Do you have a neighbour who speaks a language you are learning and would like to improve? And is your neighbour in the same situation? Do you have more or less the same level in each other's language? Then why not try Balcony Tandem!

Go on the balcony and talk to your neighbour from balcony to balcony - maintaining an appropriate distance of course! There are many advantages, improving your language skills and getting to know your neighbour better as well as lessening the impact of the enforced social isolation we are currently going through.

In order to make it work, you should follow these language Tandem ground rules: conversation time is divided into two. In the first part you just speak one language and in the second part the other. Tandem works by giving as well as receiving; a real exchange.

For more information on Tandem see here.

Let us know how you get on and if you want to continue with Tandem when this is all over ......

(Thanks to Amt für Weiterbildung for the idea)

The varied summer programme of alpha beta piccadilly gives children of all ages the chance to explore the world of languages and have fun. "Learning by doing" is our motto for the summer with interesting proposals for 3 to 18 year olds: ranging from the summer kindergarten and language camps in Italian, English, German or Spanish to our language courses… there is something for everyone in our wide range of activities!

In our brochure you will find plenty of ideas that put this principle into practice, enabling your children to learn a language more easily and effectively. Whether climbing, going on excursions, cooking or being creative your children will find that learning happens intuitively, almost without realising it, accompanied in the world of languages by our qualified teachers and instructors. Discover our proposals, with and without accommodation, for the various languages. Learning languages successfully while having fun!  

The main focus is always on a playful and fun approach to the world of languages. In our varied programme we therefore combine languages with fun, creative and sports activities.
 
We would be pleased to accompany your child into the world of languages and can give you personal advice at our offices in Bolzano/Bozen (Via Talvera/Talfergasse 1A, 0471-978600) and Merano/Meran (Piazza della Rena/Sandplatz 2, 0473-210650).

The motto of our unique summer kindergarten is languages & playing. Children can be enrolled for one or more weeks to make their first, gentle approach to the second language in a relaxed but entertaining manner. They are also presented deal with English songs, rhymes and games on a daily basis. In diversified activities the children experience the diversity of languages through a variety of different activities. Experts and animators from different fields support the work of the teachers in a child-friendly way.

​Cost: 83 €/week lunch included
Early bird discounts until 30th April 2020: for first two weeks € 77, for third week onwards € 73 

- in Bolzano/Bozen: from 29th June to 7th August in the "Gries" Kindergarten (vicolo Wenter/Wentergasse 1)
Further information
Enrolment form

- in San Giacomo/St. Jakob: from 29th June to 31st July in the  "La Tartaruga" Kindergarten (via Maso Hilber/Hilberhofweg 15, San Giacomo/St. Jakob)    
Further information
Enrolment form

- in Bressanone/Brixen: from 29th June to 7th August in the "Anna Seidner" Kindergarten (via Kaspar-von-Kempter-Weg 5)
Enrolment form
Further information

- in Meran/o: from 29th June to 7th August in the "Fröbel" Kindergarten (Corso libertà / Freiheitsstrasse 127)
Enrolment form
Further information

At alpha beta piccadilly we firmly believe that learning doesn't start at the classroom door and doesn't end there either. We therefore offer our students and others who may be interested a whole range of opportunities for autonomous learning: from Tandem to the Language Café, an online English course and the Self Access Centre.

Tandem brings together two speakers of different languages who wish to learn the language of the other. The Tandem advisers at alpha beta piccadilly will find you a suitable partner and support you in planning and setting up your learning partnership. Instead of attending a regular course, Tandem partners decide when and how often to meet and what topics to talk about.
 
You can also improve your speaking skills at the Language Café. Like at a real café, people sit together and talk to each other in a relaxed atmosphere. The difference is that each table is dedicated to a different language, with a moderator present to break the ice. This relaxed meeting takes place in Bolzano/Bozen and Merano/Meran several times a month.
 
The Self Access Centre at alpha beta piccadilly in Bolzano/Bozen is equipped with a wide range of multimedia learning resources, which can be used to improve your language skills in combination with a language course or independently. Our tutors are available to give individual advice.
 
The Macmillan Online Campus (MEC) offers over 5000 listening, reading, grammar and vocabulary exercises. You can also work on your pronunciation, play language games and when necessary consult a monolingual dictionary. Our tutors will first evaluate your level then provide you with a specific online course. In case of problems or questions you can always contact your tutor, who monitors your progress in the background.
 
Has your curiosity been aroused? Then get your skates on and give it a try! Whether you're a beginner or more advanced, for exam preparation, as a complement to a group course or just by yourself: all you need is a bit of self-discipline!
 

The Self Access Centre in the first floor of our premise at alpha beta piccadilly in Bolzano / Bozen offers the opportunity to study with the advice of a tutor, possibly (but not necessarily) as a complement to a language course.

Opening hours:
Mon-Thur  4.30 – 8.00pm
Tue + Wed 10.30-11.30am

Tandem brings together two speakers of different languages who wish to learn the language of the other. The Tandem advisers at alpha beta piccadilly will find you a suitable partner and support you in planning and setting up your learning partnership. Instead of attending a regular course, Tandem partners decide when and how often to meet and what topics to talk about.
Language learning in Tandem is the ideal solution for people who do not have the time to attend a regular language course or don’t feel comfortable speaking in large groups. Here they have the opportunity to practice the language with native speakers in real situations.
 
Come visit us in the Tandem office! In Bolzano we are always open on Mondays from 4 pm to 7 pm. In Meran we are open on Mondays from 4:30 pm to 6 pm.
 

alpha beta piccadilly starts the new school year on 30th September 2019 with a mix of both new and the longer-running, well-established courses. So our programme encompasses the classical language courses in Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, French and English as well as conversation courses, exam-preparation courses, one-to-one courses and courses for specific professions. Autonomous learning programmes and other alternative language learning programmes such as our ‘Language Aperitif’, or ‘Learning by Doing’  appeal to those looking for new ways of picking up language. Have a look at our new 2019/2020 brochure.

We recommend you do our free entry test (no obligation!) to ensure you end up in the right course for your level. Our secretaries’ offices are available for more detailed information about the courses.

 

Over the last 30 years Aldo Mazza has made a name for himself encouraging the two South Tyrolean language groups to live together rather than just to coexist and for this he has been decorated by the Province of Tyrol. 100 years after the region was divided following the First World War, the award of the decoration to Aldo Mazza, a native of southern Italy, has a special significance. He came to South Tyrol some 50 years ago and with the founding of the Alpha & Beta Cooperative created an organisation that has always aimed at promoting intercultural communication and multilingualism. Today the cooperative runs both a language school and a publishing house. Really living together is an art, with language skills being only the first step along this path. Aldo Mazza's decades-long endeavours to achieve this have received official recognition with this decoration of the Province of Tyrol.

 

So the idea here is to combine something you like doing anyway with a new language. That’s the idea behind our “Learning by doing” courses. Learning together with other nice people makes it even more fun!
 
During the course “Cuisiner en français” you will dip into the world of French cuisine in three evenings: you chop, cook, bake and at the end, taste the dishes all together. And, of course, all in French – bon appétit!  Minimum language level: A2
 
There are many ways to learn a language …….. why not try an unusual, effective and fun way?
 
More information in the secretaries’ office in Bozen/Bolzano 0471 978600 or info@alphabeta.it and www.alphabeta.it.
 
Cuisiner en français
Dates:  Mondays  2 October,  16 October,  23 October  2017 - 3 evenings
Time: 6.00-9.30 pm
Where:  Kolpinghaus Bozen/Bolzano
Cost: € 58,00

"Living Multilingualism - between normality and challenge" was the introductory paper at this year's conference to inaugurate the new academic year for the alpha beta piccadilly team last Friday.

In addition to listening to Georg Stoumbos' presentation,  it was a good opportunity for us to celebrate the end summer and toast the new academic year, while interacting with colleagues from across South Tyrol in a relaxed atmosphere.