A bit about me: I learned Italian while attending high school in Cagliari, Italy. After studying the language extensively, I moved to New York City in 2010 for a position at Fluent City, the renowned language academy, where I taught Italian for half a decade, and have now been speaking it for 12 years.
I'm now offering private lessons, which can be tailored to your interests, availability and frequency!
No experience at all? Within three weeks, I guarantee you'll be able to carry a basic conversation. My past students have ranged between ages 10-60, and from absolutely zero experience to Italian-Americans looking to carry on a conversation with Nonna. If you are seeking tutoring for an academic language class, I can help you with the nitty-gritty of Italian grammar.
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TYPICAL LESSON PLAN
Weeks 1-3: building blocks, conversational basics, common words
*Goal by week 3: carry a basic conversation!*
"Hello, I'm Jessica. And you are?"
Weeks 4-6: useful phrases, sentence structure, grammar, accent and pronunciation
*Goal by week 6: order dinner at your favorite Italian restaurant!*
"I would like two espresso to go. How much is it? Can I pay with a card?"
Weeks 6+: advanced syntax and grammar, conversation, tailoring to your specific goals :)
"If you ask me, the second Godfather is the best film because Robert De Niro is better than Al Pacino."
MY STYLE AND APPROACH
Unlike the apps that teach you to say, "I have a purple dinosaur in my garage," I focus on situations and vocab that actually matter to you, so what we learn is applicable as soon as you walk out the door, whether to speak with family members, in the workplace or on vacation.
Don't have time to attend a weekly class? No worries! By meeting at your preferred location (a cafe, library, home or office), I'm able to save you time and money, and ensure that the environment we learn in is comfortable for you.
Rather not meet up? Virtual lessons are also a great way to learn, and the chat feature is actually quite a good substitute for a whiteboard.
Tried learning a foreign language before but found it overwhelming and complicated? Trust me, I've been there too! As a non-native speaker myself, I've developed ways to approach the work that keep our lessons fun and useful, not exhausting and academic.
Here's what some of my students are saying about their experience learning Italian with me:
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