Achieving the Italian citizenship is a dream for many, whether because married to an Italian or because having Italian ancestors. For all the final goal is to be able to interact with confidence using the Italian language when visiting Italy to connect with their roots and family.  

Istituto Italiano Scuola (IIS) offers a unique opportunity to make this dream a reality, by helping our students master the B1 Italian language exam, a key requirement for getting the Italian citizenship. 

B1 Italian Exam – Your Gateway to Citizenship: 

The B1 Italian language test is a crucial step for those seeking Italian citizenship through marriage or residence. It assesses intermediate language skills, ensuring you can effectively communicate and integrate into the Italian society. 

IIS’s Tailored Approach: 

Our specialized program is designed for students with an intermediate understanding of Italian. Through Zoom classes, we provide comprehensive training in all aspects of the language – reading, writing, listening, and speaking, aimed at ensuring success in the CELI B1 exam. 

Why Choose IIS? 

Expert Instruction: Our experienced instructors are adept at guiding students through the intricacies of the Italian language. 

Convenient Learning: With online classes, you can learn from anywhere, ensuring flexibility and comfort. 

Focused Curriculum: Our courses are specifically tailored to prepare you for the B1 exam, enhancing your chances of success. 

Join us at IIS to navigate the path to Italian citizenship with confidence and ease. Our dedicated program ensures you are well-prepared to pass the B1 Italian exam and take a significant step towards your Italian citizenship goals. 

Take a look at our offerings on our website page dedicated to the Citizenship: Citizenship | SFIIS 

We offer 2 different types of group courses, 8 weeks long, meeting once a week to review and practice with key grammar points (Preparation Course – Grammar Boost | SFIIS and Preparation Course Convo Pro | SFIIS) 

We also offer our students the possibility to practice the test, with a 2-hours dedicate test simulation (B1 Exam Simulation | SFIIS). 

And once a month you can also enroll in a workshop to get a better understanding of the B1 exam, where we’ll go over an overview of different exam sections, focusing on the written test by completing an exam writing task and revising it (B1 Test Overview | SFIIS). 

Start your journey towards Italian citizenship today. Embark on this exciting journey with IIS! 

If you consistently read our blog, you might know that in our previous blog posts we already introduced some of our teachers. We believe that getting to know them better is crucial for the success of our school. We are fortunate to have highly prepared and talented teachers, not only proficient in teaching Italian but also exceptional in creating the perfect atmosphere for our classes. They make learning fun and engaging, which we acknowledge is not always easy, especially in evening classes after a long day of work. 

To learn more about the entire team of teachers at IIS, please visit the following page on our website: About us | SFIIS. 

Among our outstanding teachers, Alice excels at making learning in our classes both enjoyable and engaging. Today, we take the opportunity to get to know her better. 

• How long have you been teaching Italian? How long for IIS? 

I’ve been teaching Italian after my Master Degree at University of Genoa in 2011. I wrote and presented a Thesis of Literacy and Italian Teaching to Foreign Adults. My first experience was in a special school for adults who wanted to study Italian for their own business and to be more integrated to the country. And I also joined a Research project at University of Genova to teach Italian to African and Afghanistan refugees fleeing from war and violence suffered in their own home country. 

I started teaching for IIS in May 2022. My best work experience ever! 

• Where are you from? What do you appreciate the most about your hometown? 

I’m from Genoa, a beautiful city by the Ligurian Sea, close to Cinque Terre. I love living in Genoa. It has many things to see and visit: the most important Historical Monumental Cementary and the biggest old town in Europe. It’s the perfect city if you like to chill out on the beach or go for a hike in the mountains. Or you can lose yourself in the narrow streets, vicoli, looking at ancient monuments, towers and beautiful palaces as if you were in Medieval Age. 

And if you come to Genoa, don’t forget to eat the authentic Pesto and Focaccia.

• What made you choose to become a teacher? 

I chose to become a teacher of Italian as a Second Language because I’ve spent most of my life studying English as a foreign language and I understand how it can be frustrating studying a foreign language, but how beautiful and satisfying is speaking in a non-native language. Thinking and dreaming. It’s like having a superpower! 

• What is your favorite Italian dish? Do you like cooking? 

I like eating pizza but I don’t like cooking. When I was a child, I liked observing my grandmothers making gnocchi, tagliatelle or tortellini from scratch. Not having learnt their cooking traditions is my biggest regret, but I’ll have these memories for the rest of my life as a precious legacy. 

• Can you share with our students some tips for learning Italian faster? 

Be completely involved in the Italian culture thanks to our team of teachers. Ask many questions and be curious!!! If you deeply understand a culture, you can have the best and strongest motivation to be a perfect Italian speaker! 

• Is there a monument or place that you recommend our students to visit if they go to Italy? 

As a Genoese I recommend visiting the biggest Lighthouse in Europe, the Lanterna di Genova, symbol of my city and a special place to see the Liguria cost from East to West. If you are lucky, it’s possible to see Corsica Island and France from its top too.  

And acqua in bocca! The Lanterna is taller than the Statue of Liberty!! 

Teachers are the key element in a language school and at IIS we take pride in our teachers’ experience and quality of teaching. All our teachers have been doing this job for some time and, most importantly, love teaching and are passionate about helping their students learn our beautiful language. Our students can feel this drive to quality teaching every time they have a class, being it a group class or a private class.  

Please remember that you can take a look at the entire team of teacher at IIS, on our website page About us | SFIIS. 

One of the teachers who is best at sharing her passion for teaching Italian with her students is Giulia. And today we are getting to know her better. 

• How long have you been teaching Italian? How long for IIS?  

I have been teaching Italian for over 10 years. I started by teaching Italian to immigrants in Turin while I was working on my research project for my master’s degree thesis. I joined the IIS about a year ago when I moved to California from Australia. 

• Where are you from? How often do you visit your hometown? What do you miss the most? 

I am originally Italian, but I lived for the past 10 years in Sydney, Australia. My hometown is Turin, which I try to visit once a year. What I miss the most is the golden light of September over the river Po, the dehors full of people enjoying a drink and a chat, and being familiar with the faces that I cross on the street. 

• What made you choose to become a teacher?  

I love all language related things, and I strongly believe that knowing the language of the place where you live, or that you visit allows you greater freedom and the opportunity of a deeper understanding of a culture. I want my work to be meaningful for others. Being a language teacher allows me to help people realize their dreams, whether they are moving to a new country, better connecting with their roots or improving their professional life. 

• What is your favorite Italian dish? Do you like cooking?  

At present, I am obsessed with baking “baci di dama”, which are two melt-in-your-mouth hazelnut cookies held together with some dark chocolate.  Their name means “lady’s kisses” since the two halves of the cookies resemble two lips that come together for a kiss and are typical of Northern Italy.  Overall, I love cooking, I find it relaxing and enjoy inviting friends over for dinner. 

• Can you share with our students some tips for learning Italian faster?  

Set aside some time for Italian every day. Five minutes is enough. Listen to a song, or a podcast, read a news update, or a recipe, or combine Italian with other interests/activities you enjoy. Whatever works for you is the right way to improve. Try to meet and talk with native speakers and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Showing up every day: that’s the only way to learn. Have fun and be proud of being willing to learn a different language. 

• Is there a monument or place that you recommend our students to visit if they go to Italy?  

Visit Turin, my hometown. Turin is full of castles, parks, beautiful museums, hip restaurants, cafés and bars. It is green, romantic, young… We call it the little Paris for a reason. And you won’t find it packed with tourists like other Italian destinations. Visit Palazzo Reale and the breathtaking collection at the Museo Egizio. Have dinner at Cianci and get a glass at Pastis to enjoy it like a local. 

Teachers have a crucial role at IIS, so we believe that helping our students to get to know them better is one of the main goals of our Blog. Starting from this article, we will introduce our teachers every few weeks, so that you can learn something more about each of them. 

To start, we recommend looking at our page About us | SFIIS. 

Today we got the chance to have a chat with Mattia Milone, who is teaching both group and private lessons at IIS, both online via Zoom and in person in our new headquarters. 

• How long have you been teaching Italian? How long for IIS?  

I’ve been teaching Italian for almost 10 years. I started at IIS 4 years ago. 

• What made you choose to become a teacher?  

What I love the most about teaching my language is that I feel like a deliverer of new ways of communication for those who have never learnt it before. Learning a new language, most of my students say, is like discovering a new side of oneself. It is gratifying for me to witness the moment when they find that out. 

• Where are you from? How often do you visit your hometown? What do you miss the most?  

I’m from Milano, but was born in Puglia, where now I visit the most when I’m overseas.   

Of Puglia, I miss a lot of things. The list is long: swimming into the sea -we have an Ocean here in Northern California, but we cannot really enjoy it!- certain flavors, sounds of the dialect, focaccia & raffo beer, vestiges of Mediterranean past civilizations… 

Of Milan, I miss going to La Scala – but I find the Symphony here in Oakland almost as great. I also miss the opportunity to walk and see lots of people in the streets, enjoying restaurants open till late. I miss my friends, my familiarity with people and places. I miss the beautiful unpredictability of certain events you can encounter only in Italy.  

• What is your favorite Italian dish? Do you like cooking?  

It would be easier to ask me what is NOT my favorite Italian dish, and even then, it would be hard to find one. No, I do not particularly enjoy cooking. I enjoy my wife’s cooking. Even though she is American, she cooks like an Italian nonna: same rituals, same patience, same expression of creativity.  

• Is there a monument or place that you recommend our students to visit if they go to Italy? 

There are many. But if I have to choose one, I would say Castel del Monte in northern Puglia. 

• Can you share with our students some tips for learning Italian faster?  

Do not get discouraged when grammar seems hard, or when you cannot reproduce the same exact phonetic sounds. Emancipate yourself from any sort of inhibition. Speak even if it is not always correct. The more you speak the more you learn. And, most importantly, have fun! 

Istituto Italiano Scuola was founded in 1998 with the mission of teaching the language and promote the culture of Italy in Northern California and beyond. 

As a non-profit organization, we are committed to providing a stimulating and engaging environment in which to learn Italian, while simultaneously exposing students to the rich diversity of Italian culture and tradition.  

Therefore, we promote the Italian language and culture with the broadest range of language courses, from beginner to proficiency, along with special events and workshops. 

High-quality education with social and cultural gatherings creates a truly immersive environment that ensures the learning of the Italian language and a brief experience of the Italian lifestyle.  

We truly want our students to experience the essence of the Italian culture, learning from our experienced instructors, who are native Italian speakers and hold a degree from Italian universities.  

We envision a world where performance and entertainment are combined so people experience joyful moments within their busy lives. 

The purpose of this blog is to share with our students and all the people passionate about Italy knowledge on the Italian language and culture, as per our own mission as a non-profit.

You will read articles written by our teachers and special guests, sharing interesting information about Italy and its traditions; curiosity about our workshops; details on our special events.

And don’t hesitate to tell us what you would like to read about: our goal is to share as much information about Italy as possible, promoting the Italian language and culture.

It will be our way to make you feel part of our community even more!

We hope you will enjoy reading our blog and feel free to comment on any one of our posts, we love hearing what you think about what we’ve been talking about!