TESTIMONIALS
Studying Italian with Monica: an absolute pleasure!
My Italian improved so much under Monica’s dedicated support and guidance. What really stood out for me was her clear passion for the Italian language and teaching. Every lesson instilled this passion, making it an absolute pleasure to study with her.
Monica’s meticulous yet gentle approach to teaching Italian spelling, grammar, and pronunciation consistently pushed me to improve. As our lessons progressed and we got to know each other better, Monica integrated some of my own interests into our exercises - a thoughtful, personal touch that made the whole learning experience even more engaging and enjoyable.
Thank you, Monica! I look forward to continuing our lessons online from Australia.
Shoshanah Wall – Copywriter, Melbourne, Australia
An extremely fulfilling learning experience
I spent a long time trying to figure out what to write to make sure whoever’s reading this knows without a doubt that Monica Galletti is the best possible person to guide you in your journey to learn Italian. But no matter what I write, it still won’t do her justice.
It’s not just her exceptional skill set and experience (her impressive resume speaks for itself). Her approach is very learner-centered, and is varied and fun, so even the more challenging aspects of the language, like grammar for instance, become more palatable. There are always new exercises and activities that enrich your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in some way, which keeps things interesting and builds your anticipation for the next lesson.
In my opinion though, the best aspect of the experience was how personalized the lessons were. A lot of the material she used for our lessons was carefully and thoughtfully chosen to either align with my specific needs and reasons for learning Italian, or my general interests. There was also a lot of material exploring Bologna as a city as well, which helped to enrich my experience and stay. This approach helps serve whatever purpose you have in learning Italian in the first place, but it also keeps you motivated and excited to learn. And it shows Monica’s commitment to her teaching. Each lesson is carefully planned and tailored, so there’s a thoughtfulness and attentiveness which I doubt you’ll find in any other Italian learning experience. It’s also important to note that I experienced her lessons both in person and online, and I found both experiences extremely fulfilling.
On a final note, I want to say that Monica’s skill in teaching and her personal touch would have been enough for me to recommend her classes, but this is to say nothing of her good cheer and sense of humor and her genuine kindness. I leave her lessons having gained valuable Italian language skills but also a very dear friend. Thank you Monica ❤️
Nora Alawadhi – Doctor, Kuwait
An exceptional Italian language teacher
Monica is an exceptional Italian language teacher. Her organized and focused approach was instrumental in my progress. The custom learning program she created, including museum visits and in-person lessons, was highly effective. I greatly enjoyed our sessions and will continue my studies with Monica online.
I strongly recommend her services to anyone seeking to learn Italian.
David Solomita - Artist, San Francisco, California
The best Italian language course in Bologna
This is the best Italian language course available in Bologna - and really anywhere, especially for one on one lessons. If you require Italian language knowledge for your professional or academic life, look no further. Monica’s lessons are curated to the needs of the individual, and her dedication to precision is the perfect complement for Anglo-Saxon speakers. Italian grammar is extremely precise, and it is very noticeable to native speakers when one’s level of grammatical precision is off. Monica was instrumental in forcing me to understand this, and with her help, I was able to pass an Italian university entrance exam in Italian. I cannot recommend her services enough.
Lance C. - Government Employee, Bologna
Thoroughly and wholeheartedly recommended!
It has been a long time since I have done any language learning. I spent quite a lot of money and time using apps to try and learn Italian. The best decision we made was to learn Italian with Monica who is a proper Italian language tutor. Myself and my wife did joint sessions with Monica, who is a patient and engaging teacher and paced our sessions superbly as we moved through the basics. We learnt so much over a month compared to trying to use apps.
We have also been able to continue our learning as you can also work with Monica online!
I can thoroughly and wholeheartedly recommend.
Daniel Grandfield - Hotel Manager, Crieff, Scotland
A truly wonderful experience
My husband and I had over a month of Italian lessons with Monica, beginning online whilst we were still in the UK and then in person when we arrived in Bologna, and the whole experience was even better than I hoped it would be. We love Italy and visit a lot so our intention was to learn the language so that we could interact with people more and enhance our experience of living like a local.
I am a complete beginner, and Monica was patient and encouraging and had a clear intention to help me build a strong foundation of understanding the Italian language, which I really appreciated. Very quickly, I realised that using apps and online courses were no substitute for the personalised and structured approach she offered us and in the month we spent with her my ability and confidence to speak, hear and understand Italian grew way beyond what I had achieved in the 12 months trying to learn it by myself.
We had a couple of visits into Bologna to practice "for real" at a market and in shops which was both terrifying and fun and a great way to really test your own learning. Having Monica by my side was very reassuring and it helped me step out of my comfort zone which is what learning a language is all about for me.
I would highly recommend working with Monica either online or in person. She has a warm, friendly style which is beautifully combined with a focus on getting the basics right and a willingness to correct and repeat as often as needed to help you get there!
Susan Grandfield – Life Coach, Crieff, Scotland
Kudos to a wonderful teacher
As a lifelong student of Italian some 30 years out of university, much of my language skills were atrophying. And it seemed to me that there was so much still to learn.
My weekly hour on Zoom with Monica Galletti is like a tonic for the brain. A lesson follows a normal progression from a jovial engagement in conversation for a few minutes about weather, music or just how one's week is going. All the while Monica is readily assessing one's skill level; mine fluctuates week to week and I've learned that this is okay with my very patient teacher.
Like many people, I have not had time to travel these past years but my weekly "buongiorno" Zoom call goes a long way to satisfying my frustrated longing for a "soggiorno" in Italy when I will be able to speak more confidently.
It is thanks to a friend who passed along the monicagalletti.com website that I learned about this wonderful teacher Monica. One-on-one lessons live via Zoom are the greatest boost to my confidence in speaking Italian that I've had ever since a semester abroad in Venice decades ago.
Kudos to Monica, she is the best.
Christopher Page – Salisbury, Connecticut
Online lessons with Monica: easy and effective
Though unable to actually travel to Italy as usual, during Covid, the ability to converse weekly with Monica is essential for keeping up with and ever improving my fluency.
So easy with Zoom, it is like being in the same room - no nuances or cadences missed.
Monica is an infinitely patient teacher while keeping to the highest standard of spoken and written Italian.
I highly recommend for students of all levels.
Victoria D. - Lakeville, Connecticut
Highly recommended, in presence and online!
I am a third year law student at King’s College London and went on Erasmus to the University of Bologna for the academic year 2019-2020. When looking to learn Italian during my stay, I found Monica and immediately contacted her! We quickly found times that worked for the both of us, and we consistently met three times a week throughout my year in Italy.
My goals were to improve my speaking, understanding, and writing - all of which I have definitely been able to do thanks to Monica! I believe that this course has numerous strengths, including the fact that you will be learning with someone you genuinely enjoy speaking to. My progress was very much thanks to the environment that Monica created, which was non-judgemental and geared towards learning Italian through topics that genuinely interested me. I found that the grammar exercises, the speaking exercises, and listening exercises were particularly useful and I really enjoyed using audio resources to practice my speaking and listening.
Despite the arrival of Covid-19, we were able to smoothly transition my learning using online softwares such as Skype and Google Docs - which maintained the high quality of teaching.
I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is considering learning Italian! I never enjoyed learning languages until this course!
Sophie Piaget, King's College London, Erasmus student at the University of Bologna, A.Y. 2019/2020
A very rewarding learning experience in Bologna
It was a real pleasure to work with Monica. She was tolerant with me as a beginner, and yet pushed me to improve in areas of weakness, which she quickly identified.
Monica was also very responsive to my particular requests, which included learning “in context” while exploring Bologna. Monica showed me videos of owners and workers speaking, in Italian, about their venerable food establishments. After exercises targeting my comprehension of their speech, we visited these locations. I thought this was brilliant.
Other activities over the course of the week, which balanced grammatical and experiential exercises, amounted to a very rewarding experience.
Martha Yoder - College Professor, Massachusetts
Wonderfully curated lessons
I recently had the amazing opportunity to live in Bologna for a month. I've studied Italian in the past but I felt that my language skills had plateaued.
I am so glad that I decided to reach out to Monica for lessons. She's a very compassionate and attentive teacher. I had a few specific areas I was interested in covering – conditional tense, pronunciation, and idioms. She crafted brilliant lessons that covered each area I was hoping to focus on. I'm certain I will never mispronounce 'voglio' or 'Bologna' again.
Beyond the lessons, I found Monica to be a particularly friendly and encouraging person. I would recommend her as a tutor to anyone looking to learn Italian.
Danielle M. - Project Manager, Brooklyn
Real progress in an ideal learning environment
Studying with Monica gave a huge boost to my Italian and spending a week in the vibrant city of Bologna was a dream. Monica’s lessons were varied and always interesting, choosing materials on topics I’m interested in (politics and film). She helped me with my weak points – understanding Italian and improving my pronunciation – that other teachers had never even addressed. I learned more in a week of lessons with Monica than I had in months of lessons with previous teachers. And the best part was that she was always extremely friendly and encouraging – even when I made endless mistakes and pronounced words incorrectly.
Studying with Monica would be great anywhere, but the fact that she is in Bologna is an enormous plus. Bologna is a mid-size, livable city that has a wonderful atmosphere, lots of cultural attractions, and extraordinary food, while not being overwhelmed by tourists.
I’m planning my next visit.
Sandy Bayer - Consultant, New York City
De vrais progrès dans la bonne humeur
Monica est une professeure d’une extrême compétence, une linguiste chevronnée mais qui sait aussi parfaitement s’adapter au niveau et aux demandes de ses élèves.
Elle sait allier rigueur et bienveillance, permettant une progression sérieuse dans la bonne humeur.
Elle est à l’écoute des difficultés et des besoins de chacun et construit des exercices variés.
Elle sait partager son amour de la langue et de la culture italiennes sans ménager ses efforts.
Ce fut une semaine très riche et très profitable … qui donne envie de continuer à pratiquer la langue écrite et orale et de revenir à Bologne suivre un cours intensif avec Monica.
Francine W. - Professeure de Lycée, retraitée, Paris
Découvrir un art de vivre...
Monica Galletti ne vous enseigne pas l'italien. A travers Bologne, ses rues, ses arcades et ses places, elle vous fait découvrir l'histoire, la culture, la cuisine, bref l'art de vivre à l'italienne. A tel point que vous aussi, vous aurez envie de maîtriser cette langue pour vous fondre dans ce merveilleux décor.
La maîtriser dans ses moindres détails. Car Monica possède un talent particulier pour vous expliquer, à l'oral comme à l'écrit, le vrai sens des mots, un point de grammaire ardu, voire la signification profonde d'une poésie ou d'une chanson.
Pierre L. - Journaliste, Paris
A magical day in Bologna
Aaahhh Monica: what a magical day we had yesterday!...
There is no better way to experience a place than with a local. Thank you beautiful Monica for sharing your beautiful Bologna with us. It truly came to life through your eyes. And of course the gelato has now become the bench mark which all others shall be judged by 😉!
Belinda C. - Nurse, Sydney
An inspiring teaching style
I wanted to jazz up on my rudimentary proficiency skills in Italian and Monica was fantastic, as she identified very quickly my language strengths and weaknesses, building up on the former and reducing the latter. A teacher with excellent pedagogy skills, she developed an Italian language learning program that was well suited for my needs and opened up her country’s culture to me. Her teaching style was inspiring and highly interactive, always finding new appropriate ways to keep my learning progress up to high standards and make me succeed at mastering the Italian language at this level.
It was of great advantage that Monica is proficient in English to help me navigating through the challenging valleys of learning a new language. She is fun to talk to, very patient and truly goes the extra mile in sharing her language and culture with you.
Frank Helden - Parliamentary executive assistant, Wellington
A passion for language teaching
Monica and I have been pen pals and friends for almost 40 years. I know that her English is essentially at the level of a native speaker based on 100+ phone calls over the years. Since we are both in the field of language teaching, we have discussed her passion for teaching on many occasions. I don't need to see her multiple education degrees in pedagogy and languages to know that she would make a wonderful teacher since we both have a passion for using language for cultural exchange and for getting the most out of international travel. Someday, my wife and I would love to return to Bologna for an extended period and have Monica tutor us in Italian!
Douglas Crane - Masters in Education, Stanford University
Co-Founder of DynEd International, Inc., California
Serietà, professionalità e passione
La nostra famiglia ha ospitato un ragazzo pachistano arrivato in Italia all’età di 16 anni. A 18 anni, quando è entrato nel nostro nucleo familiare, la voglia di inserirsi e di capire la nostra lingua era prioritaria per poter inseguire i progetti di lavoro e di integrazione che lui aveva in testa e nel cuore. Monica è stata una risorsa per accompagnare in questo apprendimento della lingua un ragazzo con buone potenzialità ma orientato più al mondo del lavoro che allo studio. Insieme hanno iniziato un percorso di apprendimento che è risultato efficacissimo, e che soprattutto ha stimolato in lui la voglia di comprendere e di parlare con maggiore attenzione e consapevolezza. Monica, inoltre, è stata preziosa per noi, per i consigli che ci ha dato per aiutare il ragazzo sia riguardo l’apprendimento della lingua sia rispetto alla possibilità di stimolare le sue potenzialità.
Grazie Monica della tua serietà, professionalità e passione.
Flavia F. - Fisioterapista-Osteopata, Bologna
Lessons tailored to your needs
Monica is a very knowledgeable, patient and passionate teacher, professional in every way. She’ll listen carefully to what your need are as a student and tailor her lessons accordingly. Each lesson will be stimulating and interesting. You will never be bored or lost. I found my time spent with Monica to be rewarding and would highly recommend her language teaching services.
Gary Chow - Marketing consultant, Terrigal, Australia
Spiegazioni chiare, semplici e professionali
L'inglese non è mai stato il mio forte. Continuavo a portarmi avanti le mie lacune nonostante il programma scolastico procedesse. Così ho deciso di chiedere aiuto a Monica per cercare di capire una volta per tutte quei concetti e quelle regole di cui non ero affatto sicura e su cui avevo sempre dei dubbi.
Lei, attraverso spiegazioni molto chiare, semplici e professionali, è riuscita a farmi comprendere pienamente quelle nozioni.
Grazie Monica, se avrò bisogno ancora so che potrò contare sul tuo aiuto :)
Aurora T. - Studentessa liceale, Bologna
Plaisir d'enseigner, plaisir d'apprendre
Monica est une enseignante de grande valeur qui sait s'adapter au niveau de chacun. Elle connaît bien sa langue et a une méthode efficace pour enseigner l'italien car elle-même aime apprendre des langues et faire partager l'amour de la sienne Le plaisir d'apprendre avec elle est d'autant plus grand que c'est une personne intéressante et cultivée.