I sent a survey to my newsletter readers at the end of last year.
After a couple of years in which personal issues made it difficult for me to focus properly on work, 2025 was the year when I finally felt I could regain control of my work life. I focused mainly on 1-on-1 conversations, which are the core of my teaching activity, but I started feeling I could finally add more projects to my teaching services.
To better understand my students’ needs, I asked my readers about their interests and goals related to learning and practicing Italian. Their answers gave me a huge boost of energy and inspired several ideas for new programs to offer this year.
After analyzing the survey, I noticed two main areas of interest: more materials in Italian and more opportunities to interact with other students. Therefore, the new programs and services for 2026 come directly from those requests.
For students wanting more materials in Italian, I have decided that all new blog posts will have a bilingual version. New posts will include a downloadable PDF in Your Italian Toolbox, and I’ll slowly translate the older ones as well. I won’t do it for all the posts, but it will undoubtedly be done for grammar, reading, and travel blog posts.
In addition, I will resume my monthly YouTube livestream, where I answer questions from my newsletter readers. The best way to be informed about the schedule and topic of each YouTube livestream is to sign up for my newsletter. By doing that, you’ll also be able to send me questions or suggest topics you’d like me to cover during the livestreams.
As for programs that focus on interaction with other students, three new services will be available in 2026.
Comincia tu!
As much as I love 1-on-1 conversations (they are a great way to get students to speak a lot!), I also know that group conversations can be fun and really beneficial. Listening to other students, exchanging ideas, and interacting in a lively environment can make a huge difference. Speaking with other students was the number 1 request in the survey, so I am excited to introduce Comincia tu!, my first group conversation program.
To keep it manageable and not overwhelming, each conversation program will last for one month, with the first session starting in February. Each session will include four 90-minute conversations, one per week, and all centered around a specific theme (the February one is viaggi e vacanze). Groups will consist of a maximum of six students, with a minimum of three participants required to start. The recommended level is B1.
You can find all details on this dedicated page.
Leggiamo insieme
Over the years, I’ve written many posts about books, and I have been thinking about setting up a book club for as long as I can remember. Well, it seems the time has finally come: Instantly Italy now has a book club!
Because book clubs can sometimes be overwhelming, I want this one to be relaxed and flexible, giving participants plenty of time to read and truly enjoy the book. This is why, just like the conversation programs, there will be only four book clubs over the year, which means that you’ll have approximately three months to read each book. We’ll have a Telegram page to discuss the book as we read it, and there’ll be a final Zoom conversation to share thoughts and impressions.
You can find all details on this dedicated page.
Pausa Caffè
“Will you offer Pausa Caffè again?” is a question I get quite often, so it’s definitely time to bring it back (in a new version this time!). In case you don’t know about it, Pausa Caffè is a challenge to help you practice your Italian every day for a month. It is called Pausa Caffè because a coffee break usually doesn’t last long, maybe just 10 minutes, and this is exactly the time you need to work on the challenge every day.
When you sign up, you’ll receive a short audio from me every day with a question to answer by recording your own audio. The old Pausa Caffè used VideoAsk, but last year I tested a new format with a small group of students, and it worked wonderfully. We used a Telegram group where I shared the daily questions and each student uploaded their response, allowing everyone to listen, interact, and support one another. It was a lot of fun, so this is how the new Pausa Caffè will work.
More details will be available soon, but mark your calendars: we’ll start on March 2!
Summarizing, here’s the calendar for the next three months:
January – March: Leggiamo insieme, our book club (the final book club conversation will be on March 16)
February: Comincia tu!, a group conversation to practice Italian with other students (the program starts on February 2nd)
March: Pausa Caffè, a way to practice a little Italian every day for a month
If you have questions, feel free to comment below or send me an email at cinzia@instantlyitaly.com
Will you join me in one of these group programs?
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