Our teacher

Maria Ursi-Amesbury is the founder and director of Intensive Italian. A hugely experienced teacher, she currently teaches at Bath University in the undergraduate and postgraduate language option programmes. Originally from Ruvo di Puglia in Southern Italy, Maria has lived in England for nearly 30 years and has taught Italian language and culture at all levels in educational institutions across the South West of England.

Maria has combined her teaching experience and extensive research to develop a learner-centered method where great importance is given to active student participation in the process of learning. Students are encouraged to talk about themselves and to express their feelings and thoughts. This humanistic approach helps students to become confident whatever learning strategy or style they might have.