Who are the OnlineItalianClub.com teachers?
Meet Lucia, head of our Skype Italian lessons team, lover of languages, and enthusiastic teacher!
Ciao Lucia! Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed! Could I start by asking you about how you came to be teaching Italian via Skype?
I first became an Italian teacher when I was asked by a local company to go to teach in Slovakia, for three months. That was in 2007.
Is this your main job?
Not anymore, but I taught Italian full-time for 6 years. Now I work as translator and interpreter at a consulate in Bologna.
Why do you continue teaching Italian then?
I love meeting new people from all over the world, chatting with them, exchange ideas, plus I adore their love for my country and language. Their success makes me happy. And I’ve always loved teaching, too. I think I’m good at it!
What sort of people do you teach?
Anyone! The youngest is curly-haired 3-year old from Dublin and the oldest is 82, I think. Mostly they’re adults, though and they have in common a huge enthusiasm for Italian culture. My students have usually travelled to Italy at least once in their lives, and 50% of them have Italian forebears.
Do you teach beginners too?
Not many, but I once had a student who had never heard the word caffè before!
So, what are the advantages of taking Italian lessons via Skype?
I’d say there are plenty of advantages, but that they vary from person to person.
First of all, with new technology, nowadays you can learn anywhere, so don’t have to join a school or a group of people and respect a defined timetable.
What’s more, the lessons are very personalised: it’s the student who decides what they want or need to study. Finally, there’s the fact that if you’re shy, you don’t have to talk in front of other people. There’s only your teacher, who you trust, listening to you!
Oh, and actually, learning Italian this way means more than just the online lessons, because your teacher is always present: anytime you need something you can email or open a chat and you’ll get your answer!
And the disadvantages?
Well, if you like taking courses so as to meet new people, that’s not going to happen! Then, there are the occasional Internet connection problems.
But worst of all, if you fall in love with your teacher, you can’t kiss them!
Would you take this kind of online lesson yourself?
Yes, I would, and I have! I saw what fun my students were having, and thought I’d give it a go.
I speak English and French, and am studying Arabic and Japanese, so there’s always something to learn!
Recently, I stayed on in my office for an extra 30 minutes at the end of the day talking to my teacher, which was the best part of the day! And the last lesson I did, I was at home sick, so I had my Skype lesson in my pijamas!
OK, thanks a lot, Lucia! Buon lavoro!
P.S. If you think this way of learning might work for YOU, check out the reductions currently available in our shop. But hurry, we can only take on 6 more students. Offer ends Tuesday, or before, if those 6 slots get snapped up!