Ciao!

My name is Irene Staffieri and I work as an Italian language teacher. I was born in Sardegna, a wonderful Italian island which I see as the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. From a young age, I was very curious about other languages. I studied English at school and I also had the opportunity to learn Spanish while living in Barcelona. Currently I'm living in Mexico and I have the chance to speak Spanish daily. Recently, I started studying French taking one-on-one classes.

Learning new languages has opened many doors to me both personally and professionally. I have had the chance to meet wonderful people and share my culture. It has also allowed me to develop my creativity and ability to adapt to new situations.

I have two degrees. First, I studied Literature and Philosophy, with a specialization in Performing Arts and Musicology at Università di Bologna. Then, I found a passion for Italian Sign Language and I studied to become a professional interpreter. Upon graduation, I began working as an interpreter as well as an Italian teacher to foreigners living in Italy. I am a member of Aprimondo, a professional organization dedicated to teaching Italian to immigrants.

Currently, I'm teaching Italian in Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, Mexico. I give one-on-one classes and group classes in a local language school and at University of Cozumel.

I plan my lessons based on personal goals, learning styles and areas of need. Normally my teaching is centered on oral communication (speaking and listening). I include reading and writing in order to support the learning.

Based on the student's level, I invite students to express themselves on different topics of personal interests, in order to acquire a vocabulary that will be useful for them. I also reserve some time to work on pronunciation: based on my experience, it really helps students to gain confidence when speaking spontaneously. Each class, I spend a bit of time revisiting previous topics to ensure that the student feels comfortable with the language structures.

I use Italian as much as possible and I offer explanations in English or Spanish when it is necessary.