Maria is from the eternal city Rome, and has been calling New Zealand home since 1989. Before making the leap to Kiwi life, she was a passionate primary school teacher and dedicated over 15 years to teaching Italian at Canterbury University. Now, Maria brings her love for the Italian language to the Dante School and also coordinates Interpreting New Zealand in Christchurch. In collaboration with Dante Auckland, Maria offers a full immersion Summer School for Italian students—a five-day program typically held during the last week of January. Additionally, for the past 10 years, she has organized annual study tours to Italy:
Brunella was born in Rome and spent part of her childhood in the beautiful town of Sorrento. She earned a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Rome, "La Sapienza." After graduation, Brunella won a national competition to become a primary school teacher, a role she embraced for seven years. Her teaching journey began in England, where she served as a "lettrice" in the School of Modern Languages at Lancaster University, while also teaching Italian at the Adult Colleges in Lancaster, Morecambe, and Preston. After relocating to New Zealand, Brunella continued sharing her love for the Italian language by teaching at Christchurch Polytechnic for several years. For the past 15 years, Brunella has combined her passions for language and cuisine, teaching both Italian and Italian cooking as part of the Continuing Education program at the Risingholme Community Centre in Christchurch. Lisa is also from Rome, and comes from a long line of restaurateurs. She has been living in New Zealand with her wonderful Kiwi husband since 2007. Before that, she spent 13 years in London, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in European Studies and worked with international students for several years. Since moving to New Zealand, Lisa has been sharing her love for the Italian language by teaching at various high schools in Christchurch and Dunedin as a Continuing Education tutor and through private lessons. She also spent several years teaching Italian cuisine as part of Continuing Education programs. In addition to her teaching roles, Lisa has been a trained interpreter (Italian/English) for Interpreting New Zealand since 2012. Between 2013 and 2014, she served on the committee of the Christchurch Dante Society and has now returned not only to teach Italian but also to organize films for CineDante. |
Born and raised in the charming region of Apulia in Southern Italy, Rosa has always had a flair for languages. Eager to turn her passion into a ticket to explore the world, she pursued studies in Foreign Languages at the University of Bari, furthering her education in Italy, England, and France. Her dreams took flight when she landed a job as a language teacher for a well-known Italian cruise ship company, which took her on adventures as far as the French Caribbean. In this role, Rosa helped students from various nationalities and job roles achieve proficiency in Italian, enabling them to interact with local guests and enhance the onboard customer experience. After a year at sea, Rosa decided to deepen her expertise with a post-graduate Diploma in Digital Communication in Milan, where she lived for four years. It was there that she met a dashing Kiwi rugby player who swept her off her feet and led her to settle in New Zealand permanently at the end of 2017. Now, Rosa brings her passion for digital and social media to a fantastic marketing team in New Zealand. She's also thrilled to be one of the teachers in the Dante Society, where she can share her love for the Italian language and culture with new students. Roberto hails from the picturesque region of Apulia (Puglia) in Italy. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures, a Master's Degree in Theory and Practice of Translation, and a CEDILS Certificate in Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language, with a strong focus on applied linguistics and technical-scientific translation. Before making his way to New Zealand, Roberto's journey took him through Spain, Ireland, and Australia, where he studied, traveled, and gained valuable work experience. In Adelaide, he served as a language assistant in primary and high schools for the Dante Alighieri Society of South Australia. Roberto made the move to Christchurch in 2014 and has been a part of the community ever since. Roberto also organises the Italian Book Club. Francesca MarisaFrancesca was born in Trento, nestled in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, where her love for the Italian language, arts, and literature first blossomed. She pursued her studies in Humanities, Cultural Heritage, and Education at the Universities of Trento and Siena. After spending some wonderful years in Arezzo (Tuscany) and living in her dream city, Florence, she returned to her hometown. There, she earned a qualification for teaching Italian as a second language and became one of the co-founders of the first association in Trentino-Alto Adige dedicated to teaching Italian L2. Since then, Francesca has never stopped teaching. Her enthusiasm for the Italian language has reached eager learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds in Italy, New Zealand, and Canada, where she taught at the Dante Society of British Columbia and the Italian Cultural Centre of Vancouver. Now back in Christchurch, Francesca is thrilled to share her passion for Italian language and culture with the community at the Dante Society. In July 2022, she also earned the CEDILS qualification for teaching Italian as a Second Language and Foreign Language. |