by Serena | Nov 1, 2026 | life in Italy, sicily
There are so many reasons to live in Sicily, whether you’re a digital nomad, a remote worker or looking for a place with a beautiful climate to spend your retirement years. I’m Sicilian, born and raised on the island, and I’ve traveled and lived...
by Serena | Oct 31, 2026 | Italian grammar, beginners
Good news: the basic Italian sentence follows the same order as English, Subject + Verb + Object. But there are a few key differences that make Italian sound Italian: the subject often disappears, adjectives usually go after the noun, object pronouns go before the...
by Serena | Oct 31, 2026 | learning tips, advanced
This is my list of the non-fiction books I have read in the last few years. Every book on this list has inspired me in one way or another. Some books were recommended to me by my lovely students too! Since I believe that reading non-fiction in Italian is an...
by Serena | Oct 30, 2026 | learning tips
Being stuck at B1 in Italian for way too long is frustrating. You can speak, but not confidently enough to hold a detailed conversation. You trip over words, and you’re never quite sure which form is the right one. Ciao, I’m Serena. I’m a certified...
by Serena | Oct 30, 2026 | B1, intermediate, Italian grammar
“Was it è stato or era?” My students ask me this all the time, and it makes sense: in English both are simply it was. In Italian they belong to two different past tenses, and choosing one or the other changes what you are saying. Here is the short version:...
