In touch with … Stefano Bona

Being more than 16,000km from his home town in Italy, Dr Stefano Bona has travelled a long way to work at Flinders University. We spoke with him about the privilege of sharing his home with others, and chatted about his mission to hunt down the best Italian food in SA.

What is your role and what does your work focus on?

I am the only lecturer in Italian at Flinders University. My role is fully dedicated to teaching and promoting my native language and culture.

What journey brought you to this point in your career?

Curiously, I teach Italian today because I learned Chinese Mandarin during my Masters Degree in Italy. Studying that language helped me to get a job with an Italian company in Shanghai, and after four years in China, I landed in Adelaide.

I’m now 16,000km from my home town but realise I can bring a little of home with me by teaching Italian. I completed a Master of Language Studies, a PhD in Italian Studies and Screen Studies, and I have been teaching for 12 years in three universities. Through my personal story, I can prove that learning languages is a life-changing experience.

What is something you love most about your work?

I love witnessing how students progress and gain confidence in the language they are acquiring. It’s impressive how fluent they become in just three years and can express themselves across a wide range of topics.

What is something you would like people to know about your role?

Being an Italian lecturer Italian in Australia is a privilege, because this job offers a real chance to make a difference and create an inclusive and useful learning experience, connecting the University with our multicultural community. It’s also a challenge, because this connection is very loose at the moment, and there’s quite a bit of pressure being the sole person responsible for someone’s grasp of a language and culture.

What is something or someone you are most proud of?

In 2019, I had a student working as a truck driver who decided to start learning Italian from scratch, all because he wanted to visit Italy. He was an excellent student – always very enthusiastic and put 100% into his learning. Today he writes wonderful short articles in authentic language and he would like to become a tour guide in Italy when the pandemic is over. His interest in Italian culture and way of life (especially Negronis and pasta) and his willingness to experiment with language made him achieve extraordinary results. I’m proud of him and I hope he can inspire others to discover their Italian passion too.

What does a normal day look like for you?

A normal day for me is running, running, running – even when I’m sitting at my desk!

How do you like to relax or spend your spare time?

If I have an opportunity to get outside , I love to go walking in natural parks. I love a good book or sitting down to enjoy a movie. I’m also on the hunt to discover all the places in town that sell Italian food. I’m a pretty good critic.

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