About Speakitaly NYC - Why Speakitaly NYC?

Welcome to Speakitaly NYC

Why Speakitaly NYC?

Speakitaly wants to be the source from which to begin a new journey, for those who started studying years ago and to those who took a break and would now like to resume their study of Italian through private, group, or themed classes.

We proudly use the ‘Common European Framework of Reference for languages’ as our guidelines for our online and offline courses. This framework allows us to work with students from around the world with the confidence that they are in the best course level for optimal learning of their new language.

Our method is the result of constant updates, professional certifications and more than 10 years of experience in working with non-native speakers from different native languages and levels of knowledge.

Our aim is to develop a range of Italian language skills while improving accuracy that will enable the students and participants to interact without stress or feeling rushed. We want to help those in the community really embrace not only the true culture in Italy but the Italian culture within New York City… Who doesn’t love what Italy represents in the kitchen, in history & in the arts?

Speakitaly NYC is for everybody—that is our mission. We are at the avant-garde of language teaching with a broad range of possibilities to learn, practice, and have fun with the Italian language. Effective Italian language learning comes with pleasure. We possess the experience, flexibility, and methodology necessary to create something different, something new, something exciting!

Meet our Founder & Director Raffaella

Raffaella Galliani holds a Bachelor of Arts in Languages and Literature, a Master of Arts in Teaching Italian to Foreigners, and one at NYU in Foreign Language Education where she was also awarded the NYU Steinhardt Teaching and Learning Scholarship & Teresa V. DiLustri Aversa Fund for Foreign Language Education.

Raffaella has been a language Instructor for more than 15 years and has worked for such high-profile organizations as the US General Consulate in Milan, the Politecnico University, the Lycée Français de New York, and The New School. She is currently teaching at NYU SPS as an adjunct professor of Italian.

Raffaella opened in 2015 Speakitaly NYC, and since then she has been working to provide students with the best of the latest applied methodologies for learning a foreign language. She has been an official examiner for the CELI (Università per stranieri di Perugia) and CILS (Università per Stranieri di Siena) exams for the past 10 years and her SpeakItaly NYC is also an official testing center.

Raffaella’s native language is Italian however she is also fluent in English, French, and Spanish. She is a certified translator for the General Consulate of Italy in New York and she helps people from A to Z to gain Dual Citizenship. In her life as a translator, she worked on subtitling part of the last Michael Moore documentary “ Where to Invade Next “ and the Apple App for the Olympics in London and TikTok. She is a passionate linguist in love with teaching!

“Speakitaly NYC has a rich personality that wants to expand along the way with the aim to get to New Yorkers’ hearts. This is the result of a long work made with strong passion, deep motivation, and, above all, with a sincere love for what I do in life. Here is my hope for a new attractive chapter for Italian in New York City. Everybody aboard, we are ready!”