Immerse yourself in the beauty of language and culture, live with your teacher, and feel at home.

1. Strengths of my program

1. Unique and personalized approach to language learning. Every student is different from the others, and so is each course I create.
2. Full immersion in the language, culture and the Italian way of life.
3. Hands-on experience with the language through authentic activities.
4. Rapid progress in language skills within just one week.
5. Opportunity to get to know my friends and to live in a family-friendly, welcoming, and safe environment.
And last but not least : the irreplaceable support of my two cats :)

2. Daily activities

Our days start with a personalized lesson focused on the language difficulties that my student encountered the previous day.

 The lesson is followed  by our scheduled Learning by Doing activities.

For instance, we may go shopping at the nearby open-air market, cook local recipes, or even taste some local wines as the white wine of Cinque Terre or the Vermentino of the Colli di Luni.

Throughout the day, I am your dedicated language coach, attentively listening to you, picking up on nuances, providing corrections without judgment, and seamlessly integrating language lessons into our conversations.

3. Lesson Preparation

Every  day, late in the afternoon and before dinner, I I prepare the lessons for the next day, taking into account what I have observed throughout the day and adapting the content to the personality of my student as needed.

4. Cultural and naturalistic excursions

Together, we could explore the charming medieval streets, churches, and castles of Sarzana. We could enjoy walking along the beach of the Gulf of Poets, where Mary and Percy Shelley spent their last holidays, or discovering the ancient unknown villages of Lunigiana. And much more.

Something about me

I am an Italian language teacher who has specialized for the past thirty three years in teaching foreign languages; I am specialized in adult/senior Italian teaching at  at the High Training School in Language Teaching of the  Ca' Foscari University.

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 and the prehistorical statues of Lunigiana.

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 (https://www.homestayitaliancourses.com/students-reviews/)

"From the warm greeting at the station to the cup of espresso before departure, staying with Sira is like being invited into the home of a good friend. Sira is a warm, open person and perceptive teacher. You join her life as she lives it so that the learning becomes integrated with daily activities. The immersive experience begins immediately at a pace designed to ensure sufficient comprehension, adjusted over time according to capability.  The day begins with a lesson determined by Sira’s assessment of the prior day’s conversations. Each is tailored to identified needs and to expansion of capabilities. Visits to small, colorful villages and sites of interest, dining with friends, discussion of everyday topics and of the world, all seem natural and quotidian, but serve the larger purpose of encouraging the student to become more familiar with understanding and using the Italian language. Sira is responsive to those capabilities the student identifies as wanting to develop and will construct a lesson plan tailored to help them achieve their goals. Sira did all of these things for me during my week with her, and celebrated my small successes with me. On a free afternoon, I had a cup of coffee at a bar in Sarzana and challenged myself to engage in conversation with the regulars who surely are there every day. When I later recounted the conversations to Sira, she was thrilled for me. Sira treats you as a friend from the first moment; you surely leave as one. "

(Gary W.-giugno 2024- San Francisco)

"My week with Sira was simply wonderful!  She welcomed me into her home with open arms.  I felt comfortable with her instantly.  She worked very hard every day to offer the best options for me depending on interest, preference and weather.  Every morning she prepared a new Italian lesson for me.  She met me at my level and I never felt judged, only supported.  I feel like my Italian improved with her guidance!  Sira is also an amazing tour guide.  I learned so much from her about her region. She is passionate about her work and Italy.  I was also fortunate to meet three of her lovely friends, two of whom welcomed me into their home for a delicious meal.  Every day was a treat!  After my week with Sira I visited Bologna and Venice. She did not have to do this, but she prepared a list of places for me to visit while I was there. Thank you, my friend!  You go above and beyond! A la prossima"

(Caroline D. – marzo 2024- Ottawa)

"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)