REVIEWS
āJodinaās strength as a teacher stems from a powerful combination of her unique methodology and vibrant personality ā she simply makes learning a new language fun. Whether in a private or group class setting, practicing newly acquired vocabulary through interactive play, learning grammar with witty, easy-to-remember references, or chiseling my pronunciation with straightforward exercises ā I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to Italian, and feel motivated and empowered to keep on going.ā ā Dina D.
āJodinaās class was like adding cream to my coffee after studying alone online with Duolingo for a few months!Ā Being pushed to speak Italian from day 1 was great. Ā It got me over my foolish fears, and we all had fun struggling together as new language students.Ā Ā
Jodinaās gracious personality creates a safe, fun environment, and sheās an excellent teacher. Her Ā grammar explanation sheets (what she callsācheat sheetsā) alone are worth the price of class! And she has unending patience, always giving whatever time anyone needs in order to fully understand the lesson. Do I sound impressed? I am, and I will continue studying with her.āĀ Ā ā Teren Ellison
I have been a student of Jodinaās since the beginning of 2025. Iāll admit that at first I was disappointed that the lessons were virtual instead of in-person, but I quickly came to appreciate how effective her online approach is. With the right setup at home, I would never go back to traditional one-on-one instruction.
Jodinaās lessons are thoughtfully planned and have challenged me to step into what I call the āuncomfortable worldā of learning a new language. This has been especially meaningful for me, as I am not a youngster and I juggle a very busy work and personal life. My wife and I own a home in Italy and plan to retire there in the next couple of years. Our Italian friends have emphasized how important it is for us to try to speak and understand the languageānot to be experts, but to show respect. Theyāve been excited to learn that Iāve been taking classes, and I can already feel the difference.
I am not an easy student to teach. I have OCD and often get stuck on details that most people would pass over. Jodina has been amazingāpatient, kind, and incredibly accommodating. She has given me the freedom to learn at my own pace and in ways that suit my style of learning.
On a personal level, I recently went through a very difficult time, and Jodina proved to be more than just my Italian teacher. She became a true support and a compassionate listener.
I wholeheartedly recommend Italiano with Jodina to anyone who wants to learn Italian while joining a warm and supportive community.
Jodina has been a wonderful teacher and guide, and I am deeply grateful for everything she has done for me.
Grazie mille, Jodina!Ā āMike Brooks
Iāve been taking weekly Italian lessons with Jodina for the past two years, and I canāt recommend her enough! Sheās a patient, kind, and an encouraging teacher who makes learning both fun and effective. Her lessons are well-structured, with easy to reference work sheets and cheat sheets.
On my first trip to Italy I had the basic skills to comfortably order food/beverages, check into a hotel and ask for directions. On my second trip, I effectively communicated with my Italian family, most of whom spoke little to no English ā a huge milestone for me!
Whether youāre learning Italian for travel, to connect with family, or as a new hobby, Italiano With Jodina is a fantastic choice!
One of the best parts is that all of our lessons are online, which has been incredibly convenient. I split my time between the East and West Coasts, and being able to continue my studies no matter where I am has helped me stay consistent and progress quickly. Zoom works seamlessly and perfectly fits into my busy, lifestyle! ā Nikki Gautreau
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I finally decided to learn a second language, Italian! It was a big step, with a focus on āpracticalā Italian for future travel. My girlfriend (already fluent in French and German) joined me for the journey.
No question, Jodina has been la perfetta maestra for both of us. Weāve already absorbed so much after just the first 10 lessons. Jodinaās lesson planning rolls out in a very digestible way, allowing us to quickly begin speaking common words and sentences.
Adding to the experience is the relaxed private class setting we enjoy every Thursday evening, with plenty of laughs and fun Italy-related stories woven in. And, I must add, we meet with Jodina via Zoom from the comfort of our living rooms.
Zero commute means we get to our lessons stress-free, plus we use down time after the lessons to record our new notes (and maybe finish that glass of vino rosso). Grazie, Jodina, weāre super excited to continue learning with you!Ā ā Mark Lewis
Iām really enjoying my classes and feeling more positive in my ability to manage this difficult but beautiful language. Thank you Jodina! ā Jaidene Vigilucci
āI didnāt expect to be using the language so quickly, so that was a HUGE bonus. The format & structure provided is a great road map for learning. Each class builds perfectly on the previous class. We are traveling to Italy in 2016 and want to be able to take āthe road less traveledā and interact with natives and immerse in culture. It also feels great to get in touch with my heritage. I especially liked group assignments and interaction! We were able to use the language right away! Conversations were extremely helpful in terms of learning the sound and flow of the Italian language. I canāt emphasize enough how great it is to start using the language right away ā it really helps to build enthusiasm for the next class and next lesson. Canāt wait to start again in the fall!āĀ ā Char & Freddy Salazar
I have taken a variety of Jodinaās grammar and conversation classes and found them to be well organized and geared to the levels of the students enrolled in the class.
I have learned a great deal and totally enjoyed each one.
The Netflix class was a fun way to improve my listening and comprehension skills
because of being able to view the series multiple times in English/Italian with subtitles in English or Italian. Also the ability to slow the film down to 75% was very helpful to help with the comprehension.
I would highly recommend all levels of Jodinaās classes from beginning to advanced for a thorough foundation of grammar and vocabulary development as well as conversational practice.
Sheās really fun , amazingly patient and supportive, and a great teacher!Ā ā Chris Miller
āThe course surpassed my expectations. I learned some fundamental things in a fun environment. Molto bene!Ā Great atmosphere, conducive to learning yet fun and challenging. I will recommend enthusiastically and often.āĀ Ā ā R.R.
āI learned a great deal. Your style was fun and entertaining. You emphasized the important aspects of the grammar, verbs, etc., and it all seemedĀ very useful (a key factor). You gave us the essentials and kept the āworkā part interesting. I would take another Jodina class & recommend it to friends. Grazie!āĀ Ā āNancy B.
āI love your approach and how we got right into conversation. Keep going the way you areā Love your sense of humor.āĀ Ā āA.M.B.
āThe class was great. It solidified what I learned in winter. It was fun and informative. We covered a lot in 6 weeks. I liked the review of verbs, new verbs, improved worksheets. You had a great system, fun activities. Great class, fun time!āĀ Ā Ā ā E.C.
āI always enjoy coming and learn new things each session Iāve attended. I especially liked the conversations and learning the vocabulary and pronunciation. I liked it all, and the recordings online.Ā I loved the way you incorporated the dialogues with verbs, vocalulary, etc. Definitely will take more classes. Thank you.āĀ Ā Ā ā L.C.
āIf you are interested in taking Italian and live in the San Diego area, I canāt recommend enough this class!!!!! I have been taking Italian from Jodina for a little under a year and her approach is very much modern and innovative. You begin speaking Italian the very first class using your skills that you already have. Using stories using simple language, you develop a sense of the language and an understanding of the very musical Italian language!!!āĀ āJudy Maddox
āI have learned more Italian in Jodinaās classes than any other classes I have taken!āĀ āLinda Hall
āCara JodinaāĀ You are truly one of a kind. The level of passion and enthusiasm you bring to class is not only impressive, but also contagious.Ā You are very effective as a teacher and have managed in a few short weeks to make me feel comfortable and capable enough to continue the journey towards being able to learn Italian, and best of all enjoy the process at the same time.Ā Ā Grazie mille, JodinaāĀ ā Barbara Reilly (Embarking on my āsecond adulthoodā and an adventure to Italy)
āJodinaās beginner class exceded my expectations. I especially enjoyed speaking and her āshort cuts to make things easier to remember. I will definitely continue studying Italian, take more of her clases, because I intend to be able to speak, read and write well, so I thrive when I move to Italy! The small class size and talking from the very beginning in a fun-filled atmosphere make Jondinaās classes a āmust doā if you want to enjoy your learning experience. I highly recommend her.āĀ Ā āBarbara Eagan
āI must say I was a tad afraid of starting to learn a new language at my age, but Jodina made it so fun with her friendly and relaxed way of teaching. The association method helps tremendously and her gentle critiquing and encouragement along the way is much appreciated. I enjoyed my classmates, the relaxed atmosphere and knowing making mistakes is part of learning. No pressure to be perfect. The smaller class size was great, and I enjoyed hearing music and chatting about general Italian life, people and traditions. Iām no longer afraid and am so excited to continue this lovely journey.āĀ Ā āCarrie Starkey
āJodinaās method of teaching Beginnerās Italian to those of us who have no previous background in Italian was fun and refreshing ā never boring. The size of the class and the materials used to teach the lessons made it an enjoyable way to learn something new.āĀ Ā āJulie Tier
āI really enjoyed the beginning class with Jodina. Her teaching method flows well and is very practical for someone who wants to learn italian for traveling purposes. I also enjoyed interacting and practicing with other students. I look forward to continuing with Jodina at the next level.āĀ Ā āDani Steinberg
āPoppy and Skip Thornburg, aka Papavera & Schipio
āIāve taken language classes before, and never have I had as much fun as I did with Jodina!Ā Unlike more traditional courses, Jodina teaches āpracticalā Italian, imparting cultural tidbits from her years living abroad.Ā Her use of the text and less conventional tools like YouTube videos, daily proverbs, and links to Italian news articles are fun and help to expand your vocabulary in such an entertaining way that you quickly pick up new words!Ā Ā And I love that Jodina offers so many opportunities to learn ā in addition to her weekly classes and website, she offers a Saturday morning study group and organizes āfield tripsā tied to Italian culture.Ā I would recommend Jodinaās class to anyone who is interested in learning the language or the culture.ā Ā āElizabeth Liemandt, aka Elisabetta
āNancy Simioni, aka Nunziata
āThe Lupinacci Family:Ā Steve, Adam, Julia
āAll of my experiences with āItaliano with Jodinaā have been wonderful! Ā I have enjoyed the Italian classes with Jodina immensely. She is an excellent teacher, and as a teacher myself, I can appreciate the enormous amount of time and energy she invests in preparing Ā and teaching her classes. She is animated, laughs a lot and genuinely enjoys her students. Ā She has very good rapport with her students. Regardless of the level of Ā their Ā experience with the language, she skillfully manages to keep all the students interacting very well together. Ā
She explains well, asks for questions and writes words and phrases on the board for further explanation. She refers to a text and offers any explanations students ask for, but isnāt tied to the text. Her lessons are pertinent and practical; for example: learning and using vocabulary about clothing, going shopping, traveling. Students even prepared a short autobiography based on an example from the text and shared it with other students, all in Italian! Ā These kinds of interactive practices seem like just āfunā, but are really a great way to learn language. Ā She ends her class with a āsayingā or proverb, which uses some new vocabulary, but interests the students very much and also teaches some Italian culture. Then she asks students to memorize them for the next class. What a painless way to learn a language!
Jodina does even more language teaching on Saturdays at Meet-Up sessions. The group is often a mixture of old and new students and she skillfully engages all the students at their levels. They find themselves talking, even arguing or discussing things, ALL Ā in Italian ! She dictates recipes which teaches not only language and writing, but also Italian culture through learning about cooking. She explains anything that is not completely understood. The session is not only fun but a real challenge and the time passes quickly! I feel as if I have really Ā begun to understand and love the āItalian language and culture with Jodinaā. The classes are a wonderful preparation for future travel in Italy.āĀ āJoanna Bravender
āA great source of learning, information and fun on Tuesdays.āĀ Ā Ā āJoe Pandolfo, Jr.
āExcellent way to brush up my Italian and learn more!āĀ Ā Ā āIzabelle Doucet
āā¦ Way too much fun for a Wednesday!āĀ Ā āSteve Storc
