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. For how that compares with other ways of learning, see how much Italian lessons cost in the UK.
If you would rather learn alongside other people, my small online beginners’ course is the other way in; register your interest for the next one. Some people do both: the course for structure, a monthly one-to-one for the things they personally keep getting wrong.
What a first lesson looks like
The first hour is mostly finding out. I ask what you already know, listen to you try a few sentences — even if all you can manage is buongiorno — and work out what is actually in your way: vocabulary, the verbs, nerves, or simply never having had to say anything out loud. By the end you will have said more Italian than you expected, and we will have agreed what the next few weeks should cover.
How often, and how soon you will notice a difference
Most people have one lesson a week at a fixed time, and that rhythm matters more than the length of any single lesson. Twenty minutes of practice three or four times a week between lessons does more than a two-hour cram the night before.
Within a couple of months of weekly lessons most adults can order, ask the way, talk about themselves and follow a simple reply. A real conversation takes longer, and depends a great deal on how much Italian you hear outside the lesson. There is a longer answer in how long it takes to learn Italian.
Online or in person?
Online lessons are not second best. Over a video call we can both see the page we are working on and the corrections as I write them, and you lose no time travelling, which is why most of my tutoring happens this way. If you live near Dursley, Stroud or Bristol and would genuinely rather sit in the same room, ask: it can sometimes be arranged.
Choosing an Italian tutor
Whoever you choose, four questions are worth asking. Are they trained to teach, or simply fluent? Will they plan around what you need, or take everyone through the same book? Do they get you speaking from the first lesson? And will they tell you honestly how you are getting on? I am happy to answer all four before you book anything.
Most of my one-to-one students book a block of ten weekly lessons at a fixed time, which keeps the rhythm going and keeps the slot theirs. You can also start with a single lesson and see how we get on.
What you need
A laptop or tablet with a camera and microphone, and a quiet corner for an hour. Lessons run on Microsoft Teams, which is free; I send you the link, and there is a short guide to Teams if you have never used it. A notebook helps too — writing things down by hand still beats any app for making them stick.
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.