Native Certified Teacher

Hello! My name is Erica, I am a native certified teacher with an Italian primary education diploma. I have worked in London, Melbourne and Mullumbimby for over 30 years, in primary and middle schools, but also privately.
Originally from Belluno, near Venice, I visit Italy every couple of years and keep a strong connection with my culture.

Buon giorno! Mi chiamo Erica, sono insegnante d’italiano ed abito nei dintorni di Byron Bay. Ho ricevuto il mio diploma d’insegnamento in Italia ed ho lavorato a Londra, Melbourne e Mullumbimby per piu’ di trent’anni in scuole elementary, medie e privatamente.

Sono di Belluno, vicino Venezia, torno in Italia regolarmente e cosi’ mantengo una buon rapporto con la mia cultura.

Keys ways to learn a language:

Listen, speak, repeat, sing and learn basic grammar.

You can learn Italian with Erica by

Choosing private tuitions, face to face or online,

Book in with your own little group of friends or,

Join our reading group every Monday morning if you have knowledge of Italian language at intermediate level.

Here are eight common expressions used by Italians that you can learn and weave into your holiday Italian to make you sound just like a local.

  • Che ne so – When asked a question that they cannot answer, Italians often use this phrase accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders or their palms open as they shake their head. The phrase is a colloquial one meaning, ‘how should I know’ and shouldn’t be confused with Non lo so (I do not know) used in normal parlance.
  • Non mi va – It covers many situations and is used mainly to mean, ‘I don’t feel like it’. You’ll often hear children saying this when they are asked to something less interesting than having fun.
  • Allora – Sometimes it’s as if every second word spoken is allora, usually it’s used as a pause or to slow down speech as the speaker thinks, meaning ‘then’, ‘therefore’, ‘in that case’ etc. It’s a simple word that is often used in the same way the English say, ‘like’ or ‘you know’ mid-sentence.
  • In bocca al lupo – Meaning ‘in the wolf’s mouth’, this phrase is often used to wish someone well; to wish a friend good luck in their endeavours. It is used to bless someone who is struggling to overcome difficulty and is often responded to with the phrase, crepi il lupo, meaning ‘hopefully the wolf will die’, symbolising the hope that the outlook will be favourable.
  • Neanche per sogno – It is a slightly impolite phrase meaning ‘in your dreams’ that many young people use in a friendly manner when asked something they don’t agree with, they use it to say, ‘no way’.
  • Sono stanco This is a useful phrase; after spending the day sightseeing and walking around the many art galleries and ancient monuments, what will feel better than sliding into a seat at the local bar and saying, sono stanco, meaning ‘I’m tired’, who knows the barman may take pity on you and serve you an aperitivo on the house.
  • Magari It’s a great phrase to use if someone asks you if you’d like to stay in Italy indefinitely; meaning ‘if only’, it’s used to express hope. It wouldn’t be out of place if used to express your desire to win something.
  • Salve, come va? – Literally meaning, ‘hello, how’s it going?’ This is a more colloquial way of saying, ‘Buongiorno, come stai?’ meaning good morning, how are you, it’s used as a friendlier, less formal way of greeting someone, but remember don’t use this in formal situations when you need to use the formal, come sta.

Send me an email

2 + 1 = ?

Learn Italian

Private Tuitions $50 or 10% off when you book for 10.

Call  0435635822 for booking and group pricing
E mail ericasusanna@dolcedonna.net