Lydia

Would you like to learn to speak from the first lesson?

About me
Hello! I am a professional teacher who comes from a multicultural background and I love my job. I am bilingual, Italian and German native speaker and I am very interested in different cultures.

I grew up and finished school in Italy but, currently, I am living in Spain with my Spanish husband. That's why I speak Italian, German and Spanish everyday. I have also studied and lived in Japan for one year and I lov...

Would you like to learn to speak from the first lesson?

About me
Hello! I am a professional teacher who comes from a multicultural background and I love my job. I am bilingual, Italian and German native speaker and I am very interested in different cultures.

I grew up and finished school in Italy but, currently, I am living in Spain with my Spanish husband. That's why I speak Italian, German and Spanish everyday. I have also studied and lived in Japan for one year and I love Asian countries as you can deduce from my qualifications. Currently I am learning Chinese.

I decided to become a teacher because I really enjoy my work and the interaction with people from all over the world.

The most satisfying aspect of my job is when people realize that they are able to express themselves in the target language. It makes me feel that I was part of their success and I gave them something important in their path.

Qualifications & Experience
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Intercultural Studies, a Master's degree in Japanese Studies and Spanish and a Master of Arts in Conference Interpreting (Italian, German, Spanish).

I have studied at the University of Vienna and I have worked there freelance offering private lessons and working for schools like Linguista and Lernquadrat in Austria, where I coached school children, taught adults and employees. I have taught Italian, Spanish and German. Now, I am also teaching Japanese to beginners. My students are usually Spanish, Japanese, Austrian and American.

Teaching Approach
The reason why my focus lays on speaking and comprehension skills is that these are the most difficult to achieve for foreign language learners. Most language courses concentrate on grammar and reading comprehension skills, but, at the end, learners seem to have great difficulties in communicative (face-to-face) interactions. Although grammar is an essential part of the language learning process, students can still learn to speak naturally and enjoy each lesson from the very beginning, which helps them to assimilate the new language structure. How?

My specific method helps language learners activate their knowledge. The first step is the acquisition phase, during which you learn vocabulary, grammar and how to use the language within specific contexts. After a couple of exercises (games, role play etc.) the class ends with the activation phase, during which you will be able to put to use independently what you have learnt so far. From the very beginning I will speak with you more and more in the target language as you progress, so that you get used to the language as soon as you start learning it.

During the first lesson we will determine your level, set your goals and develop a strategy that is suitable for you, according to the information you provided beforehand. So, for instance, if you are studying grammar on your own and you only wish to focus on conversation classes and choose to take private lessons, I will prepare the material according to your level and you will have the opportunity to just practice conversation focusing on different situations. Depending on your level, I will have to test your language skills.
Therefore, you are invited to provide the following information:
- which level was the last language class you attended last?
- for how long have you been studying the target language ?
- would you like to have an all-in-one language course, a course focused on grammar or a course focused on conversation?