Taught Italian, Spanish, and French in Denver schools for more than twenty years. He has served as the Dean and Assistant Principal of a middle school in the Adams 12 Five Star School District. Jim has a degree from the University of Perugia. He lived in Rome for four years, working as a tour guide and teaching at Berlitz International School in Rome. He played professional tennis in Europe and the U. S. Jim has spoken Italian since childhood. He has coached boys and girls high school sports, and worked with at risk students in Denver Public Schools.
David Gasbarro Tasker enjoys sharing his Italian heritage and the Italian language with others. He has a PhD in applied linguistics from Northern Arizona University, a Master’s degree, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Italian from the University of Colorado. He has ten years of experience with classroom teaching and tutoring in subjects including Italian, writing, and English as a foreign language. He has authored several publications and given presentations about language acquisition at many conferences in the U.S. and abroad. David has spoken Italian with his family since he was young. He studied abroad in Ferrara and Florence and spends time in Italy frequently, exploring the dialects, traditions, foods and wines of different regions, especially his mother’s region of Abruzzo. In his free time, he likes to learn authentic Italian recipes, plays guitar, and reads.
Andrea is a passionate and experienced Italian language and culture educator with a rich background spanning over two decades. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, to Italian immigrants, Andrea has a deep-rooted connection to Italy’s language, cuisine, and traditions. His journey as an educator began in 2002 when he taught Italian as an extracurricular activity at CSU in Fort Collins, later expanding his influence by teaching at various prestigious institutions.
From 2005 to 2007, Andrea taught both beginning and advanced Italian at La Casa Italiana, located in the Italian Cultural Institute in Washington, DC, before moving on to teach Italian cooking classes at the Italian Cultural Center, where he combined language lessons with wine tasting to offer a complete cultural experience (2005-2009). He also instructed intermediate Italian at the International Language Institute from 2007 to 2009.
Andrea's focus has primarily been on preparing travelers to immerse themselves in the beauty of Italy, its language, and its cuisine.