The Italian Language

Learn about the Italian language, grammar, vocabulary and culture

About Me

My name is Richard Willmer. As you might notice from my name, I am not Italian, but rather, I am half-English and half-American. As I had to learn Italian rather than picking it up in childhood, I think I possibly have a clearer insight into the mechanism of the language than a native speaker would. As I have learnt several languages over the years, I have been able to draw parallels between Italian and, say, German or Russian.

Besides Italian and English, I speak several other languages. Most of these I learnt taking courses and living in the countries where they are spoken, though the scant Russian I know, I have learnt alone.

I learnt Spanish at the Instituto Cervantes, whose headquarters are in Alcalá de Henares, in Spain and I took the D.E.L.E there.

German I learnt in thee different places: at the Goethe Institut, whose headquarters are in Munich, Germany; I spent four months in Stuttgart, where I improved my German at the Anglo-German Institute and finally I took additional lessons, once I came back to Florence, at the Deutsches Institut in Florence, a private school with some agreements with the Goethe Institut.

I learnt French at the Alliance Française, based in Paris, France. Later on, also in Paris, I perfected my French at the Ecole France Langue which also took care to organise free time activities for its students.

I came to Florence in November 1994, planning to study Italian for two months at the Istituto Michelangelo Apart from periods in Germany and Paris, I have tended to return to Florence when I can. Languages fascinate me and contact with foreigners (including Italians!) gave me an insight into the way people speak, understand and learn. I decided to make some of my knowledge available to you.

I also have a Cambridge certificate for the teaching of English as a foreign language (CELTA), which I obtained at the of Bristol Language Centre.The centre also offers English and academic courses.

I am also the author of two other sites: The Life and Times of Michelangelo, where I speak about one of the most famous Italians of all time: Michelangelo Buonarroti and Florence Student Service (not yet available), where I speak about Florence and famous Florentines.