Italian lessons in Melbourne

Vorresti inziare ad imparare l'italiano? Translation: Do you want to start learning Italian? If your answer is yes, start today with lessons from a Superprof tutor in your Melbourne location today!

From apps like Babbel and Duolingo, to cultural events, to classes in a high school or private language school, there's an abundance of ways for beginners to learn a language, from Spanish and French, to Chinese and Russian. It's common to find people who study the Italian language all over Melbourne and Australia. According to the Director of Education and Culture at the Italian Embassy in Canberra, Dr Anna Rita Tamponi, there are about 360,000 students of Italian around Australia. Students start their studies for myriad reasons, maybe to prepare for a whirlwind trip to Italy, because they love Italian cooking, or maybe they want their kids to learn a great new life skill. In any case, Italian is a wonderful language and speaking well can help you get in contact with a country full of culture, food, music, movies and more, just waiting for you to experience! Lessons with a Superprof tutor, whether online or in person, are a great way to start your journey to handling any conversation like a pro in no time!

What can you study in your Italian classes?

Every tutor has their own teaching experiences and preferences, which will affect what your classes look like. As you look at the online profile of each teacher, you should consider what you want out of your lessons, to be able to find the best teacher for you. If you're mostly interested in conversation, courses with a native speaker teacher might be the best option. However if you're interested in grammar, an English speaker who has spent years to learn the language could be a great option, as they've been in your shoes, and understand which ideas can be more difficult, specifically for other English speaking students.

There is a range of advantages of taking a private course of lessons with a Superprof tutor as opposed to taking classes in a private language school. Language schools usually have fixed time tables for classes at each level, which may not fit with your or your children's schedule. A private tutor can work around your available time and organise lessons when it's convenient for you. The location of classes is also more flexible for Superprof students. You can choose to learn at your house, a library, even outside! The environment is so important when learning, especially for kids, so having this flexibility will help to get the most out of your classes.

Another advantage of the Superprof experience is that you're completely in charge of your own learning. If you want to study grammar, great! If you need some easy phrases for travel to Italy, or you're studying to pass an exam or anything else, your tutor will use each class to get you closer to your goals. They will assess your level and objectives and use their experience to plan lessons that you'll not only love, but that will help you achieve level after level over time.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, during a private lesson your tutor only has one student to focus on; you! If you struggle with a small area of grammar, they can organise extra lessons to help you consolidate your learning, without worrying about other students timelines. One on one contact is truly one of the best ways for both adults and children to learn a language in a way that will inspire you and make you feel good about your study.

A little background on the Italian language

Learning any language takes time, and you'll need to study things like conditionals and subjunctives, but the reality is that languages are so much more. It's a gateway to experience the history and culture of a place, and a way to get in close contact with native speakers. Just look at the history of the language itself, and you'll see how intertwined it is with history, politics and culture.

Most students don't know that 'standard Italian' is really just the dialect from one part of the country; Tuscany. Dante Alighieri, who was an extremely famous writer living during the Middle Ages and is known as the father of the Italian language, used this dialect for every book and poem, so when unification happened in 1861, it became a lingua franca. Before then, only about 2.5% of Italy's population were native speakers of this 'language'. So what did they speak? The answers lie in the history of every region. Over hundreds of years, dialects in each one were influenced by both conquerers and friends.

In Sicily, for example, the dialect changes have influences of Semitic languages, Arabic, French and Spanish and changes in even the simplest vocabulary, reflecting the island's various conquerors throughout history. Students will be able to learn about the chequered history of Italy through learning about its languages, like in the Alpine areas, where German influences are clear, or in Sardegna which was so isolated over the years that it still has some features of pre-Latin languages, and is officially recognised as its own language. For children and adults, this knowledge can change your view of the language and country, making it more exciting and important.

Preparation for Italian exams

Of course, private lessons, whether online or in person, can be essential for VCE students across Melbourne. Many Superprof tutors have experience with the Year 11 and 12 Italian exams, either through teaching or because they've taken them themselves. In any case, lessons outside of school can help to consolidate your learning, practice conversation and clear up things students didn't understand in their school classes or book. These private courses will help students feel confident and ready to take on their exams in no time!

So, no matter what your location in Italy, you will find a teacher with experience who will show you the beauty of the Italian language, and inspire you to love it just as much as they do. View the online tutor profiles and contact the best fit for you today to start!