If you really want to learn the Italian language, and not just learn to speak Italian, then Valenti Lingua is for you. My mother’s family is Italian. Most of my cousins and aunts and uncles speak Italian and a number of them live (or lived) in Italy. I have been a frustrated Italian language student longer than I care to admit. I tried multiple language learning platforms over the years and never really gained critical mass or retained much of what I learned. Then I found Davide. I have been working with him for a full year now and have learned more Italian , retained more Italian, and enjoyed using my Italian more than ever before. The secret sauce is simple, Davide is passionate about teaching the language, he has a very robust and engaging approach, and he genuinely cares about my progress and experience. If you have a busy life, no worries, his program is super efficient and flexible. The workload is manageable and yet impactful. I will be his student for the foreseeable future as I work towards complete fluency. I highly recommend Davide! P/S, if you want to make him really smile, talk about Italian food with him, it’s his achilles heel.

I have been studying Italian with Davide just shy of two years. I am extremely satisfied with my progress learning a new language thanks to him. The pace of the class is very reasonable. We have stayed on schedule with finishing each chapter on time. I have never felt behind and was able to divide the assignments up in very reasonable parts during the week including a day off. This has allowed me to still be able to balance other life responsibilities. If you do happen to miss a lesson you can watch the recording at a later time.

The structure of the class is very relaxed. Davide is extremely personable and I never felt like I couldn’t ask a question. With his good sense of humor it makes the class more enjoyable to the point where I felt like I was conversing with a good friend while learning another language. It also has made me feel like I’m enjoying a new hobby instead of being in a “class.”

One of my favorite things was using more than just the textbook. Davide shows us how we would use the material in real life situations such as meeting people, little pieces of Italian etiquette, or going to a restaurant. These come from his first hand experiences not just a textbook saying they are correct. We also are assigned comprehension questions for an Italian show which made me see how it all comes together. At any point during the lesson or correcting assignments if he thinks of anything that can tie into the lesson he will give a brief explanation and add it to the lesson. This “big picture” approach has really helped me improve quicker and smoother than expected.

All of these are proof of how passionate he is for all of us. I am always surprised how fast the night goes. Please consider Davide if you are passionate about learning Italian. It will be a very enjoyable journey.

This is the best language online language school I have attended by far. Davide is super knowledgeable and takes time to explain challenging linguistic concepts. He is a native Italian speaker but also grew up in the US and studied Spanish, so he can readily explain nuances of Italian grammar to English and Spanish speakers.
My Italian speaking skills have advanced quickly with the courses I have taken at Valenti Lingua. From watching Italian videos to engaging in conversation in class, I have had an opportunity to practice reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Davide holds his students accountable and provides an opportunity for well-rounded learning not available through apps or other online courses.
I cannot recommend Valenti Lingua more highly for students who are serious about really learning Italian!

Davide is an excellent teacher! I had been wanting to take his class for quite some time and finally had the opportunity in my schedule, and I’m so glad I did! These classes fly by and you learn so much! I found myself enjoying the homework and becoming excited when I realized I could comprehend the grammar. I cannot wait to continue learning the beautiful Italian language and to take more classes with Davide in the future. I highly recommend!

Valenti Lingua Italian Language School with Davide is highly recommended! He is thorough, patient and encouraging. It can be challenging and intimidating to learn anything new, especially a language, but I felt comfortable through the whole course and learned a lot by the end of just 10 weeks. I look forward to learning more and hopefully becoming fluent one day. This is THE person to study with and you will be so happy with your results!!

My wife and I have been taking private lessons from Davide for over a year, and we’ve enjoyed every minute! The lessons are well paced, and Davide ensures that we focus not just on grammar and written work, but also on listening, speaking, and pronunciation. We highly recommend Davide as an excellent teacher and resource for anyone looking to learn Italian.

I first met Davide about 10 years ago. He was recommended by a colleague of mine who was taking private lessons from him. I contacted him to prepare my daughter for her sophomore year of college in Florence, Italy. She was a student at Pepperdine University. I have been taking private lessons now for a year and a half. He has a gift for teaching Italian. He is passionate about the language and is Italian. He knows the culture. He accommodates to the student’s learning method and teaches at the student’s pace. He is meticulous regarding grammar and pronunciation. His goal is for the student to be able to communicate and sound like a native speaker. My first language is Spanish, and Davide is fluent. He has a degree in Spanish. This has been tremendously helpful. Both languages have similarities, and this has been very beneficial in comprehending verb tenses, sentence structure and other aspects of grammar. Learning a second language has activated a certain part of my brain which hadn’t been used. My memory has significantly improved, and my reading speed and retention is unreal. I highly recommend Davide as an Italian professor.

I am so grateful to have found Valenti Lingua! I have learned so much in just the first course, and Davide has made it so much more fun and interesting than any Italian class I took in college. He has a way of explaining Italian that makes it easy to follow and absorb, including class material, recordings, videos and other recommendations outside of the class as well that have made for a well-rounded experience. I can’t wait to go back to Italy and speak more fluently than ever before! Grazie mille, Davide!

TLDR: TAKE HIS CLASS.
Davide is a damn good teacher of Italian. He is strict, but not. He demands participation, but it never feels pressured, and he’s accommodating & supportive when life happens & students aren’t prepared. He’s funny, tells good Italian stories, and gives good Italian resource suggestions like movies to watch. 2 hours of class flies by. It’s engaging, fun, no need for embarrassment; when we’re wrong, he corrects kindly and gently, often like an afterthought in delivery. So he’s very encouraging, but also doesn’t let us learn “wrong.” His explanations are very clear with good examples. He has adjusted class pace to REAL LIFE — yes, you need to study and do homework. But in a week’s time it is never an overwhelming amount! His decades of instructor experience show, he is fantastic. PS Zoom format is great, totally works for these classes.

A couple of years ago, I started taking group lessons to refresh and deepen my Italian language skills with Davide. This was crucial for me, as it had been quite some time since my last formal study of Italian. The group setting provided a solid foundation, but it was the Italian film class with Davide that truly challenged and delighted me. Though difficult, the class offered an entertaining and immersive way to engage with the language.

As my learning journey continued, I set a new objective: to complete our textbook. To achieve this, I transitioned to private lessons with Davide, which allowed for a more personalized learning experience. Our sessions have since expanded beyond traditional grammar exercises. Recognizing our mutual passion for music, Davide and I incorporated it into our curriculum. Discovering Italian artists has not only been a joy but also a unique lens through which to explore idiomatic expressions. Although our musical tastes don’t always align, Davide’s openness to explore my musical finds and delve into the lyrics has made learning Italian even more fun for me.

Both the group and private lessons with Davide have been exceptional. The weekly meetings ensure consistent progress, creating a rhythm that motivates preparation and participation. Each upcoming class serves as a gentle but effective nudge not to fall behind, making the learning process more effective.

In sum, my experience learning Italian with Davide has been nothing short of transformative. Whether through the structured challenge of grammar lessons, the cultural immersion of film analysis, or the joy of music exploration, each lesson has been a step forward in my language journey. I highly recommend Davide’s classes to anyone looking to explore the Italian language in a comprehensive, engaging, and enjoyable way!