My life has been interwoven with the world of languages and communication for almost 3 decades, starting at the age of 15 when my French friends and classmates asked me for English lessons after school.

I continued as a professor's assistant at university, where I taught French as a second language to international students.

After France, the adventure continued with 10 years spent in Italy, divided between Napoli and Torino, where I taught in many different schools and worked with hundreds of students, of all ages.

Later I worked as an instructional designer for 2 different programs (and multiple companies) in the Czech Republic.

I have also served in a multitude of volunteer positions as a teacher, tutor, and mentor, working with elementary and middle school students, teens and young adults.

Simply put - teaching is part of my DNA.

But it's more than teaching:

it's helping my students find their voice.

It's creating an environment where lessons go from information to inspiration.

Because learning English - or any language -

only works when you go beyond books

and get into the beauty of real life.

We learn our first language as children, not because we know how to read or memorize -

but because we are living in a fully immersive world, a fully connected reality where words, language, self-expression and communication are all things that we can feel, embody, and enjoy.

We remember most, what we feel the most - memes that make us laugh, music that makes us cry, movies that make us believe we can be the hero of our own story.

Speaking English becomes second nature when your heart - not just your mind - is included. Because that's how we are designed to learn: through supportive relationships, in creative communities, and in constant practice.

This is the world I bring to my students:

an immersive, intuitive, connected and creative classroom where learning isn't confined to just studying rules or memorizing lists.

The Beauty Hermit is a welcoming, supportive online space where we can meet, talk, laugh, and discover English together.

Here, learning is a way of life.

See you soon! - Rafaella