Paola Buscema
Language Coach
& Academic Learning Specialist
Future Coach @ Google
Focus Area: School & Academic Studies
language/s: English, Italian, Spanish
Language teacher with over ten years of experience in teaching Italian as a second language and specializing in preparation for official language certification exams. Certified English teacher, working both in-person and online with a communicative, effective approach tailored to learners’ specific needs. Strong international background with professional experience in Italy, Romania, and Germany, advanced language skills, and a commitment to continuous professional development. Sworn/legal translator registered with the official register for English–Italian and Spanish–Italian language pairs. Highly motivated, reliable, and goal-oriented professional.
Vita
I am a dedicated and versatile language teacher and coach with international experience teaching Italian, English, and Spanish to children, teenagers, and adults. My work combines linguistic precision, cultural sensitivity, and pedagogical creativity. I place great emphasis on communicative, learner-centered teaching and continuous personal development. Current Positions Italian Teacher (Adults) – VHS Lörrach, since 10/2024 Teaching adult learners from A1 to B2 levels, with a focus on communication skills and cultural awareness. Italian Teacher (Children & Teenagers) – Vivace Freiburg e.V. / Italian Consulate Freiburg, since 01/2024 Teaching at schools in the Lörrach area (levels Pre-A1 to C1), preparing students for CILS examinations, and serving as a member of the official examination board. Online Language Trainer (Italian & English) – Freelance, since 06/2020 Providing online lessons to learners worldwide, including grammar, conversation, pronunciation, and exam preparation (CELI, CILS, PLIDA, Cambridge). Previous Professional Experience (Selected) Translator and Interpreter (EN/ES–IT) – Court of Ragusa (2022–2023) Specialized translation of legal documents; certified sworn translator. English Teacher – Easy British School, Ragusa (2018–2023) Preparation for Cambridge examinations (Starters to CAE). CLIL Tutor – Liceo Scientifico “E. Fermi”, Ragusa (2022–2023) Support in bilingual subject teaching (English + content subject). Italian Teacher – Italian Cultural Institute, Bucharest (2016–2018) Teaching Italian at various levels; member of the CELI examination board. Corporate Language Trainer – Lingua Franca Centre, Bucharest (2017) Italian language training for employees of an American company. Education and Certifications Master’s Degree in Specialized Translation (Legal and Business Language) – SSIT Pescara (2024) CEDILS Certification – Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (2018) CELTA – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, CES Dublin (2018) CILS and CELI Examiner Certification – Universities of Siena & Venice (2019–2020) Master’s Degree in Languages for International Cooperation – University of Catania (2014, 110/110 cum laude) Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Sciences – University of Catania (2011, 110/110) Languages Italian – Native speaker English – Advanced/Expert (CAE, CELTA) Spanish – Advanced German – Basic knowledge Key Skills • Language teaching methodology (Italian & English) • Legal and business translation • Exam preparation (CELI, CILS, Cambridge) • Communicative and interactive online teaching • Lesson planning and educational organization Personal Interests Language pedagogy, professional development, travel, photography, reading, and cultural exchange. References and work samples are available upon request.
Dr. Aldo Melchiori
PhD in International Education
JD Attorney at Law
Retired Senior Counsel, Washington State Senate Law and Justice Committee
Olympia, Washington, USA
Paola helped me overcome a learning plateau by giving me the opportunity to speak about topics that interested me with a focus on communicating with fluidity while noting grammar errors for later discussion. Paola’s technique emphasizes active learning and is very student focused while always assuring progress toward the ultimate goal. Perhaps most importantly, Paola made learning fun so that, at the end of each lesson, I came away with more than just learning but also a smile and the motivation to learn more.
Jeff Holland
American citizen learning Italian to apply for Italian citizenship through marriage, age 55
Profession/Education: Information Technology Engineer (recently retired),
University Education in Mathematics
I initially started studying Italian with Paola in an effort to pass the Italian Citizenship language exam (B1 Cittadinanza). Paola's methods and instruction helped me pass the exam, and I've continued to study Italian with her because I enjoy her teaching style that works quite well for me. In particular, she's patient with me if I forget a particular verb conjugation or grammar topic and we need to go back and study it. There's no irritation on her part, we simply go back and review and I do some additional homework, the knowledge is solidified, and then we move on. I also enjoy that we focus on learning through reading articles and simple short stories and emphasize learning in "chunks" (short idiomatic sayings). Last but certainly not least, she's always pleasant and fun to talk to and that makes all the difference.
Aviv Ben-Yosef
Tech Executive Consultant
Israel
Lessons with Paola are often the highlight of my day. She brings her full attention, humor, and warmth to the sessions, making them not just productive, but fun and interesting. She keeps them effective and fresh even though we’ve been at it for over two years, using different tools and approaches all the time. She’s helped me move to Italy with our entire family due to how much my Italian has improved!