Scuola Leonardo student is 25.
Of
all the courses offered at Scuola Leonardo,
the Intensive Plus, among the language courses,
is the most sought after. It's popularity
can be attributed to the fact that during the
six hours per day spent on Italian language
a student can combine the group course in the
morning and the private lessons in the afternoon.
"The real PLUS is that the students choose the
subjects in the afternoon classes." Among
the cultural courses, the Cooking and Wine courses
are the most popular.
Scuola
Leonardo, in all of its three campuses, affords
students with a unique opportunity to learn
the language, travel throughout Italy, embrace
the culture and learn the art of preparing fine
Italian cuisine. Sounds like a winner
to me!
We
would like to thank Mr. Giambattista Pace, Marketing
Assistant for providing us with the information
for the article. If you would like more
information about Scuola Leonardo da Vinci's
programs, please contact International
Connections Consulting.
SOCIEDAD
HISPANO MUNDIAL CATERS TO ALL TYPES OF STUDENTS
In
today's global environment, the need for a wide
variety of tailor made courses to meet the needs
of today's current and future business
people is becoming an essential ingredient for
success in any field. Combining this with
learning the Spanish language allows our future
generation to compete in any specialty.
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Photo Provided by Sociedad Hispano Mundial
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Sociedad
Hispano Mundial (SHM), located in the Conference
and Exhibition Center (Palacio de Congresos)
in Granada, Spain, has what it takes to prepare
their students for the new millenium.
Their motto is "Aprender para Crecer"
(Learning for Growth). Fully equipped
with the latest technology and only minutes
from the city's center, SHM provides comfortable,
modern, air-conditioned/heated classrooms, audio-visual
equipment, a student library and self-access
center. SHM's location caters to everyone
from the family to the diplomat. Concerts
and political events are held in the Conference
and Exhibition Center throughout the year which
provides a wonderful atmosphere for cultural
enrichment and observing Spanish Politics.
In addition, SHM can arrange various Internships
in related fields to enhance their clients learning
experience.
Located
near by is the Sierra Navada and the beach.
Whether your fancy is skiing in the mountains
or relaxing on the beach, SHM provides excursions
that allow you to mix both worlds within the
shortest distance. There is something
for the whole family-sightseeing in some of
the cities famous landmarks, skiing in the mountains,
swimming at the beach or "just living Spanish."
Mr.
Jose Antonio Ruiz Cantero (JC), Director of
Sociedad Hispano Mundial, was on hand for an
interview with ICC's President, Tasha Lewis,
outside the famous La Alhambra castle in Granada,
Spain in October during the FEDELE conference.
ICC:
"What is your role at SHM? How long have you
been at the school?"
JC:
"I am the founder and director of Sociedad Hispano
Mundial. I have nearly 17 years´
experience in foreign language teaching. SHM
has been working as it is now for 5 years.
Before opening SHM I was a teacher of Spanish
as a Foreign Language, Director of an International
School (bilingual) and Education
Information
Officer with the British Council. At present
I am a Teacher Trainer, Assesor and Internal
Verifier with OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and Royal
Society of Arts). My main responsabilities
are the development of course programs and the
overall management of the Spanish and English
language teaching and the Teacher Training programs.
I am also responsible for national and overseas
marketing and public relations and international
projects."
ICC:
"What in your opinion is the most compelling
reason for a student to attend SHM? What makes
SHM unique?"
JC:
"I could mention many reasons I am very proud
to offer to the students, such as the high quality
language teaching, our enthusiastic and well
qualified teachers ( all of them with post-graduate
qualifications), the wide range of activities
outside the class, our comfortable and well
located facilities, our excellent accommodation
service, our total quality control, the many
prizes and awards we have been given by national
and international bodies, etc. But what I consider
most unique at SHM is our focus on the individual.
Our main objective is to encourage and facilitate
one´s personal development and so enhance
one´s quality of life. The most important
thing for us is the student as a person, we
like people, and the students can feel it. In
our school our students are our friends."
ICC:
"What type of courses do you offer?"
JC:
"We offer general Spanish Courses (Vacation
Courses) with activities, Spanish for specific
purposes programs (Legal and Political Spanish,
Business Spanish, Spanish Literature and Spanish
Civilization and Culture), Hispanic Studies
Course for university students (to get credits
for their universities) and a Teacher Training
Program for people who want to become teachers
of Spanish as a Foreign Language with the internationally
recognised OCR Certificate (Oxford, Cambridge,
Royal Society of Arts). To enhance the
learning experience we include in our courses
a program of activities which goes from visiting
monuments, to tapas tour, learning flamenco
or salsa, and learning to play Flamenco on the
guitar. On the other hand, as we
have many Spanish students, the foreign students
are immediately in contact with Spanish ones.
We also provide all kinds of accommodations,
from very well selected families to hotels.
All the students have access to our library,
where they can borrow books or audio-visual
materials and they can have free access to Internet.
There is also a continuous Information Service
to the students and a 24 hour telephone service
to help them while they stay with us. Don´t
forget that Granada has activities that go on
24 hours a day in the city with more than
60,000 students!"
ICC:
"What is your criteria for evaluating a student
for acceptance?"
JC:
"In the case of the Vacation Courses, we accept
individual students from 16; and in the case
of groups, we also accept younger ones. The
groups are divided into children, teenagers
and adults. For these courses we always have
all levels available, so the level is not a
problem (from beginners to advanced).
In
the case of Spanish for Specific Courses, the
students must have a minimum of intermediate
level.
For
the Teacher Training Program, the students must
have university studies, minimum of two years
at the university, and a very good knowledge
of Spanish."
ICC:
"What type of students do you accept? What qualities
do you look for or consider when deciding to
accept a student?"
JC:
"Basically, what we look for in the students
is their motivation to learn Spanish and to
integrate within the Spanish culture. We usually
have students, professionals, teachers, and
diplomats, etc."
ICC:
"Explain your teaching methodology."
JC:
"Being a Teacher Training Centre, we are
always fully updated in all methodologies and
teaching techniques. We are ready to use any
methodology to fulfill our students´ needs.
But, in general, it is the
communicative
approach that we use most as it has been proven
to be the more efficient for most of the students.
Our methodology includes flexibility and dinamism."
ICC:
"Do you offer financial aid, scholarships or
assistantships to help defray the costs of tuition,
room and board? Academic scholarships? Dance
scholarships?If so, what are the eligibility
criteria?"
JC:
"Unfortunately we can not offer any financial
aid. But we know we are helping the students
with our cheap prices. For what we offer, in
the courses plus the activities, any student
would pay at least 25% more in other schools.
In
the case of dance classes, we offer them for
free in our activities program and if there
are students who are really interested in this,
they can have two more dance lessons a week
for free as well."
ICC:
"Ms. Lewis would like to thank Mr. Jose Antonio
Ruiz Cantero for the interview."
International
Connections Consulting's President, Tasha Lewis,
would like to thank Mr. Cantero and all of the
staff at Sociedad Hispano Mundial for the material
for this article and for their generous and
thoughtful hospitality while she was in Granada,
Spain in October. If you would like to
enroll or more information regarding any of
their courses or Sociedad Hispano Mundial, please
contact International Connections
Consulting.
Testimonies
from students.
These
are only some testimonies from our students;
but we have a long list for people who require
it before making the decision to come to SHM.
We provide their e-mail so that they can contact
them.
"Sociedad
Hispano Mundial is more than a school... it´s
a family. The staff is very supportive and offer
fun excursions outside of the classroom. The
classes are excellent: the professors always
teach according to the needs of the student,
are flexible and very dedicated to the goals
of each person. The teaching method is active
and effective, the environment friendly... Come
to SHM!"
Sarah
Altschul
e-mail:
saltschul@hotmail.com
"Sociedad
Hispano Mundial has offered me a great environment
in order to learn the language and experience
the life and culture of Spain. The method of
instruction is effective and intensive and also
very enjoyable. The teachers are excellent and
always aware of the needs of the students"
Patsy
Bohlen
e-mail:
bohlenpatsy@hotmail.com
“As
a family we spent months researching all of
the possible language schools, institutes
and universities throughout the Spanish speaking
world. We were looking for the best place
to study the language in depth while at the
same time enjoying a rich cultural experience
with fun and interesting thing to do for our
kids and us. No other school offered such
a flexible and beneficial curriculum as Sociedad
Hispano Mundial. Their total immersion program
went way beyond our expectations. We found
ourselves immersed not only in high quality
instruction and authentic culture, but also
in genuine hospitality and sincere warmth
and
friendliness by the staff. Our time
with the people at Sociedad Hispano Mundial
was easily the best experience our family
has ever had"
Greg
Davis
e-mail:
greg_davis@bigfoot.com
“My
experience at SHM opened so many doors to me
it is incredible. I had the opportunity to not
only learn Spanish, but also to be exposed to
the rich culture and history of Granada. Through
the staff, teachers and host family, I was made
to feel confortable and at home. We studied
and then applied those studies by participating
in cultural events, it was a lot of fun! I believe
that SHM had an incredible positive impact on
my life and it changed the course of my life.
I do miss My Granada!"
Wilfred
M Cameron
e-mail:
WCameron@compuserve.com
JMC ACADEMY
IN AUSTRALIA MAKES LEARNING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
AN ENTERTAINING EXPERIENCE
Have
you ever imagined an industry that churns
out over 2 billion dollars a year in record
sales? An industry where competition
is so fierce that mere talent and determination
would not guarantee you a foot in the door?
If you have, then you are on your way to understanding
the global and multi-faceted entertainment
industry.
But
now, joining the technical revolution is easier
and more fun than ever before, with JMC Academy
providing students with the benefit of over
17 years experience in the music and entertainment
arenas.
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Photo
provided by JMC Academy
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The
JMC Academy is a fully accredited college
with an international reputation in entertainment
technology and training, which has put many
people on the right track to a prosperous
music career. Founded in 1982, and boasting
one of the largest computer music labs in
the world, JMC Academy is regarded as a leading
institution in its field, with its professional
standard acoustic studios and digital recording
labs ensuring that the Academy keeps its finger
on the pulse of the musical revolution.
The
Academy offers degrees in Engineering Technology,
Music and Multimedia, Music Business Management
and Television Production and Multimedia as
well as certificates in various music fields.
To
keep its finger on the pulse of the musical
revolution, the JMC Academy in association
with Macquarie University in Sydney - established
the Degree of Music and Media Studies, which
aims to provide students with the knowledge
and experience necessary to make an impact
in the ever evolving music and entertainment
industries.
The
Bachelor of Music and Media Studies is a performance
degree with over 800 hours of the 2000 plus
hours of face-to-face training dedicated to
performance in various areas and disciplines.
The
course is concerned with furthering musicians'
knowledge of live contemporary music performance
and production. It aims to do so by
developing advanced skills in the holistic
creation of music composition and arrangement,
leading ultimately to the musicians finding
their niche in the highly competitive commercial
industry.
Although
students may not be formally trained at the
commencement of the course, the rehearsal
time allocated to them ensures that their
talent grows by leaps and bounds by the time
they graduate.
On
the strength of JMC Academy's long-standing
reputation for churning out professionals
with an edge over their competitors, entry
into the Music and Media Studies degree has
become a hotly contested ticket for hopefuls.
Each year, musicians from all over Australia
vie for places in the course, hoping it could
be their stepping stone to a professional
career in the music world.
But
although many opportunities exist now and
in the future for employment in the music
and entertainment technology industries, contrary
to some beliefs, many jobs will be behind-the-scenes.
Because
most times it takes more than just talent
to establish a career in music business management,
the JMC Academy - in association with the
University of New England, Armidale - is catering
to the push for hands-on behind-the-scenes
experience by offering the Degree of Professional
Studies. Starting in late October, the Bachelor
of Professional Studies is a 3-year degree
designed for those interested in pursuing
a career in the commercial music industry,
specializing in either management or production.
Another
innovative behind-the-scenes degree offered
by JMC Academy is the Bachelor of Engineering
Technology, offered jointly with the University
of New England and specializing in electronic
engineering with a focus on audio design,
installation and maintenance.
JMC
Academy also caters for those whose interest
lies firmly in the animation and production
fields and away from the music industry by
offering the Communications Degree - Animation
and Television Production, in association
with the University of Western Sydney, Nepean.
The Bachelor of Communications is a 3-year
production oriented degree that seeks to ease
graduates into the dynamic and expanding animation
and television industry, and provide them
with the necessary skills and knowledge to
obtain employment in a wide range of professions.
For
those who prefer to attempt shorter courses,
JMC Academy offers 10 months certificates
in Audio Engineering and Sound Production,
Music Performance, Digital Production and
Multimedia or Music Business Management. All
courses are registered on the Commonwealth
Register of Institutions and
Courses
for Overseas Students (CRICOS) and accredited
by the relevant agencies. Degrees are offered
in association with several Universities,
including the University of New England, Macquarie
University and the University of Western Sydney,
Nepean. HECS funding is available for
the university based units.
JMC
Academy's production and recording facilities
are unparalleled. They include one 24-track
studios, two digital 16-track music studios,
four Yamaha O2R's and the Roland Digital Suite,
which includes 15 hard-disk computer workstations
for scoring film music.
Because
a large number of people choose to set up
their own studies at home, JMC Academy teaches
its students all facets of the music business,
from operating their own business to becoming
experts at the technical aspects of production
and Audio Engineering.
Most
JMC Academy graduates go straight from a degree
or certificate course into a job for which
they are trained, ranging from audio engineering
to multimedia and music business management.
Past
graduates have found work in such diverse
areas as Fox Studios, various record companies
including Warner Chappell Music and Shock
Records, and Community radio stations.
The
commercial networks also benefit from the
talents of JMC Academy graduates, with many
audio engineers and musicians going straight
into jobs with Channels 7, 9 and 10.
JMC
Academy combines teaching by experienced professionals
with an atmosphere where creativity can flourish
supported by the most advanced music and entertainment
technology. It is the ideal place to start
a career in the entertainment and music industries.
International
Connections Consulting's (ICC) President,
Tasha Lewis, had the pleasure of meeting Mr.
Martin Cass (MC), Managing Director of
JMC Academy, at the Americas Workshop this
past February in Miami, Florida. Ms.
Lewis was very impressed with the programs
that his school offered. She pointed out that
several years ago she was involved in the
music production business and had the opportunity
to work on and appear in a Music Video.
Most people, including herself, didn't realize
all of the behind the scenes work that goes
into the Music Industry. Ms. Lewis felt
that a lot of new musical artist should try
to take the Music Business Management course
before entering into such a competitive field.
She knew first hand all of the potential areas
of difficulty with her own experiences in
the industry as a performer and producer.
Additionally,
Mr. Cass gave ICC an idea of what types of
criteria for evaluating future students and
the qualities they look for.
ICC:
"What is your criteria for evaluating a student
for acceptance? Age? language proficiency?"
MC:
"IELTS 5.5 Academic or 6.0 General/TOEFL 550
are our English Language requirements.
If they don't have these, they do our ten
week English program-English for Music and
Entertainment Professionals."
ICC:
" What type of student do you accept?
What qualities do you look for or consider
when deciding to accept a student?"
MC:
" Commitment, dedication, understanding of
the Music industry and how tough it can be.
Ambition - where do they want to go. How are
they planning to get there? Outgoing, friendly
,active in Music/Ent Tech industry - bands,
build websites, already know some engineering
- experience."
ICC:
"Explain your teaching methodology."
MC:
"Combining academic learning with practical
experience. Giving students room to learn
for themselves."
ICC:
"We would like to thank Mr. Cass for the interview."
International
Connections Consulting's President, Tasha
Lewis, would like to thank Mr. Martin Cass,
Managing Director of JMC Academy, and
Catty Azzi, for supplying the information
for the article. If you would like to
enroll or more information, please contact
International Connections
Consulting
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