Ciao, I’m Angela!

…and it’s my honor to help you learn Italian.

A Harvard graduate in Italian studies and Italian to the core, I am here to guide you on your journey to discovering the Italian language and heritage.

Embracing Italian can be daunting, I know – it’s not just about mastering verb conjugations or perfecting pronunciation, but about connecting you with your Italian heritage, often an ocean away.

That’s precisely why Italianified came to life. It’s a space where English speakers find harmony with their Italian roots. Because here learning Italian isn’t just an academic pursuit – it’s an intimate voyage into the heart of your heritage, and I am sure that pieces of yourself will be uncovered along the way!

My passion for combining language learning with elements of Italian culture dates back to my key experiences living abroad, first in the UK and then, for a longer time in the USA.

You see, I was born and raised in a small town in the province of Ferrara, Italy. Growing up, English was my obsession but the resources available to me to learn it were exceedingly limited.

My father, dedicated to seeing me succeed, would journey miles to larger cities, a testament to his determination, just to bring back English teaching videocassettes for me.

Despite his dedication, and mine, for a very long time, I failed to learn English. It was not until I was fully immersed in the language that I truly learned – and then perfected – my English.

But even now that I am fluent in the language, I will never forget the hardship of learning English. The road to fluency, in fact, was long and challenging, both linguistically and culturally. It was a journey that truly underscored the importance of patience, time, and quality resources, none of which I had in my arsenal back then.

What I realized as I was learning and living English is that this new language became a key part of my growth, and navigating the intricacies of English would mean, for me, to grapple with my own identity.

Every idiom and hometown expression made me wonder how such a big part of me could get lost in translation. Speaking English sometimes showed a clumsy side of me, like when I’d crack a joke that would tumble into silence. And then there were the hugs – I still recall arriving in the US with my Italian habit of warm hugs and kissing people (not just two but three times!), which honestly took some time to adjust as I adapted to the common way in American greetings. It felt strange… what was instinctive back home suddenly left me second-guessing myself.

This linguistic and cultural shock, though hard to live and experience, was essential for me as it supported my personal language acquisition and ended up becoming the groundwork for my teaching philosophy.

At Harvard, where I pursued my PhD, I was trained as a teacher through a communicative method that revolutionized my understanding of second language acquisition. This methodology, centered on real-world communication, completely blew me away. It showed me that language isn’t just about words and grammar; it’s about sharing experiences and expressing ideas. It’s about connecting with others.

As I tutored students in Italian, many of whom sought to rediscover their Italian roots, I realized they were looking for more than language skills. They sought a deeper connection with their heritage – a yearning that deeply resonated with me. This inspired the creation of a curriculum that surpasses conventional teaching.

Because I believe that the essence of language learning is not just about acquiring a new way to communicate but about discovering a path back to ourselves, to the stories and traditions that shape who we are.

And Italianified plans to do just that.

So let’s get started, shall we?