Barbara Olla

Ciao, my name is Barbara, I am a teacher and researcher in Italian Language and Literature with more than 16 years of experience. I am originally from Italy, but I did live many years in the UK. I hold a PhD and a Master in Modern Languages from the University of Oxford and a BA + MA in Italian Language and Literature from the University of Cagliari.
I have extensive experience of teaching in a wide range of relevant settings – at primary, secondary and university levels for a number of schools in England and in Italy.
I prepared students for the completion of the following curriculum: GSCE and A Level in Italian; IB Italian Language and Literature SL/HL; CILS b1.
During my time at the University ofOxford I had the opportunity to engage with students of all levels, from beginner to advanced, teaching a wide variety of language classes, such as Grammar, Listening and Reading comprehension, Writing skills and Conversation. I have also taught Translation courses from English into Italian .
My approach is adaptive according to the specific needs of my students. I tend to follow a communicative method and from the first day of lessons and at each ability level I only speak Italian.
I put particular emphasis on spoken language and on communication, but also deal with the 4 base abilities (reading, writing, oral comprehension and speaking).
I design my lessons to always be interesting, interactive and fun, and I create a relaxed atmosphere in which learning is done naturally :) I use text books and other authentic material, like newspapers, magazines and video, to help facilitating learning about contemporary Italy and the many different aspects of Italian culture.