Italian for travelOnline from anywhere · Atlanta metro area
Italian for travel, built around your trip
A few lessons before you go, built around the places you will visit and the words you will really use. With Valentina, a native Italian, online from anywhere in the US or in person around Atlanta.
Why bother
You can get through Italy with English and pointing. The trip is a different trip when you order, ask the way and chat at the market in Italian.
Who it is for
Lessons for your trip
A few examples:
01
A first trip
Rome, Florence, Venice. You want the basics that make every day easier: greetings, ordering, tickets, directions.
02
Two of you
A honeymoon or an anniversary. You learn together as a small group and practice on each other.
03
Family roots
You are visiting the town your family came from and want to talk with the people there.
04
Slow travel
A month in Puglia or a house in Tuscany. You want to shop, chat with the neighbors and feel at home.
05
Kids on the trip
Teens and kids can learn a few phrases too, at their own level, so they get more from the trip.
06
Spain or France?
Spanish for your trip works the same way, from Madrid to Mexico City. French too, for beginners.
What you learn
The Italian you will really use
- Greetings and small talk
- Ordering at the bar, the trattoria and the market
- Trains, buses and tickets
- Asking the way, and understanding the answer
- Shops, pharmacies and hotels
- The small polite phrases that make Italians smile
Everything is planned around your itinerary. If you are going to Naples and the Amalfi Coast, we use those places in the lessons: the ferry, the pizzeria, the lemon stand by the road.
You talk from the first lesson, so by the time you fly you have already said these things out loud.
How it works
Tell me your dates, and we plan back from there
On the free 15-minute call you tell me where you are going, when you leave and where you are starting from. We count back from your departure and agree how many lessons fit.
Lessons are online, on video, so they work from anywhere in the US. If you live in the Atlanta metro area, we can also meet in person. Traveling as a couple or with friends? You can learn together as a small group.
I suggest two hours a week, so a few weeks before the trip is a good time to start. If your flight is sooner, tell me and we make the most of the time you have.
Trips to Italy
Going to Italy? I can plan it with you
Besides the lessons, I put together trips to Italy around what you want to see, taste and do. Write to me, or ask on the free call.
Before you fly
Tell me where you are going. I build the lessons around it.
The words you learn are the words you will need on the way.
- To order dinner in Rome without switching to English.
- To buy the train ticket to Florence yourself.
- To chat with the owner of your B&B in Puglia.
- To ask the way in Venice and understand the answer.
- To talk with your cousins in the town your family came from.
In their words
Valentina is a wonderful teacher. She is very organized, well prepared, and specifically tailors the lessons to my learning goals. She challenges me while being very supportive and encouraging. I really enjoy my lessons with Valentina, and I highly recommend her.
PatriciaItalian student, 62
The students absolutely loved the class and had such a great time learning with you. We really appreciated your energy, flexibility, and the way you engaged them throughout the lesson.
Dr. Aleli VazquezDean of Faculty, Ron Clark Academy
Valentina Songia is a very effective teacher. She’s patient and supportive. I feel confident practicing my español by ordering in restaurants and greeting others. She meets us where we are in our progress and doesn’t judge. I look forward to our class each week.
FeliciaSpanish student
Valentina explains how to use the language in context and helps us understand the topic. When we do not understand something, she is patient and breaks down the material. I have really enjoyed learning from her.
StellaItalian student
I’ve really enjoyed taking in-person Italian lessons with Valentina Songia, who is an excellent teacher and incredibly patient. My goal is to become more confident speaking Italian and more comfortable interacting with locals when traveling in Italy, and Valentina has made learning both enjoyable and rewarding. I strongly believe that personalized, face-to-face instruction is far more effective than language apps or online courses, and I highly recommend Valentina to anyone interested in learning Italian.
BillItalian student, 56
Her enthusiasm has delighted our students and made her a pleasure to work with. With no hesitation, we recommend Valentina as a language instructor.
Catherine GellerListen & Learn New York
Questions about travel lessons
Good to know
I leave in three weeks. Is it too late?
No. Even a few lessons give you the phrases you will use every day. Tell me your date and I plan around it.
Do I need to live in Atlanta?
No. Travel lessons work online, on video, from anywhere in the US. In the Atlanta metro area we can also meet in person.
Can my partner and I learn together?
Yes. Couples, friends and families can learn as a small group and practice on each other.
How many lessons do I need?
It depends on your date and on where you start. On the free call we count back from your departure and agree a plan that fits.
Do you also help plan the trip itself?
Yes. Besides the lessons, I put together trips to Italy around what you want to see, taste and do. Ask on the free call, or write to me.
Can I learn Spanish for my trip?
Yes. Spanish travel lessons work the same way, built around your dates and your route, whether you are going to Spain or Latin America.
Can I learn French for a trip to France?
Yes. French is for beginners, and we build the lessons around your trip the same way.
How much do travel lessons cost?
There is no price list here because no two plans are the same: how many lessons, one-on-one or a group, in person or online. After the free call you get your price in writing, and you decide then.
Free · 15 minutes · no obligation
Start with a free 15-minute call
Tell me why you want to learn. By the end of the call you know your level, the format that fits your week and what the first month looks like. Then you decide.
One teacher means a limited number of students. If my week is full, I’ll tell you when the next place opens.