Dante Alighieri Society of Western Australia Perth

The Dante Alighieri Society of Western Australia runs a community school of Italian at Tuart College on Banksia Street in Tuart Hill. It belongs to an international organisation devoted to Italian language and culture. The local school serves people learning Italian in Perth for several quite different reasons, including family connections, travel, school study and a personal interest in Italian culture.

Conversation, school study and cultural events

Adults can start with a course for absolute beginners or join the society’s Italian for Everyone programme. Separate conversation classes cater for learners at different stages. These can be especially relevant to someone who understands Italian from family life or previous study but has few regular occasions to speak it. Children and teenagers have their own options, and senior secondary students can explore the Year 11 and 12 ATAR background-language programme.

The society also organises cultural activities, including screenings of Italian films. A learner interested in film can use these occasions to hear spoken Italian beyond the classroom and talk about a shared cultural subject. Families deciding between courses should distinguish the school-age and background-language programmes from adult conversation groups, since the audiences, learning goals and expected starting points differ.