Professor Federica De Carolis

I specialise in Italian, Spanish, and English and strongly believe in lifelong learning. This is why I continuously invest in my education. In a constantly changing world, teachers must stay up to date with the latest teaching strategies, approaches, methods, and technologies to ensure the best learning outcomes. My extensive education has provided me with a thorough knowledge of Italian, Spanish, and English, which I am passionate about passing on to my students. As a professor, I hold an enhanced DBS certificate. I am dedicated to delivering high-quality lessons tailored to students' educational needs and designed to achieve outstanding results. With 10 years of experience as a tutor, I have honed my teaching strategies to create lessons that are engaging, interesting, and highly effective. My students start speaking the language after the first lesson and eagerly look forward to the next. I have a proven track record of all my students passing their Italian exams with the highest grades, including GCSE, A-Level, CILS, CELI, and PLIDA.

Education:

- Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).
- MA in Teaching Italian as a Second Language at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano.
- Qualified Teacher Status to teach English, Spanish, and Italian as a second language issued by the Department for Education.
- MA in Fashion Journalism at London College of Fashion.
- MA in Modern Foreign Languages (English and Spanish) at Università degli Studi Roma Tre.
-BA in Interpreting and Translation (English and Spanish) at Scuola Superiore per Mediatori Linguistici Gregorio VII.

I work freelance with schools, companies, universities, and private students from all over the world. Send me a message with your aim, current level, and the level you want to reach to arrange your first lesson.

I have been teaching online and in-person for years and I have specific teaching strategies to engage my students. Each lesson includes varied activities to build their knowledge of the Italian language and constantly improve their reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills. I adopt the communicative approach, which means that during the lessons I speak Italian as much as I can, but I switch to English every time it is needed, especially when I explain the grammar. Each lesson is carefully planned, including PowerPoints that explain the grammar in English to help students understand thoroughly the topic of the lesson. Special attention is given to conversation activities to speak the language fluently in every situation. Students are given homework to consolidate what they have learnt.

One of the key aspects of my teaching style is my dedication to helping students effectively convey meaning in Italian. Teaching a language goes beyond simply explaining grammar rules and providing lists of vocabulary, as it is crucial for learners to understand how to express themselves naturally, avoiding literal translations that often result in errors and hinder clear communication. For instance, while the English present perfect shares a similar structure with the Italian passato prossimo, the two tenses are used in distinctly different ways. Learning how meaning is expressed in Italian compared to English allows students to speak like native Italians. With my thorough knowledge of both English and Italian, I am well-equipped to guide students from beginner to advanced levels, ensuring a deep and comprehensive understanding of the Italian language and culture.