I am a native Italian teacher from Catania, in Sicily, with more than twenty years in the classroom. I hold a PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status, a CELTA, and SEN training, and I have taught Italian at every level from complete beginner to International Baccalaureate Diploma. Most of my tutoring now happens one to one, online, with adults anywhere in the UK.
Who I tutor
- Adults starting from nothing — no Italian at school, no idea where to begin, and no wish to be made to feel foolish.
- People who have stalled on an app — a long streak, a decent vocabulary, and still no ability to hold a conversation. This is the most common reason people come to me.
- GCSE, A-level and IB students — syllabus coverage, past papers and oral exam practice. There is a separate page on exam tutoring.
- People with Italian family — a grandparent’s language half-remembered, or in-laws to talk to properly.
- Anyone with a date in the diary — a move, a wedding, a long trip, a job.
How lessons work
Lessons are an hour, one to one, by video call, at a time we agree. You speak Italian from the first lesson — badly at first, which is the point. I correct as we go, gently, and I will not let you sit in silence hunting for a perfect sentence.
I write the material around you rather than working through a textbook chapter by chapter. If you are learning for a holiday you will get the language of stations, restaurants and small talk; if you are learning because your partner’s family speaks it, you will get the language of a kitchen table. Homework exists if you want it, and there are free exercises here you can use between lessons whether or not you study with me.
Where, and what it costs
One-to-one tutoring is £30 an hour. Online lessons reach anywhere in the UK, and I teach in person around Bristol and Gloucestershire — I live in Dursley. There are pages for Bristol, Gloucestershire, Bath and Cardiff, among others.
If you would rather learn alongside other people, my ten-week beginners’ course runs on Wednesday evenings, 5.00–6.30pm, from 16 September, for £150. Some people do both: the course for structure, a monthly one-to-one for the things they personally keep getting wrong.
Start with a conversation, not a commitment
Tell me what you want Italian for and where you are with it, and I will tell you honestly what I think would work — including if that is not me. Get in touch and we will have a chat first, at no cost.