“Sun, water, and love” for a plant are “study, practice, and dedication” to an Italian student.
To learn and maintain a language, it is important to practice! As with any new skill, to master something, you have to dedicate hours and hours to become proficient.
Remember that 10,000-hour rule about becoming an expert on something?
It seems an excessive amount of time… but learning a language does take time and practice. But when you are having fun, time flies by, and you become proficient sooner than you ever thought possible! The key is to stay with it and find innovative ways of practicing and staying motivated.
Melissa has many ways to keep your Italian flourishing, and soon you will reap the rewards!
Learn with Melissa
Learn with Melissa online and in Italy
Small Group Italian Language Programs in Italy
Join Melissa and her Italian School Partners in Italy to learn Italian. Perfect for couples or individuals. Open to all language levels. During the mornings, we study at a partner school in classes perfect for your language level. In the afternoons, we go on adventures and excursions. We sink our hands into pasta dough, raise our wine glasses, laugh, dance, and chat the evenings away in Italian with teachers and Italian friends. You will travel with like-minded individuals and make memories and friends to last a lifetime.
Price (without airfare): $4,300-$4,500
Italian Lessons and conversation with Melissa
Chat with me in Italian OR
Sign up for One-On-One Italian Coaching/Tutoring Session
Are you tired of feeling lost in translation with your Italian language skills? Can you understand Italian, but when you speak, you get tongue-tied?
Are you searching for a fun and sympathetic teacher to guide you on your journey to fluency? Look no further because I’m here to help! Let’s make learning Italian a blast together.
Whether you are a new student or an advanced one, I am here to help you practice and improve your Italian.
Now you can schedule a One-on-One Italian Coaching/Tutoring session to receive personalized help and get answers to language questions.
1-hour Chat or Tutoring Session: $50
Package of 5 one-hour Tutoring Sessions: $225
Join the “Matta” Leggiamo Italian Language Book Club!
What a NOVEL idea! Che idea fantastica!
The Matta Italian book club is a group of individuals who come together to read and discuss books written in Italian. The group meets regularly to discuss the book, understand Italian culture and improve Italian language skills. The Matta Book Club aims to have fun, laugh, and learn together while sipping on expresso and munching on a cornetto, and discussing literature in Italiano!
Two Book Club Enrollment Options:
Option 1: Group Book.
Five 1 hour weekly meetings. Offered Spring & Fall. Up to 3 individuals to the group.
Option 2: Individual Book Club: 1-1
Five 1 hour weekly meetings. Begin anytime.
Italian Language Homestay Vacations
Why just visit Italy when you can truly experience it by living with an Italian teacher and immersing yourself in the language and culture through a homestay language vacation? Not only will you receive personalized, one-on-one language instruction, but you’ll also get to see the country through the eyes of a local and learn about customs and traditions that you wouldn’t discover in a traditional classroom setting. Plus, you’ll experience the famous Italian hospitality and maybe even learn some cooking tips from your host!
Perfect opportunity for one or two individuals to visit a city that interests you at a time that fits your travel schedule. Homestays combine formal study with everyday family activities.
Contact Melissa to learn more about the Italian Homestays offered on the Studentessa Matta website. Homestay prices vary depending on the teacher, location, time of year, and hours of lessons.
The Matta Blog has lots of FREE resources, too!
To learn Italian well, you have to practice reading and writing,
as well as audio and conversational skills.
Read the
Dual-Language Blog
The Matta Blog is like a box of chocolates… You never know what you are going to get!
Every week on the Matta Blog, are new posts in Italian and English. You will learn about Italian culture, music, art and wine, travel & current events, and tips to learn the language. What could be more rewarding than that “ah-ha!” moment when you realize your language skills are improving by reading a Matta post? Melissa loves it when you leave a comment, too!
Matta YouTube Channel
Watching a Matta Italian video s a great way to improve your language skills in a fun and engaging way. Not only will train your ear to pick up Italian words, but you’ll also gain insight into the culture and customs of Italy. Plus, speaking Italian will significantly enhance your travel experiences in the beautiful country. Give it a try, you won’t regret it!
Listen and follow along with the Italian audio with transcripts on the Matta blog.
Matta Podcast
Not sitting in front of a device with a monitor? Stuck in traffic in your car? Then listen up! The Matta Podcast can be downloaded from your favorite podcasting apps — like Apple, Spotify, or Stitcher. These days, Melissa converts her Youtube videos into audio podcasts so you can listen along at your convenience using your headphones and listening device. Transcripts in Italian and English can be referenced here on the Matta Blog.
Read “Il Risveglio di
Isabella”
Take an armchair trip to Italy to read novels that intertwine a contemporary plot with a historical one.
Melissa has written three novels set in Italy. “Dreaming Sophia,” “Waking Isabella,” and “Eternally Artemisia.” Learn more about Italian culture, visit towns and cities all over Italy, and become absorbed in the intriguing plots—all of which touch on a bit of Medici history. You can also practice your Italian by reading “Waking Isabella,” which she recently translated into Italian — “Il risveglio di Isabella.” All books available on Amazon: $16.99
Follow Melissa on the Matta Facebook page
Follow Melissa on the Matta Facebook page, where she posts daily in Italian about current events, memes, and Italian learning tips.
Join the Matta Facebook Conversation Page and jump into Italian conversation with other language learners based on Melissa’s prompts during the week.
Or create a discussion topic and comment in Italian. Melissa loves that! The important thing is to participate and practice your Italian!
Follow Melissa on Twitter
Don’t have time to write a novel or even a paragraph in Italian LOL!? Then keep your Italian alive with 280 characters a day. Send a tweet in Italian, and follow along with Melissa as she tweets and reposts unusual bits and pieces of information related to Italy, art, writing, and language learning!
Follow Melissa on Instagram
Keep up with Melissa’s photos, Vocab Memes, reels, and more! As they say, a picture is worth 1000 words!
What They’re Saying
I had an absolutely fantastic time in Arezzo! Every day was special. The 4-hour classes were fun and never boring. Paola is a great teacher who keeps beginners rolling and interacting with the language. And every afternoon, we had something to look forward to– a stroll in the marketplace, a visit with a local jewelry maker, a cooking class and dinner, a visit to the local cathedral, and the famous Jousting Ceremony. In addition, we had instructors giving us details that were always interesting and enriching. The group of 8 was perfect as we got to know each other and had lots of fun, especially eating great Italian food and drinking wine! This is the experience for anyone who loves ITALY and wants to learn more about its language, culture, food, and art history! Patricia Chandler, Andiamo in Italia Participant
My husband Art and I were 2 of the lucky participants. If I had to pick a highlight from this adventure, it would most certainly be the people! Our group, our teachers, our guides… Of course, the venues were terrific, the hotel could not be more comfortable, Inviting, beautiful, and ideally located. The school is, in a nutshell, engaging and enthralling; the location, building, teachers, and teaching methods were a delightful surprise. And then there’s Lucca. A hidden gem. An unexpected taste of Tuscany ( literally and figuratively) without the overwhelming tourist onslaught expected in summer. The food is exquisite, the streets, the history, the locals, the WALL! The wall, people! A medieval bulwark disguised as a park surrounding the entire city helped us work off the excellent food cooked for and by us in amazing restaurants and organic wineries. But Melissa is the central force behind this success. The key to success is the perfect hostess with boundless energy, bubbling enthusiasm, and attention to detail. Thank you, Melissa, for a fantastic experience. Micaela Rauch, Andiamo in Italia Participant
