Il blog di iperonimo
Consigli, riflessioni e storie dal mondo delle lingue.
Cosa dovrebbe insegnare davvero la scuola?
By Giulia Corlazzoli on September 9, 2026
La scuola dovrebbe insegnare economia, tasse e partita IVA? O il suo compito è un altro? Una riflessione sul vero ruolo della scuola tra mercato del lavoro, cultura e cittadinanza.
Lingua originale o traduzione: questo è il dilemma
By Giulia Corlazzoli on September 6, 2026
«Io leggo solo in lingua originale». Quante volte l'abbiamo sentito dire con una certa aria di superiorità? Ma leggere un'opera in lingua originale significa davvero comprenderla meglio che in traduzione? E quanto sappiamo, in realtà, del lavoro che c'è dietro una buona traduzione letteraria?
The job interview that made me go freelance
By Giulia Corlazzoli on September 1, 2026
One job interview exposed everything I didn’t want in my career: misleading sales practices, rigid teaching methods, unqualified expectations, and delayed payment. Discover how I realized I’d rather build my own standards than work within a system that compromised them.
Interpreters and polyglots: quality vs. quantity in foreign language acquisition
By Giulia Corlazzoli on August 23, 2026
Surprisingly, most language professionals (like interpreters and translators) don't speak many languages at all. They master a few to perfection, which sparks the question: "Is it possible to learn many languages very well?"
How long does it take to learn a language?
By Giulia Corlazzoli on August 19, 2026
How long does it take to learn [insert language]? It is one of the first questions many language learners ask - and understandably so. The problem is that there is no simple answer.
On kindness and false encouragement. What to do when you know your student won't make it
By Giulia Corlazzoli on August 18, 2026
What should a teacher do when they realize a student is unlikely to achieve their goal - not because they lack potential, but because they are not addressing the real problems holding them back?
Come tradurre bene? Lingue antiche e moderne a confronto
By Giulia Corlazzoli on August 7, 2026
Quando si traduce una lingua antica lo si fa diversamente da una moderna? Le mie '10 regole per tradurre bene' a confronto con il decalogo del prof. Antonio Maddalena, ex docente di Lingua e Letteratura Greca presso l'Università di Torino.
Questions I ask my students during (almost) every trial lesson
By Giulia Corlazzoli on July 31, 2026
Two days ago, I talked about how important it is for students to feel heard during their trial (and all throughout their learning journey). Here are a few questions I keep up my sleeve for first-time students, divided by category. Feel free to take inspiration. First things first: understanding and managing expectations.
How to consistently rank #1 on Preply: what counts and what doesn't
By Giulia Corlazzoli on July 29, 2026
Just like you rarely go to page two when searching on Google, potential students tend to choose their tutor from among the first ten profiles they see. Here are a few insights to help you please the God of the Algorithm from someone who has consistently held the #1 position in their category for the last ten months.
How to keep students happy long term
By Giulia Corlazzoli on July 20, 2026
Throughout my teaching career, I've never had a student stop taking lessons from me solely because they were dissatisfied with my teaching. Preply gets monthly student satisfaction metrics from anonymous post-lesson surveys. You can see for yourself how mine look. So, how do I keep students happy long term?
How do I keep a 100% retention rate after my trial lessons on Preply? Spoiler: it's not by underselling
By Giulia Corlazzoli on July 16, 2026
I've been teaching privately on Preply for about 11 months now. I have raised my rate four times, from $29 to $60. Throughout this time, my average post-trial retention rate has stayed above 80%. Last month, that figure reached 100%, meaning every trial student became a paying client. Here's how I did it..H2k2YRTE_IpA4C.webp)
How to learn vocabulary FAST
By Giulia Corlazzoli on July 15, 2026
Have you ever wondered how some people memorize a full deck of cards in under five minutes, while you forget a word five minutes after hearing it? Any memory champion will tell you this has nothing to do with innate ability or some “superior brain capacity” bullcrap.
Have you ever heard of church interpreting?
By Giulia Corlazzoli on June 18, 2026
Have you ever heard of church interpreting? Over the last decade, church interpreting (i.e. interpreting taking place during Christian services) has become the object of an increasing number of publications for its distinct setting and the peculiarity of the message it seeks to convey.
How to add a C language in < 2 years
By Giulia Corlazzoli on June 6, 2026
If you're like me, chances are you started studying your working languages in an academic institution at a fairly young age. Maybe you’ve even forgotten what the early stages of language learning look like. And now you need to add a C language to your combination..DjmkmOdQ_Z1h97mN.webp)
Why children learn any language faster than you
By Giulia Corlazzoli on May 26, 2026
In my private practice as an ESL + FLE teacher, I am routinely confronted with stereotypes and myths about foreign language acquisition. One of the most widespread and persistent goes something like this: (A) Children learn languages fast and well.ObPrdQvO_23luWs.webp)
Handling low-commitment students
By Giulia Corlazzoli on May 25, 2026
When I first started working as a private tutor, I vibed really well with high-commitment students. We set realistic goals; I gave feedback, they took it; I gave homework, they did it. We worked as a team, crafting our own way forward.
Five myths that still need debunking
By Giulia Corlazzoli on May 22, 2026
Dear Santa, My name is Giulia. I am 24 years old. I think I haven’t been too naughty this year. For Christmas, I would like all people - not just linguists! - to stop believing the following five myths about language learning.
Church interpreting case study pt.2
By Giulia Corlazzoli on May 19, 2026
You are selected to interpret a worship service simultaneously for an evangelical audience. For me, it was English into Italian, but for the sake of this post you can imagine it’s your strongest language pair.
On translation and foreign language acquisition
By Giulia Corlazzoli on May 9, 2026
I think we can all agree that mastering a foreign language as an adult is a long and challenging process. For many of us, at least part of this journey takes place in a controlled environment.
The Diabolical Decalogue
By Giulia Corlazzoli on May 9, 2026
I asked #ChatGPT to translate Severgnini’s Diabolical Decalogue—a list of ten ‘good’ writing practices. Let me show how it did.
Church interpreting case study pt.1
By Giulia Corlazzoli on May 7, 2026
You are selected to interpret a worship service simultaneously for an evangelical audience. Eager to serve the Lord & test your interpreting skills, you accept the challenge.