Certified Italian Teacher With 20 Years Experience!

For my new older students (teenagers and adults), I start with a relaxed conversation about their background, current level, interests, and goals. If they have already studied Italian before, I invite them to complete a simple online assessment test. After the test, I then recommend specific articles, videos, and songs suitable to their current abilities and interests. For younger students (TK, K, and elementary) I use a minimal language technique, instead keeping it more visual through flashcards and images. I guide my little students to play games, watch and comment cartoons, sing songs, and, eventually, read short stories in Italian. They LOVE it!

I have over seventeen years of high school and online teaching of Italian, Spanish, and English to foreign students in Italy and in the U.S. My background: I am a fully qualified, credentialed Italian teacher. I have a college degree in foreign languages and teaching. Additionally, I have earned two specialty certificates to become a high school teacher and two Master degrees focused on language teaching methods, techniques, and strategies. I also regularly study to keep current on the latest teaching methods. How I teach: The beginning of learning a new language may look exhausting. However, the ability to use a language to communicate on vacation, to pass an exam, or to just approach a new culture is highly rewarding and is easier that you may first imagine. My full immersion Italian lessons will lead you to the beauty of Italian sounds from the very first lesson. You will understand, speak, and become fluent faster than you ever thought possible.

I set my hourly rate in line with my experience and ability and to reflect my effectiveness in the learning process, all while making hiring a teacher an affordable option to learn a new language. An experienced teacher, well versed in effective language learning techniques, can maximize your rate of learning by increasing comprehension and retention.

I decided to become a foreign language teacher when I met my ESL teacher, Mrs D., in high school. She had the unique ability to make everything more engaging. She used fun ways to teach us English, which helped us memorise the vocabulary. If students didn’t do well, she would always give them a second chance, which I thought was kind and understanding of her. I was inspired by her unconventional, yet extremely effective techniques, and I strive to bring the same passion for innovative ways of learning to my classroom.

I have been teaching Italian online and in person to Tk, k, elementary, middle, high school and adult students for over 15 years in the US and Italy. I present comprehensible, stimulating lessons that facilitate all learning styles and involve as many of the senses as possible. I incorporate a variety of resources to accommodate students via video and audio methods. I integrate phonics activities and technologies to facilitate the students’ comprehension and retention of the concepts and language.

One successful project was an online cooking class competition I held. Students were required to: -describe the food presented on the cards, -write their own recipe, - and practice the vocabulary learned through a cooking competition.

Make sure you hire an experienced online teacher who can tailor your Italian classes to your needs, learning pace, and style. An experienced teacher, well versed in effective language learning techniques, can maximize your rate of learning by increasing comprehension and retention. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) presents three main levels of fluency (A, B, C), each of them composed of two further levels (1 , 2). Each level includes speaking, reading, and understanding of the written and spoken language. Basic User (Level A1 – A2) GOAL: talk about familiar topics of relevance, using simple structures and limited vocabulary. You will need only 50 – 60 hours to reach A1 level, and around 100 – 120 hours of study to get to level A2. Independent User (Level B1 – B2) GOAL: hold more complex conversations with Italian native speakers without too much of an effort. Suggested preparation time to pass B1 level is 240-300 hours, and for B2 320 – 400 hours. Proficient User (Level C1 – C2) GOAL: talk fluently and correctly about any topic. You will need 450-500 hours to reach C1 level, 600-650 hours for C2.

How long have you been a teacher? Do you have classroom teaching experience? How experienced are you in online teaching? What digital tools and resources do you use to plan lessons? How do you keep students engaged in an online environment? Do you hold any special certifications? How do you ensure effective communication online?