Recommended Italian Teachers and Tutors
20+ options for native and non-native speakers all around the world
June 2022: This list has been updated to reflect new contact information, new teachers, and new links.
One of the most common questions that I get is if we have any teachers or tutors to recommend both while students are abroad in Italy and while they’re home.
To answer that question, I turned to all of you – the members of the Italian with Cher community – to ask about your most highly recommended Italian teachers and tutors… and you definitely came through.
Below you’ll find a list of 20+ options. Some are native speakers in Italy. Others are native speakers in the US or Canada. And some are English speakers that could offer a different perspective on learning the language.
When possible, I’ve included their full name, location, contact info, and any tidbits about them that readers provided (although I did not include their names for privacy). They are in no particular order.
If you think your tutor or teacher should be included in this list, leave a comment below for others to find them.
Finally, to be clear, I’ve only worked with a few people on this list and have not personally vetted them myself. The people I have worked with and LOVED are Beatrice Massaro and Manuela Andragna.
I hope it’s helpful!
1) Matteo and Katie of Joy of Languages
Website: joyoflanguages.com
Contact: katie@joyoflanguages.com
Student comments: “I am doing a year long online Italian course through joyoflanguages.com – the founder of the school and head teacher is Katie Harris. I can not recommend her highly enough. As an experienced ESL teacher, online developer and “professional student” of languages I can highly recommend Katie’s approach in terms of content, instructional design and delivery. She and her partner Matteo really make learning Italian a lot of fun and I look forward to each new topic. They also make Easy Italian and 5 minute Italian podcasts which are great.”
2) Rachele
Location: Milan, Italy
Student comments: “I would recommend Rachele on Italki. She is anything but boring, we laugh a lot and share bits of our lives. She often emails out links to resources she has found to give additional help to her students. She is based in Milano, has young children, if any of these things matter to people.”
3) Riccardo Cristiani
Website: dante-learning.com
Contact: info@dante-learning.com
Location: Milan, Italy
Student comments: “I have been having Skype lessons with Riccardo for 5 years. I’m 68 years old. My 32 year old daughter has also been learning from him for 2 years. He is an intelligent, adaptable, approachable, interesting teacher. Once you have signed up for lessons, you also receive his challenging and well researched grammar blogs in your inbox every second day.”
4) Ema
Location: Rome, Italy
Student comments: “I highly recommend Ema. In particular she specialises in Italian and modern art and fashion and builds this into her lessons.”
5) Rossella Chiolini
Website: http://www.illuminalanguages.com/
Contact: rossella@illuminalanguages.com
Location: San Diego, CA
Student comments: “I have been taking private lessons with Rossella for years, both in person and now via zoom. I have been studying Italian for the last 20 years and she is the best teacher that I have ever had! I highly recommend her.”
6) Raluca Berger
Contact: ralucaberger@yahoo.com
About the teacher: “I've dedicated my career to facilitating communication between people who are separated by the barriers of language. I have a passion for languages and love working with new students to accomplish their goals. I've helped business persons prepare for trips by learning enough to get what they need and impress their clients. I’ve helped others to truly immerse themselves on vacation by introducing them to not only the language but the culture of the regions they are traveling to. I’ve worked with individuals for whom English is a second language to develop fluency and to study for citizenship and other tests.”
7) Claudia Cevoli
Contact: allyoucanlearn@gmail.com
Location: Italy
8) Simona Giustini
Contact: simona.giustini@gmail.com
Location: Montreal, Canada
Student comments: “I live in Montreal, Canada and I met her through the Italian Consulate where she teaches. She is from Rome. Beautiful, sweet and a great teacher!”
9) Beatrice Massaro
Website: www.italianoconbeatrice.com
Contact: italianoconbeatrice@gmail.com
10) (On Hiatus from Teaching) Blessy
Location: Rome, Italy
Student comments:
“Organized and on time
Patient and insightful, helps me think outside the box
Uses Google docs which is extremely helpful
Puts images on the Google Docs and asks that I create a story or dialogue
She has very good questions that make me think
You have a copy of the Google Docs to study following the lesson
Extremely helpful with grammar, giving many good sentence examples
She is relaxed, speaks slowly enough to understand.
Immersion: Probably the most important part of her lesson is her Insistence on speaking only in Italian and when you struggle for a word, she asks you to find another one in Italian that is similar. Discourages defaulting to English.”
11) Laura T.
Website: http://www.learn-italian-online.net/
Contact: https://www.italki.com/teacher/3132050
Location: Padua, Italy
Student comments: “I love my tutor and have met her twice in Italy, once in Milan and once in Florence.”
12) Antonella Calvo
Contact: aoneal@odu.edu
Location: Norfolk, VA
13) Santino Santinelli
Website: www.italianskypelessons.com
Contact: italianskypelessons1@gmail.com
Location: Ascoli Piceno, Italy
14) Sara Zanelletti
Contact: sarazanelletti@gmail.com
Location: Los Angeles, CA
15) Manuela Andragna
Location: Toronto, Canada
16) Monika Dorfmann
Contact: Monika.dorfmann@gmail.com
17.) Lara (This is my current tutor!)
Location: Between Veneto and the US
She says: “My lessons will be mainly based on conversation, they can be structured as informal dialogues, or we could deal with a topic that will be chosen before the lesson. The benefits of my lessons are: - Improve the way you express yourself in Italian - Enrich your vocabulary - Practice the grammar and vocabulary you have studied previously - Receive feedback on grammar or pronunciation errors made during the lesson - Improve listening and oral understanding So if your goal is to perfect your Italian, I'm the right tutor for you!!”
My experience: I love working with Lara because the conversations we have are practical AND fun. She always brings interesting games to our lessons, and we laugh the entire time.
Then… there were a couple of people who offered up their services, and I want to make sure they’re included too!
17) Emily Rothenberg
Contact: emily.rothenberg@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/emilybrothenberg
She says: I am not a native speaker; however I have done professional translation, some interpretation, worked in Italy multiple times, and am an experienced language teacher and private tutor (English, Italian, Spanish). For Italian, I am most comfortable working with people at a beginner through intermediate level. I usually make my own curriculum but can accommodate what someone’s specific needs are (business, conversation, study abroad, etc.).
18) Niki Nicastro
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niki-nicastro-37226115/
Contact: nikinicastro@gmail.com
Location: NYC
He says: “I am a professional native Italian tutor and translator and I have taught Italian for the past 9 years, on all levels, from absolute beginners to advanced, in groups or privately.
I am “diplomata” in Languages and I have also studied Literature and Philosophy at the University of Bologna. In Italy I also took diction courses, so I speak Italian precisely, correctly, and without any regional accent. My English is also excellent, so I can explain questions regarding grammar and vocabulary to beginning students. I always personalize lessons depending on the age, level and goals of my students. I do have a method and always try to create new ways to learn this wonderful language, however, all the lessons and the programs are custom for each learner. I am based in New York where I have been living for 10 years, and I am available to teach online via Skype, Zoom or Facetime. At the moment I have students everywhere in the states and abroad, and the age of my students are from 4 to 80 right now!
19) Erika from Italian Art Pods
Website: https://www.italianartpods.com/about
Contact: info@italianartpods.com
“Alongside the podcast she also gives personalised lessons. I can attest that she is an excellent teacher that is very responsive to her students needs and language goals.”
20) Donatella Antoniazzi
Website: Coming soon!
Contact: ciaodonatella88@gmail.com
Location: Perth, Australia
She says: “Although I’m not a native speaker, I have been teaching Italian in schools for over 20 years (I have a degree in Italian) and have just left the school system (taking the brave leap to go out on my own). I work with beginner students and people who want to be “travel ready.”
Don’t forget about Italian With Blessy. She is the best.
Thank you for sharing this list of tutors, Cher.
I have engaged Niki Nicastro and have found her to be "fantastica!!" as an instructor. Niki is structured, yet flexible, and expertly utilizes Zoom along with real-time presentation and note-taking software in a manner that delivers a super-effective learning experience. She is a professional, full-time instructor and has a tried-and-true approach.
I couldn't be happier and would never have found her without your list sharing.
Grazie mille!
Larry