Embrace la bella vita in Italia as you learn Italian.
Immerse Yourself in Italian Culture and Language: Two Unique Experiences
La Matta offers two immersive experiences to dive deep into Italian culture and language. Choose an Italian Language Homestay, perfect for solo travelers or pairs, where you’ll live with your teacher and their family, fully integrating into daily life. Alternatively, join a small group language program with up to 8 participants. Study at a Matta Partner school in the mornings, then enjoy a relaxed group setting in the afternoons with activities to enhance your conversational skills.
Small Group Italian Immersion Study Programs
Join Melissa on an adventure through Italy, tailored for those eager to travel, learn, and connect. The “Matta” Italy Language Programs cater to both singles and couples, spanning 10-12 days of cultural immersion and language learning. Partnering with local Italian schools, mornings are dedicated to language classes matched to your proficiency, led by experienced teachers. Afternoons are filled with vibrant excursions, guided tours, and a variety of activities including wine tastings, cooking classes, and art workshops to apply your Italian skills in real-world settings. Accommodations are arranged in cozy hotels or B&Bs, with most dinners planned to include Italian guests, offering ample opportunities to engage in Italian conversations beyond the classroom. Experience the charm of cities like Lucca, Rome, Montepulciano, Venice, Florence, Lecce, Ascoli Piceno, and Arezzo, and make lasting connections, not just with the language but with the heart of Italian culture.
Explore Italy and Study Italian with la Matta’s Unique Immersion Programs
Homestay Italian Immersion Study Programs
Italian Homestay: Tailor-Made Language Getaways.
Experience Italy authentically with our Italian Language Homestays! Dive deep into the vibrant Italian culture on a language-learning vacation, staying right in the home of your Italian teacher.
Available throughout the year, our homestays span the beautiful landscapes of Italy—from the snow-capped northern mountains to the sun-kissed southern coastlines. Choose from stays ranging from a week to a month and embrace the unique opportunity to live “la vita familiare”.
We collaborate with qualified Italian educators throughout the “boot” to ensure you find the perfect match for your cultural exploration. Whether you opt for the bustling streets of a city or the serene countryside, you can start your adventure whenever it suits you best.
Fully immerse yourself in the day-to-day life of your host family, enhancing your mastery of the Italian language and understanding of local customs through genuine conversations and shared daily activities.
What They’re Saying
Sheree Isola —4-time trip participant —
talks about her experience!
Bill Bahr — 2-time trip participant — talks about his experience in Italy with Melissa!
Karina Kagramanova talks about her MATTA Italian Experience: This was the best trip of my life! From the moment I heard Melissa’s podcast, I felt I found my kindred spirit. An incredible woman with infinite love for Italy and the Italian language. This program was worth every cent I spent and even more. Everything was so thoughtful, not only did we have interesting excursions but also trips to bio farm, cooking lessons, and wine tasting. The excursions, views, and dinners were fabulous!
Daniel Bayer talks about his Homestay Italian Experience: I had a fabulous time staying with Cristina in Trento in September. The opportunity to be fully immersed in Italian from morning to night took my language abilities to an entirely new level. Cristina was wonderful to be with— very friendly, with a wide range of interests (from art to film to sports), and always helpful and supportive with my clumsy attempts to speak Italian. A bonus was that Trento is a great place to stay. It is a lively city in a beautiful location surrounded by mountains, not overwhelmed by tourists, and close to many attractions from Venice and Verona to the Dolomite mountains and Lake Garda. The experience couldn’t have been better.
Lisa Goodwyn talks about his Homestay Italian Experience: Following my return from Italy, my heart remains full of bliss. I am profoundly grateful to Melissa for suggesting I spend my sabbatical time with Elena in Bergamo. My time in Italy surpassed my expectations and hopes in every way imaginable. As Melissa promised, Elena is extremely knowledgeable about the history and art of northern Italy. I felt so wonderfully blessed every single day…blessed with delicious food, lovely and comfortable accommodations, excellent instruction, outstanding art and architecture, extraordinary vistas, and generous friendship. I cannot wait to go back! Lisa
Therese Snyder talks about her MATTA Italian Experience: Last September I was fortunate to travel to Arezzo and Montepulciano, Italy with Melissa Muldoon, better known online as Studentessa Matta. This was my second trip to Tuscany with her. Like my trip to Lucca, the focus of this trip was also language immersion. What a perfect way to experience Italy and to nurture my learning experiences with the Italian language. But above all, Melissa was a wonderful language mentor. She had prepared us essays analyzing the history and art of the local duomo. She was eager to chat with me about grammar or sticky phrases or idioms and allowed us an experience far beyond that of a tourist. Always smiling, Melisa was eager to answer questions, explain something , and ever ready for an “aperitivo” which became out late daytime moment of relaxation.
Melanie Adams talks about her MATTA Italian Experience: This was my second adventure with the Studentessa Matta program. Melissa did an outstanding job of organizing not only cultural activities but also great spots for delicious dinners. One of the things that I value with this program is that Melissa has made contacts with various people throughout the city which added to being able to feel a part of Lucca. The staff at the Lucca Italian School is just so accommodating. My teacher, Francesca, was energetic and fun. The class represented 6 nationalities and our common bond, of course, was a love of Italian. I highly recommend this program and the school.
Natalia Krawetz talks about his Homestay Italian Experience: Having just returned from a learning adventure in the Maremma (Tuscany), I can only say “grazie mille” to you, Melissa, for arranging homestays on your site and, most especially, for the one I’ve experienced with Virginia Villani. It was far more than I’d hoped for: I’ve started to dream in Italian, thanks to two weeks of language immersion; I’ve seen a part of Italy into which I would not usually venture; and I’ve had the chance to go beyond more usual tourist experience, to share in daily family life. My thanks to you both for making this possible.
