My name is Cher, and I’m having a passionate affair with the Italian language — minus the silk sheets in upscale hotel rooms, red lipstick on white button-ups, and sneaking around.
If you’re here, reading this now, you’re probably in the midst of an affair with Italy, too.
It has a tendency to do that to people.
So now that you’re hooked, like me, I should let you know now that there’s no turning back, and since that’s the case, then learning Italian is a must.
But, you know, easier said than done.
No matter how passionate I am about Italy and the language, learning Italian has been and continues to be challenging, but satisfying, work.
Somedays, it sucks because you feel like you’re not making any progress and that learning a language, that has less utility, than let’s say Chinese, is fruitless.
And somedays it feels like it’s the most wonderful task you’ve ever taken on, particularly after any length of conversation with native speakers where you were able to say what you wanted to say or get what you wanted to get.
That’s why I created The Iceberg Project.
It’s a support system for all of us who are swimming endlessly in an ocean of Italian.
Like you, I am just a student trying my best to learn this language, so I understand first-hand the hard work it takes, and I want nothing more than to help you learn it too in a way that helps you make meaningful progress, laugh, and enjoy each step of the process.
I started learning Italian seriously in 2012 before I gallivanted off for a semester abroad in a charming city called Viterbo in central Italy.
Before then, I had tried to learn a lot of languages, but I wasn’t near conversational in any of them.
There was no magnification. There was no deep diving. It was all surface ‘How are you’s? and ‘Where is the bathroom’s?’
But in Italy, I finally got over the wall of half-assing language learning, and I got serious.
Since then, this language has become a part of me, and tinkering with it is what I do for a living.
Everything that I learn and that I teach is not a result of being a certified teacher or being a near-native speaker, but rather, comes from an intense curiosity, a whole lotta’ patience, and the willingness to make mistakes over and over again as my team of native editors gently correct and redirect me.
As a result of my crazy-passionate approach to learning this language, my work has been featured on sites that I have always admired like The Guardian, Fluent in Three Months, and I Will Teach You a Language.
Okay, now back to you…
You’re learning Italian, and you need some support, because let’s be real, learning Italian isn’t exactly a one-month-and-done kind of project.
That’s what I’m here for.
Each week you’ll find a new article on everything from vocabulary speed dates, simple grammar explanations, narrative stories about living, loving and traveling in Italy, insights into the culture, and encouragement to tips on how to learn more effectively.
You can also listen to my rants, musings + insights into the Italian language on the 30 Minute Italian podcast.
What’s more, if you enter your name + email address here, I’ll send you weekly lessons, language tips, and funny stories to help you keep your head + your heart in the game.
Everything is created on the site by me + my wonderful team of writers and native Italian editors who are passionate about sharing their language and want to make sure you the get information that is accurate + of the highest quality.
If you do want to hang out here, all I ask is that you’re serious + passionate about acquiring the language.
(Obsession is a plus and desperation to learn the language is even better.)
Dabbling might be alright in other places, but not here.
Now, the real question is how will The Iceberg Project help you?
There really is no need to wonder.