Paola Tutor Interview

Q. Hi Paola, please introduce yourself!: A. Hi! I’m 28 years old and I’m an Italian with a little bit of Japan in my heart! I work with languages – both teaching and translating, and it feels amazing! I’m trilingual at the moment (Italian, English and Japanese) but I’m trying to learn Spanish in my spare time, which is very important to me, since it’s my mother’s native language. If I had to describe my personality I’d say I’m a shy introvert nerdy girl, but the truth is that I love interacting with people and exchanging ideas so don’t take it literally! Also, I’m a cat person.
Q. Please tell us something about Tuscany.: A. Oh, Tuscany, do I love it here! I was born somewhere in Calabria, in the very south of Italy, convinced that there was nothing that region could offer both culturally and socially (I was half wrong) so, when I got to move here in Tuscany, it felt like the American Dream – maybe we should call it the “Tuscan Dream”?  By the way, what’s so good about Tuscany? Well, first of all, it’s the region of the well-known and beautiful Firenze, Pisa and Siena, but also of the underrated Lucca, Pistoia and all those amazing small towns in the countryside of Maremma and Senese. I actually live in Livorno, by the sea, but I get to be anywhere in Tuscany in 1-2 hours tops (and find any possible landscape: sea, mountains, countryside, hot springs, historical sites, and so on), and that’s why I have so many day-trips here and there that my knowledge of this area is comparable to that of a tour guide! And that’s because I’m very fond of this place, so I strongly recommend anyone to visit it at least once!
Q. I learned from your profile that you stayed in Japan. How was your experience?: A. It was an amazing experience and it was also crucial for my career and my life in general. I graduated in Asian languages so I knew I had to go study in Japan to master the language and fully grasp its culture if I wanted this passion to become my job one day, so I packed up my bags and left. Best choice of my life! It wasn’t much of a culture shock, because I had already been there before and I knew what was coming. However, this didn’t make it any boring! I really had a wonderful time there and there’s not a single day that I don’t miss combinis, izakayas, hanami, momiji and that astonishingly perfect transport system (trust me, it’s like a dream for an Italian to always arrive on time by train). Not to mention Japan also taught me a lot of precious lessons about life and work. I believe it has so much potential as a country and it should be an example for us Italians on so many levels (how to manage time and how to work diligently)! That’s why I’m really looking forward to travel there many other times in my lifetime. I already visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Kobe (and many other places in the area), so next time I would love to travel to Hokkaido, Fukuoka or even Okinawa.
Q. How do you spend your days off? Is there anything you’ve gotten into lately?: A. As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy travelling around to explore nature and discover new beautiful places (there’s plenty of those here!). But I can’t do much hiking or any other outdoor activity in winter, can I? So, since I’m extremely sensitive to the cold and of course I love staying warm and cozy, I had to come up with something different to spend my free time. I’ve always loved videogames, so after I recently bought a new computer, I started playing all those videogames I missed when I had less free time and a very poor video card. I mostly play FPSs, not really ladylike but so thrilling! I also love cooking – I like trying new or exotic ingredients and challenge myself by making dishes that are both delicious and healthy! I also watch an extremely huge amount of American and European TV series, but I guess this doesn’t make me an honorable human being…
Q. Please tell us about the main feature of your lessons.: A. What makes a lesson MY lesson, is the fact that I give all my students, regardless their level, the opportunity to get in touch with the real Italian, by picking up texts somewhere on the internet or writing them myself, and still make sure they will find all the answers to all their questions, that they have a funny and effective lesson, and that they feel curious to know what’s coming next. Even when I use a pre-existing textbook – sometimes it’s better for a student to follow a certain path according to their goals – I never just use that book. I always feel the urge to add something more, which could be a recap table or another text to reinforce the grammar or additional content based on the students’ interests, and so on. I believe that putting some or all of myself – and of course of the student – into each lesson, not only makes me feel more confident about the clarity and the efficacy of my lesson, but can also create a special relationship with the student, that will hopefully grow passionate about my unique lessons and my teaching style and everyone knows that passion is what triggers us most into reaching our goals (in this case learning Italian).
Q. What are you most careful of when you teach your students?: A. Above all, the most important thing to me is that they have fun. Studying, especially in the adult age, is something that requires focus and effort and it’s hard to see that as something pleasant and funny. Studying a language is even more challenging to the point some students end up getting bored and eventually give up. That’s why the only way to make sure a student makes the required effort continuously is to motivate them with interesting contents and a good laugh once in a while. This isn’t something that requires specific skills, any tutor can be fun! Actually, any tutor should be fun! When I see my students smile I feel like I’ve accomplished even more than when they say “Ho capito” (I understood). Because they can be bored and still understand, but years of experience taught me that if they are amused they will certainly understand more easily, because their desire to understand is fed by their amusement. Now you know how happy I am to see that the tag “fun” is the most picked in my feedback!
Q. Finally, would you like to leave a message for our students.: A. Yes. Italy is a beautiful country. It’s not news to anybody, but its history, its art, its multiple cultures make it unique and wonderful, and despite its problematic politics and economics, it deserves to be seen, to be talked about, to be studied and to be known. And of course to be appreciated. I honestly believe that whatever the reason you are interested in Italy (may it be soccer, food, wine or opera), if you really want to grasp its essence, you should also embrace its beautiful language, Italian, which is as full of history and beauty as it is Italy itself. This is something I believe is true for every country: learn the language, learn the culture.  Also, one more thing. Once you’ve decided you want to learn Italian, please do not undervalue the importance of a tutor! I know it seems so easy and cheap to learn by yourself with all those tools available online, but you will never be able to reach a certain level without practicing and consulting with a teacher. Languages are made to communicate, and you won’t be able to communicate if you’re all by yourself. I experienced this myself with Japanese, so I assure you it’s true. And too many times I gave free talk lessons to self-taught students, only to find so many voids no actual teacher had the chance to fill! So please, know your limits and give me that chance and I will gladly do my best to help you reach your language goals!