FACT: You can do basic Italian conversations ok, but when it comes to those deeper and more detailed conversations that engage and connect, your brain freezes mid-conversation and you can’t find the words. You get frustrated, nervous and…sometimes, you feel a bit embarrassed! Because, you've probably spent hours learning new vocabulary and grammar on apps … Continue reading The 3 keys to speak Italian fluently

How many times we say we want to do something, but we don’t do it? For example: Not messaging that person. Not learning Italian consistently. Not trying that new fitness class that we thought we might like. Sometimes everything else around us seems to be a priority, except… what we truly desire. And I’m not … Continue reading Your best (Italian) year yet!

"My Italian is not good enough to have a proper conversation!"  This was coming from someone who had been learning Italian for 3 years and was already  living in Italy.  Everytime she would try to converse, she would get frustrated...and give up! And here's the thing: In giving up, she would validate even more the … Continue reading “My Italian is not good enough to have a proper conversation!” 

One thing I do at the beginning of every new year is writing down what I'd like to accomplish in the months to come and, at the end of the year, I pull out this list to see how many of those things have been accomplished or have happened. This year, to my great satisfaction, … Continue reading My wish for you for this new year!

One of my friends loves candles.The other day we were talking about how to light up candles properly and how I was obsessed with avoiding candle tunnelling (aka avoiding that only a small portion of the wax melts, creating those little "steps" of wax around the wick)."Go on, how do you avoid it?", he asked.And … Continue reading A real story on how to stop being afraid of making mistakes…

I have a question for you: Would you like me to teach you 5 new Italian phrases... OR Would you like me to teach you those 5 phrases and, at the same time, show you how to memorise, recall, and use those phrases when you speak Italian If I were you, I'd choose the second … Continue reading Would you like me to teach you 5 new Italian phrases or…?

"What's the one most important thing that students get after having worked with you?" This was a question that I got asked in a professional development course a few years ago. I didn't know back then and so I decided to interview all my students to find the answer After reviewing dozens and dozens of … Continue reading The most important thing

When I say that I am a language coach people just think that I am trying to be fancy. "Oh sure... you teach Italian." they might say. Truth is teaching is not the same as coaching. And although a coach can wear the teacher's hat, a teacher can't wear a coach's hat, unless they are … Continue reading What’s language coaching, really?

Here's what some people think when they imagine me working with my students: My students meet once week with me for an Italian lesson. I teach them about a specific topic + give them homework. Rinse and repeat every week. Meanwhile, my students stress about whether we can find a suitable time for the lessons … Continue reading BREAKING NEWS : How I do NOT teach Italian.