How a "“Little Italian School" flourished into a big dream
Perth-based mother of three Tania Pietracatella has been enamoured with Italy and the Italian language ever since she first visited the Bel Paese on a family holiday when she was 12 years old.
So,the aspiring Italian teacher was devastated like the majority of the Italiancommunity in Western Australia when the state government announced in 2014 thatit would be cutting funds to their Italian language programs.
"“I had always had intentions to go back andteach in primary schools once I'd finished having children", Pietracatellarecalls, "“but cutting funds made my return to teaching uncertain". Determinedto keep her beloved Italian culture and "“dolce lingua" alive in Perth,Pietracatella took matters into her own hands and established her own LittleItalian School from home, where she could share her knowledge, passion andenthusiasm for the Italian language and culture.
Pietracatellarecalls being on an annual trip to her father's hometown of Campobasso, Molise when she heard about thefunding cuts and how it "“sparked a nerve" within her.
"“All Icould think of was the hard work my nonni had done to help build this country,and their language and culture no longer had any value. Once my parent'sgeneration are gone, the language and culture would be too"¦I was sitting infront of the family farm house in Italy where the old school is, and thoughtwhy don't I just open my own little school?".
Pietracatellawanted to create a more authentic classroom experience for her students and in2016 decided to run The Little ItalianSchool from her Southern Italian inspired home. "“I based the design of thehouse we had just built on the farm house in Italy which I fell in love with asa child. It has a semi-detached room we call the 'tavernetta' where weentertain, make sausage and other things, or just relax"¦.I didn't build it withthe intentions of running a school from our "“tavernetta" but I believe it was fateand all just fell into place, exactly the way it was meant to be"¦and the beautyis (by teaching from the tavernetta) I've been able to make classes morerelaxed, rather than teach in a sterile classroom with over 20 students. Ilimit the numbers to 10 per class. I like to think it's really close to what itused to be like once upon a time".
Despitenot having completed her university studies, Pietracatella firmly believed shehad the passion, skills and motivation needed to open her school. "“I wasdefinitely not nervous about jumping straight into it. I fell pregnant with mythird child three quarters into doing my Bachelor of Arts and once she was bornI had never gone back. I had completed my Italian Teaching Methodology courseat Notre Dame University with high distinction in all units, and had so muchexperience in teaching Italian already that I didn't feel the need to return tofinish my degree, just to receive a piece of paper... Completing your degreedoesn't make you a good teacher. I believe my past years spent living in Italyalong with attending university in Perugia, amongst many years of Italianlanguage studies is a huge advantage for me. And the fact that I return eachyear is the ultimate professional development as I have watched Italy'slanguage and culture evolve over the years and I am able to teach first hand".
Andalmost two years on it Pietracatella's vision has paid off. The authentic,relaxed, teaching style has seen the Italian teacher inundated with enrolments.Pietracatella now teaches six classes a week and runs tween classes, adultbeginners and adult intermediate classes and also offers verb drilling classesand the more relaxed "“conversazione e caffe' as well as private tutoring.
"“Welearn organically, so there is no pressure and no tests or exams". The LittleItalian School has also branched out into monthly cooking workshops wherePietracatella calls on passionate Italo-Australians to share their culinaryskills and passion for Italian cuisine. "“I sometimes get older generationItalians to share their many years of experience, or younger generationItalians that just love to cook."
Thepopularity of the cooking workshops has the Italian teacher now planningcultural workshops in the near future and a possible cultural immersion trip toItaly. "“I just returned from Italy where I met with a friend of ours who ownsan "“agriturismo" where I am planning on taking groups of up to 10 people on afull language and culture immersion farm stay in the raw and untouched Moliseregion of Italy. One of the activities includes watching how mozzarella di bufalais made".
Whilemany Italians in Western Australia feared that the presence of their "“dolcelingua" and beloved cultural traditions was coming to an end after thegovernments funding cuts, the success of Pietracatella's Little Italian Schoolindicates that Western Australians love affair with the Bel Paese is as strongas ever. And Tania Pietracatella agrees, "“A lot of my students are of Italianheritage and want to reconnect with their roots. I almost feel it's my duty tokeep this wonderful language and culture alive in the next generation. It'slike I owe it to my parents and nonni that worked so hard for us. I also havestudents who have no connection at all with the culture but love it and aretherefore interested in all things Italian"¦and I'm determined to keep thelanguage and culture alive in the new generation".
Toenroll into The Little Italian School visit www.thelittleitalianschool.com.au
Image Caption: Tania Pietracatella ather Little Italian School with children Valentina, Flavia and Alessio
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