Italian - Intermediate

I've always been curious about languages and loved learning about other cultures. I have many happy childhood memories of communicating with locals on holidays abroad. This interest was heightened during secondary school language trips and I'm very happy to still be in contact with my first Spanish exchange family almost 30 years later! Having been in secondary education for 17 years, I love teaching a variety of languages and have really enjoyed working in a different way using Language for Fun's fantastic materials. I know what it is like to be a complete beginner in a new language and have always sought to support learners in an understanding and approachable way. Our assessment-free approach, with optional homework, emphasises communication over perfection and puts the focus on enjoyable social interactions, without any undue pressure.
I graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2004 with a Commerce and Spanish degree, which included a year studying business at university in Madrid. I first realised I wanted to be a teacher after being asked to deliver an English lesson in a remote school in Chilean Patagonia. That was the start of my teaching journey which led me to complete a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education in 2008 and a Master's in Education in 2011. I have always been keen to continue improving my own skills and have completed formal qualifications in French and Italian over a number of years.

I was a secondary school teacher of French, Italian and Spanish from 2007 until my family and I moved to this area in 2023. Teaching locally has been a wonderful way to meet people and I'm so pleased to have lots of returning learners as well as new people joining on recommendation. It's wonderful to hear how much my groups enjoy their lessons communicating for fun and developing their skills along the way. I have a wealth of cultural experiences that have fed my enthusiasm for sharing my knowledge and I'm excited to help more people on their language learning adventure.