Alex Vallacchi

I worked many years as a teacher in Europe and USA (ESL, CLIL, Language), in-person, online, and blended. I have supervised and mentored foreign language assistants and new teachers from Utah (USA), Europe, and other countries (through the British Council and the Italian Department of Education). I have been awarded three times with the national teacher bonus. I have published and translated teaching materials. I have been engaged in language programs and in the development of multidisciplinary approaches/good practices/teaching contents. Other than my master's degree at the University of Parma, Italy, I am ESL certified, evaluation 100/100 in October 2016, and Italian as a Second Language/ISL certified, evaluation 82/100 with distinction in didactic in June 2017, through the University of Venice, Italy. Both Universities are between the oldest in Europe. When I teach I like to use a combination of methods, as no one is the same. My strategies include: Communicative language teaching (CLT), Task-based language teaching (TBLT), Content and language integrated learning (CLIL), The Direct Method, Total Physical Response, and The Natural approach. Tips: take risks and speak the language whenever you can. Read, watch videos, listen to music in the foreign language. Immerse yourself in the local culture. Plan a vacation. Make use of free foreign language podcasts. Fall in love with the foreign language. Don't worry about making mistakes. "Did you know" facts: accent is the way you sound when you speak. Everybody has an accent, so don't be discouraged! In Italy, for example, there is more than one official language! The same happens in the US, UK, and so on. So, be patient with yourself.