Enjoy Italian life and language living with your teacher near Cinque Terre.

“If you want to fine-tune your Italian, live like a local and discover things you never knew, look no further .” (Katherine P. former homestay student ).

My homestay programme will offer you a full immersion experience in every aspect of Italian culture and language. For one week you will live with me; I will guide you to visit characteristic and unique places such as Cinque Terre and Golfo dei Poeti, Sarzana and its mysterious Lunigiana region, the stunning marbles quarries of Carrara,  and you will discover them as only locals are able to do. Also you will taste typical local wines and dishes having dinner with my friends who are always happy to meet people all over the world.

Something about my courses

My courses are especially tailored to each unique student, with respect to their interests, their age, their learning styles and according to their goals. In every moment the aim is to feel good because no one can learn if they are stressed!

This is why I offer a mixture of traditional language courses and  “Learning by Doing”, or experience activities,  that means you will learn by:

• discovering the traditional fishermen’s villages of the Cinque Terre and the Golfo dei Poeti;

• discovering the history of some neighbouring Sarzana’s medieval villages, such as Pontremoli or Fosdinovo;

• making focaccia and cooking pasta al pesto, torta d’erbi or other typical dishes;

• visiting Michelangelo’s marble quarries in Carrara;

• walking like pilgrims used to do along the ancient Via Francigena;

• reading the daily newspaper while having a “cappuccino e brioche” in a café;

• doing shopping at the local street market ;

. ..and finally chatting with people savouring Italy the Italian way!

Something about me

I am an Italian language teacher who has specialized for the past thirty three years in teaching French and Italian; I am specialized in adult/senior teaching and I work with all level of students from Absolute Beginner to Advanced.

Something about Sarzana

Sarzana is a beautiful medieval city set between the mountains and the sea, close to the Alpi Apuane and just a few steps away from the Cinque Terre.Thanks to its unique location, Sarzana offers many things to visitors: from long walks through natural parks of Montemarcello or Cinque Terre, to the visit of the Roman archeological sites of Luni or the medieval castles in Lunigiana; from unique villages nestled along the Ligurian coast to the charming Versilia’s beaches in Tuscany. Throughout the year Sarzana also hosts several artistic and cultural events, including: “La Soffitta nella Strada”, “La Calandriniana,” il “Festival della Mente,” i “Libri per la Strada”, “Atri fioriti” and “Sarzana Opera festival”. From Sarzana you can easily reach Pisa, Lucca, Florence and Genova.

Students say

I awoke each morning to the faint sound of the computer printer, and I knew that Sira was
preparing my custom lesson, incorporating our activities and my language experiences from
the day before. She understood what I needed to become more confident about speaking and
even thinking in Italian. What had been a struggle to overcome problems turned into a
journey of discovery. Since I had already visited the famous and spectacular areas of Cinque
Terre and the Bay of Poets, Sira chose a castle with pre-Christian, little-known statues, a
working marble mine in a cave, a beach and a canal, places that define the character of
Lunigiana, the ancient civilization at the border of Liguria and Tuscany. I learned how events
in Europe, pilgrimages and politics, have shaped the region. I shared the rhythm of Sira's daily
life, laughing with her friends, loving her cats, shopping in the charming pedonale of Sarzana,
and absorbing the spectacular view of the mountains from her terrace. Finally, there is the
wisdom of Sira as a teacher. She knew when to revert to English, when to explain grammar,
when to ignore mistakes, and when to pause for an in depth explanation of a nuance. I left
with resources like a slow talking Italian news channel and a long term assignment: to learn
to sing an old Italian popular tune that would clear my head of rules and anxieties and free up
my inner Italian self. I have visited Italy as a tourist many times, but my week with Sira was
the first time I understood where I was. Truly a magical experience!
(Nancy K. T., North Carolina, May 2023)

You can have further information, pictures of the area and testimonials at : https://www.homestayitaliancourses.com