Who is Viktoria Laskina?

I’m Viktoria Laskina, and I teach Italian as a foreign language online. Russian and Erzya are my native languages. I was born in 1998 in a small village in Mordovia, Russia, and now live in Verona, Italy. Italian is part of my working day and my life outside lessons, so I do not teach it as an abstract subject. In my lessons, Italian stays connected to real people and places, Italian culture, local habits and ordinary situations.

I came to teaching after learning foreign languages in several very different ways myself. I reached C2 in English and C1 in Italian, my German is A2, and I’m now studying French at A1. I still take lessons, so I know the gap between understanding a rule, remembering it later and using it confidently in a real conversation. Alongside that experience, I completed a master’s degree in Linguistics at the University of Verona with a final grade of 110 cum laude.

Studying linguistics taught me to look at how grammar and vocabulary work together, and how pronunciation, meaning and context affect one another. In class, I use that knowledge to help students turn what they understand into something they can say or write. My lessons have a clear structure and plenty of practical work, but I also want students to feel comfortable trying. When we study a rule, word or expression, we use it in speaking, listening, reading or writing, in situations students may meet outside class. I explain each new point clearly and give students room to use it, starting with simple Italian phrases from the first lessons. We start speaking early because learning to speak takes practice, and that practice helps confidence grow.

The language I use for explanations depends on the student, so with beginners I can use Russian or English to make sure nothing gets lost. As their level grows, Italian gradually becomes the main language of the lesson. I want Italian to be clear, but also alive and ready to use, until it becomes a language each student can truly make their own.