My favourite teacher was the Italian Literature and History teacher I had when I was attending my High School in Italy.

Her name was Giovanna, and when I first met her she was in her late thirties. Despite looking fragile she had a strong personality; nevertheless, she was also emotional and warm-hearted, and she had a true passion for her job.

I loved her way of teaching. She was deeply interested in current affairs and she suggested that we read newspapers on a regular basis. Therefore, she taught us how to write our essays using a modern and concise style, like journalists do. Her tips are still useful to me, and I must admit that they are helping me learn English too.

I can say without a doubt that she made me fall in love with the Italian language. Thanks to her, I understood that it is a living subject, and I discovered its essence and its soul. Her way of teaching was catching and I never got bored. Not only did she teach me Italian, but she also helped me grow and improve. She definitely succeeded in making me turn from teenager to adult.

With my teacher I learnt how beautiful poetry and literature are, but I also realised that every language needs to be built on strong grammar foundations. If students understand the importance of grammar, they will never find it boring. In fact, they will be able to express their thoughts in the best way and with the most appropriate structures. And they will be able to enjoy grammar instead of being annoyed by it!

I have always been fond of my language, and reading as well as writing have been two of my favourite hobbies. But this was not enough. I wanted teaching Italian to become my core activity, my daily work, my passion turned into a permanent job.

My best accomplishment will be making my students love Italian the way my teacher made me love it!