From Oxford and Cambridge to the heart of Italy
The team behind Speak Teens has been running residential English language programmes since 2006. By 2014, they were operating seven of the most respected international summer schools in the UK — including schools in Oxford and Cambridge — welcoming over 1,000 students every year from more than 100 countries.
Those years built something that cannot be replicated quickly: a detailed understanding of what actually moves the needle for a teenager learning a second language. Not classroom hours. Not grammar drills. The quality and quantity of time spent speaking with native peers — in real situations, under gentle pressure, with no escape route back into the first language.
In 2018, the team brought that knowledge to Italy and founded Speak Teens at Centro Turistico Valbonella. The same principles, the same standards — in one of the most beautiful natural settings in the country.
Twenty years of knowing what works
Running summer schools at Oxford and Cambridge for students from over 100 countries is an education in itself. Here is what the Speak Teens team brought back to Italy.
The 1:1 ratio is non-negotiable
Every school we ran confirmed the same thing: the variable that most reliably produced fluency gains was the ratio of native speakers to students. Not class size, not timetable length — the ratio. Speak Teens is built around maintaining a genuine 1:1 from day one.
Nationality mix matters as much as numbers
When students from 100 countries share a venue, the incentive to speak English is constant — it is the only common language. Teen Anglos at Speak Teens come from the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada and Australia: a real mix of accents and backgrounds, not a single homogeneous group.
Welfare and learning are the same thing
A student who does not feel safe, settled and well-supervised will not take the linguistic risks that produce progress. The welfare standards at Speak Teens — 1:6 staff ratio, 24-hour on-site team, structured phone time — are not just pastoral. They are part of the method.
Centro Turistico Valbonella, Bagno di Romagna
In the Apennines, surrounded by the Casentino Forest National Park in Emilia-Romagna — one of the most beautiful natural settings in central Italy.
Sports pitches, swimming pool, astronomy platform, botanical garden, en-suite multi-bed rooms and a restaurant serving fresh local food. For the full duration of each camp, the venue is reserved exclusively for Speak Teens. No other groups, no shared spaces — just the English Bubble.
The same venue, every year since 2018. Families know what to expect; returning students feel at home from day one.
Official recognition
Speak is an authorised test centre for two of the world’s leading English language qualifications, and a member of two national business associations.
Official test centre for Cambridge English
Speak is an authorised Cambridge English Skills Test (CEST) centre — one of the first in Italy. Students aged 12 and over can sit the optional CEST Speaking and Listening test on the final day of camp. Results are shared after the event.
Official test centre for Trinity College London
Speak is also an authorised Trinity College London examination centre, offering internationally recognised English language qualifications across a range of levels and skills.
Member of Confindustria Bari BAT
Speak Srl is a member of Confindustria Bari e BAT, the local association of Italy’s leading employers’ federation.
Member of HRC Group
Speak is a member of HRC Group, the Italian association of hospitality and tourism operators dedicated to quality standards in the sector.
Ready to find out more?
Book a free call with the Speak Teens team or go straight to dates and fees.
Forbes Italia included Speak among the best experiences for learning English in Italy, highlighting the exclusive locations and the immersive method.
Vanity Fair described the Speak experience as a way to learn English while having fun, with a wealth of new experiences at Italian locations.
Wired Italia presented Speak as an innovative approach to learning English, based on immersion and real conversation with native speakers.
Il Sole 24 Ore reported on learning English amid the beauty of Italy, highlighting the intensive 8-day format.
