who am i
Hi, I’m Stefania and I live in Cagliari, Sardinia.
I’ve been fascinated with foreign languages since I was a child. When I was 8 years old, I was asked, “What would you ask the genius of the lamp?” I answered, “Speaking all the languages in the world.” I still didn’t have a clear idea that, in addition to speaking, you need to understand them… but that was a good starting point, wasn’t it?
I started studying French and then English at school. I liked the English language so much that I’ve majored in it. Yes, because of course I studied languages all the way to university, where I also added Russian.
As a child I didn’t think I would become a teacher. I actually didn’t want to. I wanted to translate books, as I’ve always been a bookworm.
But life brings you lots of unexpected surprises, and changing your mind is a snap. I’ve changed my mind about two things: teaching foreign languages and – far more deeply – which language to teach.
In fact, I have been teaching Italian to foreigners for over 10 years now. And I love doing it!
I have obtained DITALS Level II certification and I am constantly updating myself on teaching methods and techniques to teach better and better.
But above all, I keep studying foreign languages.
Teacher and student. Since it is essential to keep being “on the other side” as well. Because I know that wonderful feeling of having understood a native speaker, of having answered a question in the language I’m studying without translating it inside my headfirst, of being able to correctly use the grammatical structure that made me struggle… and I know very well how one feels in these moments: euphoric!
Studying languages also means comparing them, understanding how they work, and how they differ from one another. Philology and linguistics are some of my favorite subjects, and I still study them with passion.
As a teacher of Italian, we could say, “physically in class”, I work at L’Accademia, the school of Italian in Cagliari. L’Accademia has always aimed at personalizing it offers to students, and my classes hardly ever have more than 4-5 students. In fact, I teach single students quite often. Over the years I have learned to listen carefully to the students, to understand their needs, and to find the most suitable, and above all interesting, methods, materials, and topics for them.
For the past 5 years, at L’Accademia, I have also been teaching specialist Italian courses for interpreters and translators from European and international institutions: we work on the technical language in the most varied fields: legal-economic, technical-scientific, bureaucratic, journalistic, and so on. We also cover the everyday use of the language, the different forms of slang, and all those linguistic and cultural aspects that a professional should be aware of.
I also teach English language in vocational training course in Cagliari. Teaching Italian adults can be fun, but it’s also challenging. Many people haven’t been taught English in school as a good chance to widen up their communications skills, but as a sterile set of grammar rules. That’s why they are so wary of me at first. But winning their interest is one of my goals, and every time I succeed it’s a hit!
In addition to teaching, I translate texts. Comparing languages, finding the right meaning of that particular word or expression, understanding whether that context can really be translated, or it needs to be explained… these are the most exciting parts of this work.
So if you are looking for a teacher who, together with grammar and vocabulary, will help you to discover what is similar and different between the languages you already know and the Italian you are studying; if you are interested in the literary or historical aspects of the language; or if it is the Italian culture in its broadest sense that intrigues you, I can be the right teacher for you.