Giovanna graduated at the Università di Roma La Sapienza in History of Literary Critics and later completed a graduate level training course in text theory and education. She taught grade school Italian, History and Geography in Rome for five years before focusing her teaching of Italian as a foreign language. After moving to Paris, France, where she lived for nine years, she taught Italian language at several universities. During her time in Paris, Giovanna also co-authored a textbook on teaching methods for Italian as second language and translated and revised texts for various publishers such as: La Scuola, Giunti, Larousse and CNED. In 2006 Giovanna spent a year teaching Italian at the University of Iowa. Forever fond of teaching and mentoring students, Giovanna continues this passion while also operating her own interior design business, Gio Style Design, LLC.

Alessia started teaching Italian to foreigners in the early 90's, working for the AFSAI (Associazione per la Formazione, gli Scambi e le Attività Interculturali), an association that promotes and supports short and long-term exchanges throughout the world.

She has served as director of the Sardinian branch of the association and oversaw the long-term exchange program for students staying in Italy for one year. She also organized and managed several short-term exchange programs throughout Europe financed by the European Community (mainly through the Youth for Europe program).

After graduating from the University of Cagliari, in Sardinia, Italy, with a Master degree in Language Teaching Methodology and Linguistics, she won a scholarship to study at the Scuola di Specializzazione in Didattica della Lingua Italiana a Stranieri (School for the Teaching of Italian as a Second Language) at the Università per Stranieri di Siena. Her studies focused on the methodology of teaching Italian

Massimiliano L. Delfino (Ph.D., Columbia University) has taught Italian language and culture at UNC-Chapel Hill, Columbia University, Ca’ Foscari in Venice, and Northwestern University, where he received the ASG Faculty Honor Roll award (2021–22). He previously earned the Chancellor’s Excellence in Teaching Award at UNC (2013) and was a finalist for Columbia’s Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching (2018). His pedagogical work centers on intermediality and Intercultural Communicative Competence, and in 2024 he published an article on stereotypes and ICC development (SLRP).

As a researcher, he specializes in post–World War II Italian political cinema and literature, with a focus on the relationship between aesthetics and politics. He is completing a book on representations of terrorism in 1970s Italian film and fiction and their connection to the concept of “civility.” His recent article on polizieschi and random violence appeared in The Italianist (2023). Other

Paola graduated from the Università Cattolica di Roma in 2004 with a degree in Dentistry. While practicing Dentistry she also worked as a translator, focusing mostly on articles published in medical journals. Her passion for the Italian culture inspired her to change careers, so she earned a DITALS certificate from the Università per gli stranieri in Siena, for teaching Italian as a foreign language. In Rome, Paola taught at the Leonardo da Vinci school. She also worked for Thomas More College, where she taught American students who were studying abroad.  Born and raised in Rome, Paola has a profound appreciation for classical history and literature and loves to share her passion for all things Italian.  Paola enjoyes spending her leisure time traveling and exploring new cultures through dance. 

Massimo was born and raised in La Spezia, Italy. He graduated in Literature with a major in Classics from the University of Florence. He taught Italian literature and History in Treviglio, a small town near Bergamo. In 2003 Massimiliano moved to Chicago and continued his teaching career as an Italian and Latin teacher in Chicago Public Schools and in Lake Forest. Whilst teaching full-time, he earned a Master's in Clinical Psychology at Roosevelt University and a Master's in Education at National Louis University. He is currently a full-time student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology as well as a language instructor here at ItalCultura.

Elena graduated from the University of Rome with a MA in Architecture and continued working and studying in related fields such as stage-and costume design as well as earning advanced language degrees in French and German which she also teaches. Culture is important in her instructional method as she considers language learning to be the main tool to understand foreign mentalities and world views. Therefore, her teaching experience completes the technical component of the language with cultural information and projects ranging from art to fashion to music. She has coordinated events that include presentations of the Commedia dell’ Arte and Italian cinema as wells as approach to Italian opera. Elena has taught in various Chicago universities, taught and worked at the Italian Consulate and Language school in the past and she is currently taking a course in Linguistics focusing of teaching foreign languages to students with dyslexia.

Silvia was born in Tuscany and has a degree in Foreign Languages and Literature, at the University of Pisa.  After that, she took a two year Forth Level Postgraduate Course in French Language in Paris. Then a one year Postgraduate Course in Teaching of Italian as a Foreign Language. She has been official Translator and Interpreter for Business Negotiations and Documents, for Multinational Chemical Company (based in France, Belgium and Italy).  She has been teaching Italian as a second language in "Dante Alighieri School", in Livorno.  She has been the Coordinator for the Teaching of Italian L2 at the School of Italian Language "Italiamo" at "British School" in Pisa and she was in charge of the training of teachers at the same school. After traveling in different countries, mainly France and Spain, she moved to Chicago in 2007.

Matteo holds a degree in Communication Sciences and has specialized in German language, literature, and society at the University of Erfurt. He has earned certifications in German from the Deutsche Institut and in Slovenian from the Filozofska Fakulteta in Ljubljana. Matteo began his career teaching Italian to foreigners in various private language schools in Ljubljana in the late 1990s. His teaching expertise is further enhanced by his certification as an Italian language mentor from Berlitz, which has taken him to Ljubljana, Milan, and New York City.

From 2000 to 2008, Matteo played a pivotal role in organizing Italian language courses at the Italian Cultural Institute in Ljubljana while serving as an official translator for the Slovenian government, translating from Slovenian to Italian. He currently teaches Italian at the Jezikovni center of the DOBA Private University in Maribor, offering online courses, and in-person at the LUNG (University of Nova Gorica).

In addition to his

Simona holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the Università Cattolica di Milano. Always passionate about books, she was delighted to find a job at the publishing house of the Slow Food international movement, where she worked as an editor and proofreader for 18 years. Although she didn't teach it, she was constantly engaged with the Italian language, editing and rewriting texts, articles, books’ chapters. The experience of coordinating the work of Italian and foreign authors, translators, illustrators, and photographers motivated her to study and practice foreign languages as much as possible.

In 2012, her life took a significant turn when she moved to Mexico with her family, an experience she wrote about on her blog Mevoy. After Mexico, Simona moved to Luxembourg, where she lived for six years and truly enjoyed the multicultural environment. In August 2021, she and her family relocated to Chicago. Her multilingual journey has made her keenly aware of the challenges of

Giovanni was born and raised in Italy and is a dedicated language educator with extensive experience teaching Italian and Spanish at various levels. His teaching emphasizes communication, cultural immersion, and student engagement. He specializes in teaching Italian to speakers of other Romance languages and strongly values multilingual backgrounds; students who speak additional foreign languages are warmly encouraged to bring their linguistic knowledge into the classroom. Giovanni believes that language learning goes beyond grammar: it is fundamentally about connecting with people and cultures. His approach fosters confidence in speaking and comprehension through real-world practice.

During the summer, Giovanni teaches at the Scuola Italiana of Middlebury College’s Language Schools, where he also helps organize cultural events. He is the Founder and Co-Director of WorldLangAmerica, a non-profit organization that connects high school and university students across the U.S., Canada,

Maria Luisa, a native of Ferrara, Emilia Romagna, Italy, discovered her passion for literature and languages while attending a humanistic high school in her hometown studying ancient Greek and Latin. She furthered her education at Ca’Foscari University of Venice, earning a Bachelor's degree in Arts Management. Continuing her academic journey, she pursued a Master of Science at Bocconi Business School in Milan, specializing in the Management of Arts, Culture, Media, and Entertainment.
Having honed her skills in marketing and communication with renowned international brands such as Luxottica, Ferrari, and Michael Kors, Maria Luisa embarked on a new chapter in 2023 when she relocated with her family to Chicago. Driven by her deep appreciation for Italian culture and a desire to serve as an ambassador abroad, she found her calling in teaching Italian as a foreign language in the United States. Maria Luisa brings a wealth of cultural insight and professional experience to her role, making

Marta returns to us after 15 years of enriching her professional expertise in the field of music and the arts. Raised in Venice, Marta attended the Music Conservatory and the University of Venice with a diploma in piano and a degree in Literature and the Arts. She then continued her doctoral education in Musicology at the University of Chicago. A scholar of opera, she is the Chicago correspondent for L'Opera, a Milan-based magazine, and contributor to Experience CSO, part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's online network. For the past twelve years, she served as the acquisition's editor for Music at the University of Chicago Press, where she also managed the critical edition of the works of Giuseppe Verdi.
An experienced and enthusiastic teacher, Marta has taught Italian language and culture in numerous institutions including DePaul University, the University of Chicago, and ItalCultura. She brings her passion for music, literature and the arts to her classes and offers her students a

Claudia earned her degree in Comparative Language at the University of Milan, focusing on English and Russian literature. During her university years she travelled across Russia, England, Ireland, and the USA, doing research on different aspects of Modernism. After moving to Chicago she took a Master's degree in English Literature at DePaul University. She wrote her thesis on Virginia Woolf's shorter fiction and its relation to British philosophy. Claudia enjoys working as a translator and interpreter, and as an independent researcher on different themes of Italian and English literature for different Chicago cultural institutions. Teaching is an essential part of her life as she is also a certified yoga instructor. Claudia taught Italian at DePaul University and Columbia College.

ItalCultura is the official language school at the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago. We take pride in our native speaking instructors who help our students prepare to obtain their official language certification.