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• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  
Italian is my native language as I was born in Venice and raised in Treviso.
  
  I teach Spanish and English too.

  
  As a child, I used to play with atlases, maps and globes. I would spend hours looking at pictures of different parts of the world. I always wanted to explore new places and cultures.
 As soon as I could, I moved to Spain where I had the chance to improve my Spanish, and years later to the UK so I could improve my English.

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

  
I have to mention two: Francesco Petrarca, a brilliant poet of the early Renaissance, and Franco Battiato, one of the most popular and talented Italian songwriters of the last 50 years.
  Petrarca's "Il Canzoniere" would go down as "the greatest influence on the love poetry of Renaissance Europe".
  
Battiato's lyrics are so profound, moving and evocative that they almost take you on a journey. 
I love his work. His ability to use the Italian language to its full potential is remarkable.

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

  The simpler one: Ciao!
  It derives from the Venetian phrase "s-ciào vostro", literally meaning "(I am) your slave".
 The underlying meaning is "(I am) your humble servant".
  
I do speak Venetian and I love dialects, their unique traits and influence over "official" languages.


• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  
Because languages are more than communication tools. They tell stories.

  The Italian language tells the story of my country, the intricacy of its history, its beauty and its contradictions.

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


  Understanding Italian grammar can be challenging at first, especially subjects such as object pronouns, verb tenses and their use. But hey, the good news is that learning Italian can also be fun and rewarding!
  I like planning a lot of interactive activities and encouraging my students to take incremental steps out of their comfort zone without aiming for perfection.
  There is no such thing as mistakes when it comes to learning. Learning is a journey and you learn more from those 'mistakes' made along the way. That's the beauty of it.

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

  
I remember vividly that infamous first lesson at university during my Erasmus in Barcelona.
  At the time, my goal was to learn Spanish which I had been studying on and off for one year.
 Realising all lessons were in Catalan left me in shock. In that first history lesson, I couldn't grasp more than five per cent. It turned out to be a great opportunity to discover another language and culture. As a result, a year later, I could speak both Catalan and Spanish.
  The takeaway is that opportunity often comes disguised.

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

  
I have a few experiences to mention: my Erasmus in Barcelona, my trips to Portugal and of course my first months in the UK.
  All these experiences had a great impact on my language skills. 
My advice to any student is to spend time with native speakers whenever possible.
 Exposure to the language is paramount, as well as the quality of the language environment that the student is surrounded by.

• What makes you a Superprof in language?


  Teaching languages goes well beyond the mere sharing of contents. It's about human connection. Every student is unique, so in my eyes teaching is all about finding ways to empower my students. I could not be a Superprof without my Superstudents. It's a two-way process that I am very grateful to be part of.