Since 2012, I’ve been 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.
Hi! I’m Cher. If you’re here, you’re probably in the midst of an affair with Italy, too.
It has a tendency to do that to people.
Unlike so many people who decide to learn Italian, I don’t have any Italian heritage and I didn’t fall in love with an Italian.
I’m an English speaker from the US, and my family is from Taiwan, California, and a tiny little town in Michigan.
And nope, I didn’t have any Italian culture influence on me as a child (unless you count the endless soup and salad deal from Olive Garden).
So why did I choose Italian?
With a mother that immigrated from Taiwan, I always had a seesaw relationship with Chinese Mandarin. By the time I was in college, I was ready to admit defeat with it and seriously wondered if I could ever learn a foreign language well.
But I LOVED languages and wanted to keep trying, so I took Italian. I will be honest. It was not love at first vocabulary word. In fact, I found it underwhelming.
It wasn’t until I got the opportunity to study abroad and was able to see the language come alive that I truly fell in love with it.
On the streets of Viterbo and lost in the suburbs of Rome, the language transformed me from a typical study abroad student to an Italophile that could no longer be satisfied by knowing the basics.
I wanted to dive beneath the surface — beyond the plates of cacio e pepe pasta, wine tastings, and picturesque Tuscan countryside views — to what it truly meant to speak, think & live like an Italian.
I created this site to share all that I was learning with others like me – people who have an irrational love for all things Italy.
Like you, I’m 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.
Plus, like so many of you, I don’t live in Italy full time. In fact, I don’t believe that you have to live in Italy to become conversational. Most of the fluency that I achieved has come from methodical and consistent practice while in the US.
Finally, everything that I learn and that I share is not a result of being a certified teacher, 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 and Fluent in Three Months.
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.
You’ll find everything from vocabulary speed dates, simple grammar explanations, stories about living, loving and traveling in Italy, insights into the culture, and 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.
Now, the real question is how can this site help you?
There really is no need to wonder.