I teach English and Italian - I have taught in a class environment, privately and now also online. Beginners, intermediate or advanced learners are welcome to contact me.

Find out more about Dani

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

  I speak Italian fluently because of my origins, but also because I spent time reading Italian books (and comics, much to my father's disapproval), right into my adulthood. To this day, I feel that reading good literature is one of the best ways to improve one's language.

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

  There are so many well known artists that are the emblematic representative of the language's culture, and most of them, have not spoken to me with their words, but with their works of art. When I walk in Rome and I look at the paintings and sculptures, I am in awe at the legacy they left behind and I am left spellbound by the beauty created by these Italian icons.
  
  Academically speaking, I think my father was one of the greatest influences in my life, and his philosophy was that if you want to reach for the stars, you have to aim a bit higher than the stars!

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

  Among the many things that I recall, is a phrase that my father used a lot, after he had spent time cooking. He would shout: "a tavola!" which was his way of calling all the family to the table.
  
  That is what I love the most about the Italian tradition, and that is, the family still ate together at the table and good manners were important. We shared as a family and ate together, something that bound us together like no other thing could.
  
  In this day and age, eating while watching TV on the sofa or "each unto his own" is just a sad example of the disintegration of something sacred.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  Speaking Italian is important to me because it is my heritage, part of who I am, and I would like to impart this knowledge to anyone who feels like I do. Often when parents move to a country where the child/children are not exposed to their native language, they soon forget how to speak it, and they adapt to the new way of life and language of that country. I would like to help rekindle that knowledge!

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

  The main difficulty in learning this language is that there are many different idioms, irregularities and grammar that cannot be directly translated verbatim. I think students must just accept that sometimes rules don't apply for every case, and that some things (eg. verbs) should just be learnt off by heart, or by speaking and reading as much as possible. By making mistakes, you learn so much more!

• Could you share an anecdote related to your language learning or your student days?

  For me, there is no fast rule to learning a new language. When I tried to learn English, at the age of 11, I promised myself that I would not speak a word until I could be fluent (laugh!). I eventually learnt nursery rhymes and little poems off by heart, and that gave me so much more confidence. I would listen carefully to the pronunciation of my school friends and teachers, and I would go for extra language classes, of course. Joy of joy, when I stood up one day to recite a poem in class (6 months as a 'newby') and my whole class clapped! It takes determination and just a tiny bit of courage.

• How has travel or a specific experience helped you to increase your understanding and appreciation of the language?

  I think trying to improve my language skills in a country where nobody spoke the language, other than my parents, was most rewarding when I returned to Italy some 20 years later. I was already grown up, and my relatives were surprised to hear that I did not have a foreign accent. I was delighted to take part in their conversations, and I could express myself intelligently to them and with confidence.

• What makes you a Superprof?

  My desire is that every pupil that comes to me, will be enriched by my teaching. I am dedicated to them and to their learning. I have never felt so passionate about any other profession. We are honoured to be teachers and to hold their learning minds in our hands, for however long. Be it a few months or a few years, we are all ambassadors wherever we go. I hope to make my heritage proud, even though I don't live in Italy any more. Be blessed, be joyful, be kind.