Auburn University offers an intensive academic and internship program for undergraduate students in Taormina, Sicily, Italy. Students will spend the entire semester in Italy, from late August to mid-November or from mid-January to mid-April. No previous knowledge of Italian is required since the program offers language courses at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced level.
The school, Il Centro di Lingua e Cultura Italiana Babilonia, is housed in a historic villa, just steps from the 2000+ year old Greek Theater. Located in the center of Taormina, the school property is filled with citrus trees, Mediterranean plants, centuries-old palms, monkey puzzle trees, and magnolias, as well as many other exotic trees and plants. The teaching methodology emphasizes the communicative approach in classrooms of no more than 10 students to ensure that students are able to employ the Italian language in the Italian context. The school is accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education, I.A.L.C. (International Association of Language Centres) A.S.I.L.S.(Association of Language Schools of Italian as a Foreign Language) and E.L.I.T.E. (Excellent Language Institutions Teaching in Europe), the University for Foreigners of Perugia, and the University Ca' Foscari of Venice for teachers of Italian. It is quite easy to travel to any part of the country as well as to visit other parts of Europe. Students can travel at their own expense during the period after the end of the program.
Students are able to take Italian language courses offered at any level as well as culture or literature courses. An international internship is an invaluable complement to traditional classroom learning and builds marketable skills and professional connections. Taormina is an ideal internship location for the student who is interested in total immersion into the Italian culture and language. Students can enroll in a 3 credit (65 hours) or 6 credit (130 hours) internship course. Students in a variety of majors can be placed in internships with a focus on: hospitality and tourism, event management, retail and merchandising, information technology, marketing and sales, communication and media, culture, art, and museum, food and agriculture.
Previous courses approved for Auburn equivalents can be viewed on the LA.Taormina.Semester.PreApprovedCourses.pdf. Please note that this list may not accurately reflect the available courses for the upcoming terms. Current list of courses available for the semester program can be found on the Babilonia website.
For more information, please contact Dr. Giovanna Summerfield (summegi@auburn.edu).
Program fee includes courses and an internship earning up to 15 credits, housing in a homestay with a local family, most meals with the host family, excursions and cultural activities required by courses, program orientation, cancellation insurance, and the Auburn University International Insurance (through United Healthcare Global). Certain courses may require additional costs for excursions.
Participants will be housed with local host families for a full immersion experience. Most meals are included in the homestay with the host family.
J. W. Goethe wrote about Sicily, in his book Italianische Reise, "Without Sicily, Italy cannot be fully understood. It is here one finds the key to all things." With its sun, its beige pebble and sandy beaches, its warm blue waters, its snow-topped volcano, its forests and rolling hills, Sicily has always been at the center of the Mediterranean Sea. Every major European royal dynasty wishing power wanted to "own" it; every major power has left its mark. In arts, law, and sciences, Sicilian contribution has been enormous: Caronda, Pirandello, Quasimodo (2 Nobel Prizes), Verga, Bellini, Antonello da Messina, Renato Guttuso, Sciascia, Vittorini, Tornatore, Dolce & Gabbana are unforgettable, without mentioning writers who have written of it (among these are Vivant Denon, Maupassant, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf, and D. H. Lawrence).
Taormina, on top of the Mount Tauro hill, overlooking the coastline of the Ionian Sea, is a treasure chest of history: walking along its streets, one finds a Theatre and Gymnasium of the Greek Empire, Odeon and Baths of the Roman Empire, and architectural traces of the Byzantine, Arab, and Norman dominations. It offers many opportunities of entertainment, among these the International Festival of Taormina Arte (films, operas, plays, ballets, and concerts) all year long.
US Citizens with a valid passport traveling to Italy for short visits of 90 days or less do not need visas to enter Italy.
US Citizens staying longer than 90 days will need to obtain a student visa.
Non-US Citizens must check on visa requirements for visits of any duration in Italy.
Visit the Babilonia website - Semester Study in Sicily.