Native Italian speaker with 5+ years of teaching experience. Fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. I tailor each lesson to your unique learning style.

Find out more about Irma

• 1) Did you grow up speaking this language? Or were you inspired by a trip abroad, an individual or a certain aspect of the culture?

  I grew up speaking Italian, so it’s always been a natural part of my life. But as I got older, I started to really appreciate how expressive and emotional it is not just a language, but a whole way of connecting with people.

• 2) Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  I’d probably say Dante Alighieri. He represents the beauty of the language and how powerful it can be when it comes to storytelling and culture.

• 3) Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or expression in the language that you particularly like?

  I love the phrase “La vita è bella.” It reflects how we really appreciate the beauty of life,loving food, connection, and a more relaxed lifestyle. In Italy, we tend to romanticise everyday moments, and I think this expression captures that perfectly.

• 4) Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  Speaking Italian matters to me because it’s part of who I am—my culture, my family, my identity. I’m also really proud to teach my language and to see how much people love its musicality. It feels special to share with the world a language that is mainly spoken in one country, helping to keep its traditions alive and preserve its originality. For me, learning Italian is not just learning a language—it’s learning a whole way of being.

• 5) What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  One of the hardest parts is definitely verb conjugations.They can feel a bit overwhelming at first. But what really helps is practising in real-life situations, listening to music, watching films, and just using the language as much as possible.

• 6) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  I remember helping a student who was really shy about speaking at first. By focusing on his personal learning style, I was able to help him start speaking Italian within a few months. What he really needed was confidence in himself, and once he found that, everything changed.

• 7) How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  Traveling around Italy made a big difference for me. Every region has its own accent, expressions, and cultural identity, which really shows how rich and diverse the language is. Being Sicilian as well, I grew up with a different dialect, and this helped me understand Italian on a deeper level—how it has developed, how it changes, and how flexible it can be. It’s given me a broader perspective that I bring into my teaching.