The team in detail - get to know the teachers

Michela

I'm Michela and I come from Cavaione, a small town near Milan.

I have a university degree in Romance Studies and a degree in teaching Italian as a foreign language (promoitals). In addition to my fundamental passion for foreign languages, I have increasingly developed a zeal for teaching my mother tongue. I have many years experience teaching Italian as a foreign language in Australia, Germany and Spain. My specialisation in online teaching has deepened and methodically sharpened over the last 5 years.

My teaching is the result of a sophisticated combination of the classic didactics of language basics and a more communicative and creative approach to language that is characterised by the visual: a combination that now benefits more than ever from digital tools.

At the centre of my language teaching are the pupils with their unique characteristics and their interactions. I rise to this challenge with all my communication skills, openness and expertise.

This makes every course a fascinating journey into the world of others, to whom I in turn introduce the Italian language and culture.

Fabio

I'm Fabio and I come from Solaro, a small town halfway between Milan and Lake Como.

My passion for the Italian language and literature was awakened during my school years. I studied modern literature at the University of Milan and then moved to Bologna, where I specialised in Italian studies and linguistics.

After my studies, I taught Italian and Latin literature at a grammar school for five years. I have lived in Berlin since 2023, the northernmost Italian city in the world. I work with the Italian workshop and other language institutes in Germany and abroad.

In my lessons, I always look for a balance between rigour and spontaneity. Every group has its own energy, every student their own voice: Recognising and encouraging this uniqueness is at the heart of my work. I want my lessons to be a place of discovery, discussion and active participation, where language becomes a shared experience.

Ilaria

Ciao a tutti! I'm Ilaria, in Neapel geboren und aufgewachsen. Dort habe ich Germanistik studiert und bin seit 2013 Lehrerin für Italienisch als Fremdsprache.

Seit nunmehr 8 Jahren wohne ich in Berlin und habe in verschiedenen Instituten vielseitige Erfahrungen gesammelt und meine Lehrpraxis perfektioniert.

In my lessons, I attach great importance to an informal atmosphere that motivates my students to communicate in a relaxed manner and takes away their inhibitions in the foreign language. Despite this, I take my didactic and methodological duty to teach, monitor and correct seriously and am delighted with my students' progress.

In addition to my job, I love nature and look after my plants, preferably cacti and orchids, with expertise and pleasure. I also enjoy cooking, not as a compulsory exercise, but for pleasure and with a passion, especially for typical Neapolitan cuisine.

Danila

Hello, I'm Danila. I was born at the foot of Mount Vesuvius - right between the ruins of Pompeii and Naples. From an early age, I was surrounded by history, art and forms of expression that still characterise me today.

At university, I first studied art history and worked intensively with dance and theatre. I am a certified Italian teacher and have a postgraduate degree in "Didactics of Italian Language and Literature" from the Università per Stranieri di Siena.

The spoken language is at the centre of my lessons: authentic, lively and inextricably linked to the cultural diversity of Italy. That's why I like to work with original materials from literature, film, poetry and music, which offer valuable insights into ways of thinking, values and social contexts.

A central concern of my teaching is to create a relaxed and trusting learning atmosphere in which the participants feel safe, can speak freely and contribute their personality. And last but not least: Humour and the joy of learning are indispensable companions for me. Because learning can - and should - not only be challenging, but also fun.

Carlo

I'm Carlo. I was born in Sardinia by the sea, but lived in the countryside in Tuscany for a long time. I have always been passionate about three things: books, music and long walks.

I studied Italian philology and literature and worked in the fields of didactics and translation. I started teaching my mother tongue in the first years of my university studies and then specialised in Italian as a foreign language at the University for Foreigners in Siena. Now I have been working for years at the Italian Workshop, which I really appreciate for its extraordinary organisation and wonderful working atmosphere and which has almost become a second home to me!

When I teach Italian, I like to weave in idioms and proverbs that reflect the specific Italian way of thinking: such as "da cosa nasce cosa" (one thing leads to another). Such idioms articulate with charm, humour and depth the large and small peculiarities or surprises of everyday life in a very distinctive way. In my lessons, I try to combine classical learning content with playful, spontaneous and topical aspects. Language must "dock on" to the mind and heart of the user, and I would like to help with this.

Benedetta

I'm Benedetta. I come from Tarquinia, a charming town with an Etruscan past, close to the sea, north of Rome.

After studying classical philology at the University "La Sapienzia" in Rome, I completed a master's degrees in Italian as a foreign language, publishing and cultural journalism. I have been living in Freiburg im Breisgau since 2018, where I teach at two prestigious language schools and have been working for the Italian workshop in Berlin since 2021. In April 2022, I qualified as an exam administrator for the CILS certificates.

The different needs in regular language courses, in higher-level courses on literary works or the preparation for the CILS exams challenge me to meet my students' needs as individually and precisely as possible and to lead them successfully to their personal goals: The joy and culmination of every teacher's work!

Jessica

I'm Jessica. I have Tuscan-Venetian roots and live in Milan, where I studied "Lingue e letterature straniere" and teach literature at secondary school. I also write novels and short stories for a renowned Italian magazine.

Since 1999 I have also been working as a teacher of Italian as a foreign language and for the last three years for the Italian Workshop in Berlin.

My speciality are the 'corsi speciali' for both group and individual students, all online.

I try to pass on my passion for Italian art, culture and regional studies. As my strengths include a talent for communication, humour and irony, I like to 'spice up' my lessons with 'curiosità', i.e. those peculiarities of the Italian language that usually don't find a place in textbooks.