After returning from my fourth trip to beautiful Italy last May, I decided it was time to learn to speak Italian and be able to communicate with my Italian friends. Later that same month, I enrolled in the Scottsdale Community College and Davide was the instructor.  After the summer semester finished, I enrolled in private lessons with him because of his excellence in teaching.  He makes each class a joy to attend. He has a great sense of humor and a charming personality.  He is always patient with me even though I was a complete beginner who was learning from ground zero.  He continues to challenge me and truly desires for each of his students to learn this beautiful language which he so enthusiastically loves.  Davide knows how to teach and is very clear with his explanations and examples.  I do desire to sound like a native Italian speaker but have struggled with pronunciation which is one of the great assets of Davide who has a flawless pronunciation. With Davide’s critiques, my pronunciation has greatly improved.  I am now looking forward to my next visit to Italy to try out my Italian.  As a new language learner, I deeply thank Davide for his skillful teaching and infinite patience with me and I highly recommend him for anyone who has a desire to learn Italian. He is both a talented instructor and a wonderful person!

I’ve wanted to learn Italian for a number of years now. Two years ago I purchased Rosetta Stone. I used their program, but I wasn’t able to engage in a conversation. I decided to look for a private Italian teacher online. I hired a native speaker from Italy. She was very nice but seemed to lack the teaching skills necessary to explain the grammar to me. As a former teacher myself, I was able to recognize this. I was a bit discouraged, but I thought I’d try going the private tutor route once more as I did not want to take a class. I wanted private lessons.

I then found Davide’s information online. He seemed very qualified so I gave him a call, and we began meeting weekly for private lessons. It is very convenient for me as Davide comes to my home in Scottsdale. Davide is patient and helps keeps me accountable. Most of all he is a great teacher. He seems to know intuitively when I am struggling with an aspect of Italian grammar. He then explains it differently and by giving me more examples. It has been a year now, and I can speak Italian. My Italian isn’t perfect, but I can carry on a conversation in Italian. I’ve been to Italy with my family last summer, and we have met some distant relatives with whom we have established a great friendship. My trip made me realize how much I have learned. On a few occasions I was complimented for speaking Italian well. They were even impressed with my Italian grammar. This experience was a real confidence booster for me. While I have worked hard at my efforts to learn to speak Italian, I have to thank Davide for helping me achieve this goal.

I enthusiastically recommend Davide to anyone who wishes to learn Italian.

I’ve been teaching myself Italian for about a year before coming to Phoenix but wasn’t where I wanted to be. I searched for tutors that could help me further my learning when I stumbled across Davide.  I can’t say enough for what he has done for my Italian.  He is always pushing me to get better and I think of him as a coach.  He is patient and very knowledgeable but best of all has the ability to explain things that open your eyes when books cannot. I personally would recommend Davide to anyone who needs help at any level in Italian.

An Italian count, who is also a friend, challenged me to learn Italian in one year so that I could visit him at his 15th Century castle in northern Italy.  His friends and family were returning home the following September after their Ferragosto vacations, and he wanted my husband and me to meet everybody.  So, I took him on.

After I found Davide’s website, my search for an Italian tutor was over.  I was very impressed with his background and education.  I was also happy that his native language is Italian.  We met every week all year and, because of the fine instruction I received, my trip to Italy was a success!  I was able to carry on basic conversations and understood most of what was said.

I enjoyed studying with Davide and decided to continue with him when I returned home.  It’s now been 2 1/2 years since then.  My Italian improves a bit more with every lesson.  Davide is a wonderful teacher.  He makes the lessons fun and interesting.  I learn so much about Italian language and culture. Because my background is in foreign language, I enjoy going over grammar points and learning about all the different language dialects in Italy.  Davide is so knowledgeable and can talk about any topic that arises.  Our hour-long lessons just fly by!

Over the years, Davide and I have gotten to know each other pretty well and I consider him a friend.  He is a kind, compassionate man with a great sense of humor.  I would highly recommend Davide to anyone who wants to learn Italian for any reason.

I have had the pleasure of studying Italian conversation with Davide Valenti at Scottsdale Community College for two semesters. I am an Italian American, and am very happy that I grew up in an Italian household. Although my parents spoke Italian in our home, I did not learn the language as a child. It is my desire to become fluent in this beautiful language. I have now found the perfect teacher to help me reach my goal!

For the past three years I have studied Italian in the classroom, and have completed intermediate level college courses. My comprehension and writing skills continue to improve, but my ability to speak needs attention. I found that Davide’s conversation classes improved my ability to speak Italian, especially now that I have completed two classes. I have finished the curriculum that is currently offered at the community college level, but do not want to end my studies. I will start private tutoring with Davide very soon, and know that he will assist me in the further development of my speaking skills.

Davide combines grammar with conversation to ensure that his students speak Italian properly. Even in a classroom setting he gives all of his students as much personal attention as time allows. I know that I will receive this same type of personal attention with private lessons, plus the additional benefit of speaking Italian during the entire session.

Davide is proud of his Italian heritage, speaks flawless Italian, is a very patient instructor, and embraces the Italian culture. He teaches much more than the language of Italy. He also teaches the Italian way of life. I am thrilled that Davide and I have crossed paths, and I look forward to his guidance and instruction as I continue my Italian course of study.

My wife and I took an Italian class at Scottsdale Community College several years ago and always kept in contact with Davide. He was a great teacher at SCC and my wife has now hired him as an Italian tutor. He does an amazing job and her Italian is improving at an unbelievably fast rate. She watches Italian movies on Netflix and is teaching Italian to our young son. Many thanks to Davide for his inspiration and talent.

I have just finished my first set of lessons with Davide and would like to recommend him to everyone interested in learning Italian.  I am a retired German teacher and department chair with forty years of experience.  I have had the privilege of working with and observing many great foreign language teachers during my career, and Davide ranks among the best.  His knowledge of the language and his ability to teach it are excellent. If you are looking for an Italian learning experience that is both fun and rewarding, lessons with Davide are for you.

I have had the pleasure of studying with Davide Valenti for almost six years, and I can say with all honesty that he is one of the most incredible professors you will ever have. Though currently a senior at Mountain Pointe High School, I have been able to earn college credits through Scottsdale Community College through credit by examination, a unique opportunity that he alone has been able to provide. So, why would his teaching allow me to truly be productive, get a jumpstart on my future? What does he have to offer? He brings a unique appreciation for culture, a genuine love for language, a real interest in the world of grammar. He brings the motivation needed to fully invest himself in the student, caring and embodying such patience, while also exploring language, exposing its complexities for what they truly offer: beauty. Taking full advantage of the exceptional teaching techniques of Davide, I have been privileged enough to delve into great works of literature, plunge into challenging grammatical exercises, and truly understand Italy—its history, its culture, its people. Harnessing his zeal and his knowledge to create a gripping curriculum engulfed by an inviting learning environment, accompanied by a touch of professionalism, Davide will allow your language skills to flourish and your understanding of culture to grow. He will allow you to know, truly believe that you are capable of uttering such beauty. He will change your perspective on learning languages, just as he has mine.

My husband and I started studying Italian with Davide Valenti after trying to learn to speak Italian via a set of CDs and Rosetta Stone. Our goal was to be able to travel to Italy and become immersed in the culture and more importantly, communicate both orally and in writing with our relatives that live in Italy. While we picked up some phrases and words through the CDs and Rosetta Stone we were missing a basic understanding of the structure and grammar of the language that presented limitations to our speaking the language. In our studies with Davide we have progressed far beyond the entire CD set and Rosetta Stone course. After only eight lessons with Davide we were able to communicate and make ourselves understood in Italian. As busy professionals, it is often hard to find the time necessary to learn a foreign language. Davide provides enough challenge so that we are learning at a college level, yet in a relaxed and informal atmosphere that is suitable for adult learners. Due to Davide’s charm and personality, the lessons are fun and enjoyable events that we look forward to.

I first fell in love with the Italian language, long ago, during childhood visits to the home of my Italian-speaking grandparents.  The sound of it was mesmerizing and I vowed to someday be able to communicate with them.  But alas, other childhood activities took precedence and that goal was pushed aside.  The “hip” language of the day through high school and college happened to be French, so I joined the masses and studied hard. However, after a couple of visits to Italy, those childhood feelings came flooding back, and I sorely regretted that I never realized that childhood dream of studying Italian.

Enter Davide!  

I signed up for beginning Italian at Scottsdale Community College – was nervous as all get out – mainly because I had been a teacher for the past 20 years, and I didn’t think I would fall into the role of student so gracefully.  But, after meeting Davide, my fears were laid to rest.  Here was a teacher who was a master of his craft.  He knew all the ins and outs of the language, spoke it beautifully, and presented it in such a way that it was neither intimidating nor overwhelming. The semester flew by, and I was hooked.

I decided to take advantage of his private tutoring, and am so pleased with my progress. Our sessions consist of actual conversations now, and it’s not just about the food taken on a picnic.  The beauty is, I can understand what Davide says to me. He never laughs at my pronunciation, just gently corrects it, and is forever encouraging.

He’s accommodating of my schedule, and flexible with locations that fit into my whereabouts on the day of lessons.  With patience that is unending, and some humor thrown in, the lessons have become something that I look forward to each week.  I have learned so much, but have had fun in the process, and feel I have not only a terrific teacher, but a new friend as well.

It is without reservation that I recommend Davide if you share my desire to become proficient in Italian!