Hello everyone!
My name is Alice and I was born and raised in Milan, in Italy, but lived in Venice for two years in order to attend university. I have a Bachelor’s degree in English and Japanese Studies and a Master's degree in Japanese Studies, and I wrote my Bachelor's thesis on "Modern Japanese Literature in Studio Ghibli Movies" and my Master's thesis on "The concepts of purity and pollution in Medieval Japanese religions (Shinto and Buddhism)". I am knowledgeable about Japanese culture, literature, history, art, religious landscape, cultural studies and so on, as well as the English language, literature, history and ESL teaching practices.
My mother tongue is Italian, and I can also speak English (C2), Japanese (JLPT N3, currently studying for JLPT N2), Spanish (B2) and French (B1). Additionally, I attended a Mandarin Chinese course with a Chinese university, and know a few words of Korean and Thai. I am certified to teach English and Japanese in Italian secondary schools, having obtained my teaching license by participating in the Italian Teacher Training program "Percorso 24 CFU" and passing its exams.
During my high school days I spent a period of time studying in a French school in Nice while living with a French host family. In the summer of 2019 I lived in Kyoto for a period of time, then moved to Oita prefecture to engage in volunteer activities and after that I solo-travelled throughout Japan. I miss it very much, and I hope I'll be able to visit it again one day! Sometimes I feel like I left a part of my heart in Japan.
Apart from this, in 2024 I took part in several volunteering projects in France (a couple of days), Germany (a month), Belgium (two weeks) and Croatia (twenty days).
(Kyoto and Hita, Japan)
I have been learning English for twenty-four years and was awarded a C2 certificate in both 2021 and 2024. I am an English tutor with eight years of experience, and I have participated in several projects, mostly volunteer activities with Japanese organisations (such as NICE Japan and Ashinaga), in which I taught Japanese kids, teenagers and young adults (aged 6-23) English, both in person in Japan and online. Of course, I have worked as an English and Italian tutor for Italian kids and teenagers, too. From correcting reports and giving feedback to preparing PowerPoints presentations and making vocabulary flashcards: my objective has been, and still is, to create a friendly and positive environment in which my students can feel as comfortable as possible, and improve their writing, speaking, listening and reading skills in an engaging way!
(Milan and Venice, Italy)
As for my hobbies, I like reading books and manga/manhwa/manhua, watching anime and TV series, especially Asian dramas, playing video games, listening to music baking, gardening, going to museums, visiting cafés and travelling. What are your interests? Do we have something in common? Feel free to tell my during our lessons!
Having been a language student myself, I understand what it means to learn a foreign language. If you're struggling in English and/or Italian and using those languages makes you anxious (especially the speaking part!), you don't have to worry: it's totally normal. During my studies, I had a teacher who said to me "studying a language is not difficult, but it takes time". On reflection, I thought this was very true. Everyone has different rhythms and needs, and this is why we often tend to compare ourselves to others and feel that we are lagging behind them. I would like to say that there is no one "more" behind or ahead, there are just different people and that's fine. Language learning takes time, and we're here to improve little by little! After all, In Italy we have a saying that goes "nessuno nasce imparato" ("nobody is born knowing everything").
I want to note that I send detailed reports after each lesson. Also, even if I don't normally do it, I'm always willing to record our classes (both video and audio, or just the audio) and share them with you later if it helps you in your studies. I believe it is especially useful for pronunciation and "write a diary" lesson types. So, if you'd like me to record our lesson let me know via message, and please specify what kind of recording you prefer (of course, I will never record our lessons without your permission).
I'm sure it will be a wonderful experience. I'll gladly lend you a hand in your studies, so do not hesitate do contact me!
Let's do our best together!
Alice P.
***iNaka