I had the good fortune of coming across Bill in my search for a French tutor in early 2020. Having found a bit of time on my hands, I realized that I wanted to rekindle my love of French and, lucky for me, Bill had exactly one open spot left. To put it simply, I can't recommend Bill highly enough. I am a bit of a unique case, having learned French in an immersion program in elementary and middle school. This meant that while my speaking ability is quite high and intuitive, my vocabulary and understanding of grammar is pretty limited. In just three short months, Bill took me through seven verb tenses, a panoply of vocabulary categories, and a whirlwind of other topics. Even though this is Bill's page for his work teaching Italian, I still thought my experience and endorsement could be instructive and helpful, so wanted to share a few reasons why he's so great. First, he has a deep and organized understanding of the language. Through years of study, he has managed to identify patterns in verb conjugations, or noun genders, that serve as incredibly useful shortcuts for a learner. What's more, those shortcuts mean that what you learn sticks with you. Although I have years of French speaking under my belt, I can honestly say that now - after working with Bill - is the first time that I really understand why the language is structured in the ways it is. As a result of that understanding, I feel like my command of the language has increased immensely. Second, Bill curates the learning experience specifically for each student. As mentioned, I am a bit of a peculiar case and I was initially nervous about being put into a learning program better suited for people starting at square one or really advanced speakers. Instead, Bill developed a curriculum that was tailored for me. From the speed at which we covered the material to the lessons themselves, I felt like Bill was actively and intentionally modulating both his style and the substance to fit my needs. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Bill has a contagious enthusiasm for his work. He absolutely loves teaching people French and Italian. It's abundantly clear that he has fun teaching and that he wants you to have fun, too. I certainly did! read more

I cannot say enough about how thrilled I am to have found Bill Savage for my language learning needs! I've been studying Italian with Bill for just under three months now and I can't tell you how much I've learned! Bill is a thoughtful, thorough and enthusiastic teacher who tailors his lessons to each of his students. He will go as fast or as slow as you need him to go. When I say tailor, I mean tailor! He spends time understanding your language learning goals and customizes your lesson plans and homework to align to those goals. Through a lifetime of study, Bill has found a unique way to teach that helps the learner quickly understand patterns and reason and each week you truly see the progress you are making. It happens so quickly you almost miss it and then you realize "I just said that perfectly!" Bill is also extremely available to his students. While he provides a plethora of materials to help your weekly studies along, he is also a text or email away if questions arise. He definitely goes above and beyond. With Bill, I feel like I'm not just memorizing but truly understanding and learning. I look forward to continuing my language learning with Bill and am excited to know he'll be cheering me along throughout the process. read more

I have been taking French lessons with Mr Savage for a little over six months and I'm absolutely thrilled with the results! My sister & her spouse moved to France in October, so I figured it was time for me to finally face my fear of French. I never thought I'd be able to get the pronunciation right or be able to understand what was being said to me because of my age and the fact that I spent the last 30 years working around loud machinery. In spite of my hearing loss I am making tremendous progress in learning to speak this beautiful language and, rather than being intimidated, I'm enjoying the lessons so much! I really appreciate the way each lesson is thoughtfully structured to address my specific issues. Bill Savage has developed a method of teaching that has given me insight into how the language is constructed. This has enabled me to see patterns that make it easy to understand things like verb conjugations and sentence structure while building my vocabulary very quickly. I still have a lot of work to do before I get on that plane to Paris, but now, instead of being worried, I can't wait to get off that plane and get some real world practice! read more

I recently completed a two-month, bi-weekly, crash course in Italian with Bill. During our private lessons he always exhibited a great sense of humor, patience and flexibility during lessons: always energetic, approachable, and encouraging me to push the envelope and to rise to the challenges he put in front of me. It might be worth noting that, unlike programs that emphasize a more conversational approach during lessons, his teaching style leans toward discussions around structure, grammar, usage and accurate pronunciation. Lessons are conducted by Zoom and concepts and diagrams of his own improvisation unfold effortlessly on his whiteboard over the course of an hour. Lessons are followed by homework assignments that reinforce the topics covered earlier that day. Remarkably, between lessons he's available via email and text to answer questions about homework. Should I decide to continue learning the language after returning from my travels, I'll definitely be looking to see if he can fit me in for additional lessons. It's a fabulous language to learn, and Bill most certainly made the process fun & effective. Highly recommended. read more

I have been taking Italian from Bill Savage since September. I was originally considering a college course and I am so glad I found Bill online. He is the best! I am planning a trip to Italy to see my cousin and I wanted to speak the language and understand it. With The Italian studio I am able to progress at my own pace and be taught in way that is fun. I look forward to my lesson every week. If I am going to be out of town he will do a class by FaceTime. That is a bonus! Bill has a great teaching method as well as a wonderful sense of humor. He travels to both Italy and France and is fluent in both. He even teaches Italian in French and French in Italian. If you want to learn Italian or French, Bill Savage is who you are looking for. He is an excellent tutor and I highly recommend him. read more

Bill is a gifted teacher, but he is also has a special genius. He understands how language is put together. He has his own techniques and devices that help you pick up phrases and meaning so quickly. He had me speaking 10- and 15-word sentences in Italian in our first one-hour tutorial. I was so motivated after that. He gave me the confidence that I was really getting somewhere, that I could truly learn to speak Italian. And I can! It was so motivational. I can't say enough about Bill's contagious enthusiasm, his charm, his dedication. Maybe it is because he is fluent in and teaches both Italian and French, but the dude knows language. He understands the body of the language and how it is put together. And he knows how to help you absorb all of that. Bravo! read more

I started working with Bill in December of 2021 to learn Italian! My husband is Italian and his family is living in Italy. We had tried learning before with Duolingo, but always gave up/felt like what we were learning had nothing to do with things we would ever need to say. Within the first two months we took a trip to Italy and were able to converse with non-english speakers. Now it is 7 months later and we can't wait to go back with so much more knowledge! It's been really amazing, Bill's system is so easy to follow and it keeps us accountable without being stressful. So excited to continue on the path to learning more Italian! Our goal was to be fluent by 1 year and it feels like an easier goal than I would've imagined thanks to Bill's way of teaching! read more

I feel so fortunate to have found Bill Savage in my efforts to learn French. As an older learner, yet new to learning any foreign language, I was finding the task more than a little daunting. Bill was immediately reassuring and made the learning process fun again! He is extremely organized, tailors learning goals and style to individual needs, and is passionate about both language and culture. His explanations and background stories as to why language has formed as it has, not only aids a new level of comprehension, but brings color to the language. I find his approach just brings language alive for the learner. I have progressed dramatically with Bill's help. I cannot recommend him highly enough and look forward to continued learning with him. read more

Bill's one of those rare teachers with the gift of understanding a student's optimal learning style and catering the class and homework to make the student successful and constantly motivated. I've never learned anything in a private setting before and Bill makes learning Italian feel downright luxurious. The speed of the coursework is set specifically for me, the homework itself, for me and each session feels like we're making weeks of progress in a day. I've been subscribed to a few Italian instagram channels for a while before starting these lessons and after a few months with Bill, I realized I was no longer reading the English translations :). I highly recommend working with Bill if you're interested in working on your Italian or French. read more

Bill has tutored me for the past year. I began lessons as something to keep me occupied during Covid, but continued well after as I realized I love learning and it's a great way to keep your mind active. Bill is a great instructor. He tailors his lesson plans to each student. He is available to answer questions I may have outside of my lessons promptly. I started with Duo Lingo, but realized it wasn't teaching me in a way that was useful to my learning style. I am getting so much more out of private lessons with Bill, and it is great to see how far I have come. I would definitely recommend Bill as a tutor to anyone who is interested in learning a new language, whether it's just a hobby, or something you need for travel/work. read more

I am quite blown away with my progress learning under Bill. His knowledge and ability to truly teach the language is incredible, it's something I wish I had during school. I had tried Duolingo, Rosetta Stone and Mango but got bored each time. The apps spent so much time learning things I just couldn't relate to or care about. Bill's process creates a scalable process for constructing sentences that should be broadcast globally so that everyone can pick things up this easily. He is also very fun to work with, accommodating, confidence inspiring and just an all around great guy. I look forward to his classes twice a week. I am not exaggerating, I cannot recommend him enough, seriously, just go for it! read more

I have been taking lessons with Bill for a year now. I can't recommend his teaching enough. I have taken language classes throughout my life, including Italian from another instructor before Bill, and his methods are fantastic. Sometimes language instructors can be overwhelming or erratic with how they progress. Bill teaches very clearly each week, the homework is based only on that, and each week builds on the next. Bill doesn't just teach phrases you memorize he helps you understand the language in an empowering way. You won't be disappointed with Bill's teaching. If you want to really understand the language and speak confidently he's the instructor for you! read more

I took Italian lessons with Bill for 6 months to prepare for a trip to Italy and learned everything I needed to get by during my time abroad. Bill is super organized and reliable, he individualizes instruction, customizes homework for each lesson, and is always available and quick to respond to any questions. He has incredible knowledge of the language and you will not only be able to converse with a host of verbs in your arsenal but will have a thorough understanding of the grammar behind it all. The volume of functional language I learned with Bill far exceeds any other app or lesson I've tried in the past. I highly recommend Bill for language lessons! read more

Bill has been tutoring me in French for the last 10months. I wanted to start taking French lessons as something to keep my mind active in a fun way; to learn something new without the stress of a typical school/university setting. My expectations have been exceeded with Bill. Each lesson is private & 100% tailored to my personal specific learning curve. His teaching style is extremely helpful in retaining new information and concepts. He is also always available to answer my questions that arise throughout the week before our next scheduled lesson time. My experience easily allows me to fully recommend Bill to teach you French and/or Italian! read more

Bill has been tutoring me in French for the last 4 months. I wanted to start taking French lessons as something to keep my mind active in a fun way; to learn something new without the stress of a typical school/university setting. My expectations have been exceeded with Bill. Each lesson is private & 100% tailored to my personal specific learning curve. His teaching style is extremely helpful in retaining new information and concepts. He is also always available to answer my questions that arise throughout the week before our next scheduled lesson time. My experience easily allows me to fully recommend Bill to teach you French and/or Italian! read more

Bill is an incredible language teacher! It has always been a goal of mine to become fluent in French, but I found myself struggling through language classes in school. I started taking lessons from Bill 5 months ago and have seen more progress than I ever did in my previous classes! His lessons are fun and his method of teaching has helped me learn so much in such a short amount of time. He teaches in a way that feels much more natural than studying a textbook, which has helped me to learn French quickly and makes me always look forward to our lessons. With the help of Bill, I'm confident that I'll be speaking French in no time! read more

I've always wanted to learn another language, and found myself with plenty of time on my hands during COVID. I contacted Bill, who pivoted all his lessons to Zoom, and he started teaching me French -- in the convenience of my own home! The lessons are tailored to my schedule; going really fast when I pick something up quickly, or we will spend several weeks on a concept that I'm not understanding. Bill is excellent, professional, prepared, and extremely happy and enthusiastic. If you are willing to put in the work, he will get you speaking another language, even if you're learning for the first time as a working adult. read more

Bill is an amazing teacher. Finally, I am making real progress and feeling so much more confident understanding the language. My lessons are private, so the content and the flow are tailored to me. We speed up when I'm ready and we slow down when I'm not getting something. He is always ready on time and we use literally every second of the hour. His homework is again personally tailored to me. We don't use textbooks, which is a beautiful thing. You are taught the language in the way people speak it. He genuinely loves language and this passion comes through in his methods and knowledge of history. read more

Bill is extremely kind, highly professional, and always encouraging during the formidable process of learning a new language. He is super enthusiastic about language learning and always had something encouraging to say. He paces his lessons to fit your goals and progress, and always gently redirected me towards better speaking & pronunciation habits. He is prompt and timely with meetings, homework, lesson plans and sprinkles in some history and 'fun facts' into "why it's done that way" which has been very helpful for my learning process. Super thankful for Bill's lessons during COVID times! read more