DANIELE GORI MARIOTTINI
After obtaining a master's degree from Ca' Foscari University, he went on to complete a series of specialized master's programs and courses focusing on teaching Italian as a foreign language.
Currently, he is completing a Specialization School in Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language with a focus on language testing.
Throughout his educational journey, Dr. Mariottini has acquired significant international certifications, including the CPE, HSK 6, and TELC, demonstrating advanced proficiency in multiple languages. Additionally, he participated in numerous didactic and linguistic training courses, continuously updating his skills.
His professional career has primarily centred around teaching Italian abroad. He previosly worked with institutes and universities in China (Liaoning University, North Polytechnic University of Beijing, Dalian School of Foreign Languages), in the United States (University of New York), and in Italy (University for Foreigners of Siena, University of Genoa), holding roles as a teacher and lecturer of Italian language and culture.
He has experience teaching students at various proficiency levels, from beginners to advanced, and have developed specialized skills in teaching specific subjects related to didactics for Chinese students partaking the Marco Polo Turandot program, and designing resources for literature , design, and Italian art courses specific to foreigners students. Additionally, he serve as an official examiner for Italian language certifications such as CILS, CELI, and PLIDA.
Beyond teaching, he is involved in designing training projects with both public and private companies.
NICOLETTA CHIAPEDI
Nicoletta Chiapedi graduated in Modern Languages from the University of Pavia in 2002 with a thesis in Sociolinguistics. From 2002 to May 2004 she attended the Master’s in Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language at the University for Foreigners in Perugia, obtaining the diploma (30/30 cum laude) in 2004. In February 2008 she obtained a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Perugia with a thesis on the acquisition of Italian articles by native speakers of Chinese. She has a long experience teaching Italian as a second language: she has taught at the University of Pavia, at the University for Foreigners in Perugia, at the University of Bologna and at the University of Genoa. At the University of Pavia she has been teaching Italian to the students of the Marco Polo Programme since march 2011 and to Foundation Year since 2018.
FRANCESCA RIVA
Due to my passion for Asian cultures, I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Communication at the University of Milano-Bicocca (2017) with a focus on Asian languages and cultures. Immediately after, I started working as a volunteer teacher of Italian as a second language in charity associations. I found my passion in teaching, and because of that I decided to further specialise in this field by getting first the DITALS II (2018) certificate and then a master’s degree in Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language at the University for Foreigners of Siena (2021).
During my many years of experience as a teacher of Italian to foreigners, I have had the opportunity to teach in different environments such as private schools, associations and companies, which allowed me to get in touch with different realities and types of students – both online and offline. Currently, I am teaching Italian as a second language at the University of Pavia, in their courses to students of the Foundation Year and Marco Polo/Turandot programmes.
GABRIELLA SCAVONE
She graduated in Philosophy from the University of Milan and later began a specialization in teaching Italian as a Second Language at the University for Foreigners of Bergamo. She obtained the CEDILS Certification for teaching Italian as a second language at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. Since 2003 she has taught Italian as a second language at the European Institute of Design (IED), the University of Milan Bicocca, and the Humanitas University International Medical School. She has also collaborated for many years with the Foundation of Civic Schools of Milan, consulates and international companies. Since 2018 she has been involved in intercultural education and multilingualism in secondary schools and is responsible for didactic projects for linguistic literacy at a Welcome and Integration Structure. She is currently a teacher in the Foundation Year program at the University of Pavia.
MARIA FRANCESCA SACCO
Graduated at the University of Siena in Art History she continues her studies diving into the dramaturgy and theatral critic at the University of Pisa, where she collaborates with some magazines.She starts teaching Italian for foreigners in Poland,where she works for seven years in a private university and five in a high school. Her studies includes the certification CEDILS and DITALS II as well as the School of Specialization in Teaching Italian as a foreign language, University of Siena in 2020.She’s a CILS test giver and also works in different environment: the University of Philology of Valencia, the University Federico II of Naples ,Dante Alighieri Society of Siena, in a project about teaching Italian through the language of wine.
DEBORA BELLINZANI
Is a teacher of Italian language and literature, as well as a professional journalist. During the 2023-24 academic year she taught Italian language at the University of Venice Ca’ Foscari (Marco Polo and Turandot Programs) and the University of Padua. Formerly, she taught Italian language, literature and culture at several institutions in Italy and abroad: she was Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa, Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she had teaching experiences at the universities of Milan and Copenhagen, and was a teacher in private schools for adult learners. She obtained a PhD in Italian (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Master’s degrees in Italian Literature (Middlebury College) and in Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language (Università degli Studi di Milano), and a laurea in Sociology (Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza). Her research interests in the second language acquisition field include cooperative writing, the learning in motion technique and the use of literary texts in foreign language teaching; her research interests in the literary field include novels and short stories by Giovanni Verga, Luigi Capuana, Federico De Roberto and Luigi Pirandello. Her research has produced articles (Italiano LinguaDue, Quaderni CIS Franco Cesati Editore, Atti del Centro Nazionale di Studi Pirandelliani) and invited speeches at the annual conferences of the Centro Nazionale di Studi Pirandelliani.
GIULIA PERRELLA
Graduated from the University of Pisa with a master's degree in Italian Studies with a critical-literary focus in 2021.
She started working as an Italian Language and Literature and Language Acquisition teacher at the International School of Monza, then she decided to further specialize by obtaining the CEDILS Certification for teaching Italian as a second language at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice. She had the opportunity to deal with different training orientations, from the International Baccalaureate to the traditional Italian state school, to the Montessori method. Her contact with students from different backgrounds has been translated into the desire to deepen language teaching for non-Italian speakers and the achievement of second-level master’s certification at the University for Foreigners of Perugia in teaching Italian as a non-native language (2024).
She is an oral examiner for the Italian language certification CELI.
MARIA POLLUTRI
After a bachelor’s degree in Chinese language and culture from Sapienza University, she decided to dedicate herself to the study of teaching Italian to foreigners. In 2013 she got Ditals certification, the theoretical and practical qualification in the field of Teaching Italian to Foreigners.
In 2017 she obtained a master’s degree in Languages and Cultures for International Communication and Cooperation at the University of Milan. In 2021 she completed a master's in Didactics of Chinese language at the University of Naples “L’Orientale”.
She has been teaching Italian as a second language since 2013. During her years of experience as a teacher she has been teaching to students from all over the world, both in private schools and universities (University of Milan, University of Pavia), online and in-person classes.She has also been teaching in the Marco Polo / Turandot program since 2015.
In 2020 she became an official examiner for the CELI Italian language certification.
ARIANNA CARUSO
After graduating in Philosophy from the University of Catania, she continued her studies at the University for Foreigners of Siena, specializing in Teaching Italian as a Second Language. She obtained the Ditals Master and later the Master in Editorial Planning of Italian L2. During her training, she also participated in numerous internships, workshops, and in-depth courses for Italian L2 teachers, organized by the University for Foreigners of Siena, the University for Foreigners of Perugia, and International Language Schools, to keep improving her knowledge and skills. She is a CILS administrator and an oral examiner for the CELI Italian language certification.
Her professional experience began in 2006 in Singapore, where she taught both online and in-person to students of various profiles and nationalities, at associations, local and international companies, high schools and language schools. She collaborated with the Italian Cultural Institute of Singapore, Essec Business School University, and Nanyang Technological University, where, in addition to teaching, she oversaw the coordination and curriculum planning of Italian language courses. She is currently teaching Italian L2 at the University of Pavia, in the Foundation Year program.
MARIA GRAZIA MONTAGNARI
Maria Grazia Montagnari obtained her master's degree from the University of Pavia with a grade of 110/110. During her university studies she taught Italian to immigrants as a volunteer at a charity association in Pavia. Subsequently, he worked at the Universidad del Norte in Colombia and obtained the Ditals II certification at the University for Foreigners of Siena.
Over the course of her career she has worked in various contexts: from public schools, where she worked on literacy and Italian culture, to universities, passing through private institutes and multinational companies. He taught Italian for ten years at the Santa Caterina Biomedical Residence in Pavia and worked at the Language Center of the University of Pavia. Currently, in addition to teaching at the Faculty of Political Sciences and the Master's Degree Course in Psychology, Neuroscience and Human Sciences, he collaborates with Treccani.