Meet Our Instructors
Our team includes more than 50 experienced linguists, with instructors based here in Charlottesville and across the U.S. and around the world. Together, they bring language, culture, and real-life experience into every lesson, creating learning that’s personal, engaging, and human.
Italian: Noemi Perego, M.A.
Noemi was born in Carate Brianza, a quiet and green area north of Milan close to Como and the beautiful famous lake. She took a master in Italian Language and Literature at UVA and she has been teaching Italian since then.
Italian: Federica Priola, M.A.
“Armed with a degree in linguistics, I specialize in teaching Italian to foreigners, sharing my language and culture with eager learners worldwide.”
Italian: Raffaella Misuraca, Ph.D.
“I specialize in Cognitive Psychology and Motivation and am proud to be part of the Speak! team as a specialist in motivation and learning processes.”
Italian: Stella Mattioli, M.A.
Originally from Italy, (from Poggio a Caiano, the sister city of Charlottesville!), Stella brings both academic expertise and firsthand knowledge of Italian language and culture to her teaching.
Meet Christina Ball, Ph.D.
Meet Christina Ball, founder of Speak! Language Center. A Yale-trained Italianist, Fulbright Scholar, and lifelong language learner, Christina has spent more than 30 years helping people connect through language, culture, and conversation.
Italian: Anna Bakalian, A.A.
AnnaMaria is very knowledgeable about the cultural issues in learning Italian to speak and live as an Italian. Anna Maria worked for 10 years as a corporate travel agent and 5 years in Milano for a Foreign Consulate.
Italian: Giulia Gavin, B.A.
She was inspired to learn other Romance languages early on; Italian, her native language along with English, and soon after, French, and Spanish.
Speak! is about CONNECTION!
Many of our favorite moments happen when teachers and students learn, laugh, and connect beyond the lesson.
