Testimonials
Past and Current Students
Marilyn
World Language Community College Director
"One of the highlights of my career at Middlesex Community College involved working with Giuseppe Formato. As a fellow applied linguist it was truly a joy to watch him at his craft - teaching a language and building connections and teaching relationships with his students. I hope in the future we get to collaborate on work again that involves languages and changing lives by helping individuals learn the language they need to learn."
Christina
Preschool Teacher
"I was a student of Giuseppe's for the 2015-2016 academic year at Lesley University. I was 18, starting brand new as a freshman, and eager to see what the world had in store for me. Being of Italian descent, it has always been a goal of mine to learn Italian. Giuseppe made that possible and helped me foster a love of learning Italian! I took his Italian I and Italian II classes, and although I ended up transferring out of Lesley, I currently hold a minor in Italian from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Giuseppe's classes provided me with the foundation, background language, and tools necessary to succeed in Italian 3, Italian 4, and other Italian culture classes. While navigating this new environment was tough, Giuseppe's class was always one I looked forward to! In Giuseppe's class, we were exposed to Italian history, the relevance to society today, and the practicality of the language. As students, we were taught to internalize the language while appreciating its culture. We were even fortunate enough to explore Boston's North End, as a class excursion. Giuseppe's instruction was clear and engaging, and he was always timely with grading tests and giving feedback. Giuseppe has a passion for teaching languages and thrives within his positions. He truly cares about the well-being and success of his students and it shows through in his teaching styles. Giuseppe has proven his competence in teaching languages since 2004, when he started teaching Italian through Società Dante Alighieri. Throughout the years he has worked in various positions and gained experience in each. He has shown commitment to his positions, often staying in them for multiple years and taking steps to benefit the programs he works in. He has initiated and lead many successful culture clubs and programs in various schools to increase students' interest in taking Italian and Portuguese. Giuseppe has experience in the classroom and outside of it, making him versatile and flexible as an educator. He would be an ideal candidate for any language teaching position."
Vincent
Vice President, Bank of America
"I come from a Portuguese speaking family, but even in my late 20’s my language skills were elementary at best. Therefore, I hired Giuseppe as a private instructor in Portuguese starting in 2015. He quickly assessed my language skills and in our second weekly meeting he provided a syllabus with lessons and readings that I needed to accomplish by our next meeting. Essentially, Giuseppe created a personalized Portuguese course for an adult learner. Additionally, Giuseppe taught about the different cultures making up the Lusophone countries. As a person with Azorean and Cape Verdean ancestry, but with limited understanding of either culture, Giuseppe consistently recommended different cultural events, museums, and restaurants where I could learn and experience these cultures. He has a passion for language and people, which go hand and hand, and he deepened my cultural awareness. Eventually, as I improved in my reading, writing, and conversational skills, our lessons turned more into conversations about everyday life, which greatly expanded my vocabulary. Where my lessons took place changed throughout time as well. We started with face to face meetings in Cambridge, but my job brought me to North Carolina in 2017. However, Giuseppe easily transitioned my lessons to an online format where he was still engaging and providing valuable feedback/notes to improve my language skills. After all this time, I reached a point now that Portuguese legal documents prepared and validated by government officials indicate that I am a Portuguese speaker. This achievement is solely through the instruction of Giuseppe Formato. He is the only person who has formally taught me Portuguese and I am immensely grateful to have such a professional and knowledgeable instructor."
David
Intern at Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate
"Giuseppe was an OUTSTANDING lecturer. I took multiple classes with him not even necessarily for the course work but just to have a class with him. I specifically took introduction to Portuguese and Italian (separate classes) and then an advanced Italian course with him. He made every class an absolute joy and knew exactly how to hold attention. Even with an 8 am Monday morning the attendance was near perfect because of the way he taught. He assigned coursework that was relevant to the topic at hand while not too overwhelming so as to keep students engaged while not letting others fall behind. He was the reason I still take Italian lessons today and if it weren’t for Covid I would most likely be in Italy studying courses all because of his teachings. He always made time for individual tutoring sessions which of course I took advantage of. One of the most engaging projects I did with him was to write an entire essay in Italian. It was incredibly foreboding at first and I was intimidated when I first learned of it but after a couple one on one sessions and several rough drafts I delivered a paper that not only got me an A but surprised me with my abilities to fluently write something in a foreign language. I took 8 years of German throughout my elementary days and in one semester of Italian with Giuseppe I feel I learned more with him than I did an entire 8 years with other (lesser quality) teachers. He is the best and any university would be lucky to have him as a professor."
Marianne
Attorney
"Giuseppe was my Portuguese teacher, first through the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, and then as a private tutor. Participating in the class through the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, I was so impressed with his ability not just to connect with each of us students, but to very quickly understand our learning styles and comfort levels - both with the process of learning a new language (the challenges and joys of it that were unique to each of us) and with class participation - and then to guide the entire class through each lesson in a way that was simultaneously accessible to each of us and supportive and encouraging of our participating together and learning as much from one another as from him. Then in our private lessons, he was very skilled in finding conversation topics that really caught my attention, but also stretched and challenged my grammar and vocabulary. He also was acutely aware of the particularities of my learning process - namely that I already spoke Spanish fairly well and made many grammatical and vocabulary errors because of inadvertently substituting Spanish vocabulary and grammatical structures for Portuguese - and was able to kindly but clearly point out how and why I was doing that in a way that allowed me to internalize the corrections and ultimately catch myself before continuing to make the mistakes. I have studied with many language teachers in various settings - high school, university, adult education - and he is by far one of the best teachers I have worked with."
Javier
Language Teacher and Doctoral Candidate in Italian at Middlebury College
"El Dr. Formato hizo una labor muy destacada durante su estadía como docente de lengua italiana en Malden Public Schools. Su alto conocimiento cultural y su dominio de varios idiomas fue de enorme ayuda a muchos estudiantes que necesitaban del apoyo de una persona en la que pudiesen confiar. Muchos de los estudiantes en este distrito son estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma e inmigrantes recién llegados que necesitan de soporte en su lengua materna, por su mayoría de origen brasileño o centroamericano. Desafortunadamente, no hay servicios para los estudiantes en sus idiomas maternos, por lo que muchos estudiantes se acercaron al Dr. Formato en busca de apoyo. Él les ayudó y sirvió de intermediario para que pudiesen recibir la ayuda que necesitaban. En cuanto a sus habilidades como enseñante, Dr. Formato es un profesional que tiene siempre en cuenta las metas y las necesidades de sus estudiantes. Él busca siempre la manera de poder hacer el contenido relevante e interesante para los estudiantes lo que lleva a una mayor participación y envolvimiento de ellos. Dr. Formato es una persona extremadamente talentosa y lo recomiendo para cualquier empleo o posición relacionada con la educación y la enseñanza de lenguas."
Jessica
Freelance Digital Artist
"I enthusiastically recommend Dr. Giuseppe Formato, whom I had the pleasure of learning from in an Italian II class at Malden High School from 2021-2022. Over the course of that year alone, it was clear he has a great passion for his field and educating others in the subjects he teaches. Dr. Formato is an incredibly communicative and approachable individual and was always eager to answer any questions within the classroom. His understanding and empathetic approach helped resolve most, if not all, difficulties students had due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties of remote learning to ensure everyone understood the basics and was prepared for the class material. He is also extremely supportive, having written myself a letter of recommendation when applying to college. I was particularly impressed by his ability to take on my request and complete it in such a timely manner, despite his already-existing workload during that time. Professor Formato’s ability to take initiative allowed a number of classes, including my own, to explore different cultures in new ways outside of the traditional note-taking methods, such as finding means to engage with communities within Massachusetts. He enthusiastically arranged for and personally led trips to locations; One such example is the Eataly location in Boston, where students were given the opportunity to utilize a more hands-on approach in learning about culture, cuisine, and the individuals that make up the local Italian community. Alongside his incredible expertise in language and culture, his positive attitude is infectious and a wonderful presence to have in any setting. Dr. Formato, as an educator, has always expressed an eagerness to engage and motivate students, as well as improve the curriculum, from the day I met him. It’s uncommon to come across someone so motivated and passionate about what they’re teaching, but Dr. Formato is an excellent educator who goes above and beyond. I would personally recommend him for any instructional role he strives for, and am sure he would make a wonderful asset in any organization and its community."
Teresa
Director of Admissions and Student Placement at Somerville Public Schools
"It is with great pleasure that I recommend Dr. Formato as a Professor. He is enthusiastic, practical and talented. He provided weekly activities that reinforced our language learning. He organized a vast array of resources to review and also infused cultural education throughout our course. Online learning can feel disjointed to me at times and he did his best to build interest and create actionable items for us to do. His communication style was clear, informative and inviting. My comprehension of Portuguese improved tremendously and I use what I learned every week in my current role. I would highly recommend him and his course. I hope that I get to learn with him again the near future. Sign up for a course with him as soon as you can!"
Cynthia
Professor of Art History at Emmanuel College
"Dr. Formato was a guest lecturer in two of my courses at Emmanuel College over a period of several years. In each case, he demonstrated outstanding teaching skills. He masterfully presented complex issues related to the course material in ways that were both engaging and accessible to undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds. His presentations always sparked interest in the students and he answered their questions in a welcoming and open manner. Dr. Formato also served as a guest lecturer in a course that I teach at Harvard University Extension School. In this case, he was teaching adult learners, many with professional backgrounds, and again, he demonstrated mastery of the material presented, created a dynamic classroom environment, and was warmly received by students. Dr. Formato's research on teaching and learning informs his own approach to teaching and has led him to be an outstanding teacher in his own right."
Brock
Business Research Manager
"I would highly recommend Giuseppe for Portuguese instruction. Giuseppe knows the Portuguese language and grammar inside and out. He is also very familiar with the vernacular for Portugal and the Açores in particular. This was useful for learning and getting familiar with the different tenses to use in different situations. For example, in some cases, there are multiple correct ways to say something but Giuseppe could explain which ways are more correct and why. He seemed very at ease explaining the nuances of the language and I thought it came naturally to him. Giuseppe was also a pleasure to talk to and very knowledgeable about Portuguese culture. He was always on time and flexible. While I did not study Italian with Giuseppe, I have every reason to believe he would be an excellent Italian instructor as well and I believe he is similarly knowledgeable about the culture there as well. As he has lived in multiple different parts of Europe as well as the US, I think he would be a great candidate for a multicultural environment."
Graça
Professor at ISCTE-Lisbon University Institute
"Conheci Giuseppe em 2014, em Cambridge, MA, durante o meu trabalho de campo antropológico. Um interesse comum pela paisagem sociolinguística da parte açoriana e portuguesa deste território, levou-nos a iniciar uma colaboração que se tem consolidado ao longo do tempo. Após o seu doutoramento que acompanhei de perto, iniciámos um projeto de investigação ainda em curso e que tem sido divulgado em congressos internacionais, palestras escrita conjunta de artigos e capítulos de livros. Tem sido um privilégio e um prazer trabalhar com Giuseppe. Ele é, a todos os títulos, um investigador brilhante, que consegue aliar uma sólida e excelente formação científica e humanística, a uma perspicácia intelectual, disciplina de trabalho e sensibilidade raras de se encontrar em uma pessoa tão jovem. Para mim, poder contar com a sua disponibilidade e generosidade, tem sido uma experiência maravilhosa de colaboração e de co-autoria, profícua e imensamente bem sucedida. O meu maior desejo é que ele possa encontrar rapidamente o contexto institucional mais adequado à realização do seu enorme potencial e talento de investigador e professor."
Emily
Math Teacher
"My first day at Lesley University was, overwhelming to say the least. I remember being late to my first class, which was Italian 3 where Giuseppe was my instructor. He helped me feel at ease after the first day and helped me feel more comfortable with my Italian fluency; influenced me to further my study into Italian cinema; and pushed me to be a better version of myself through familiarity, culture, and studies in his classes. He is one of the few professors at Lesley that I connected with, and he is one I will never forget. Pepe is an outstanding teacher, and an even more amazing humble person. He allows himself to be himself, to build relationships and connect with his students and help them achieve success in his classroom. In my studies at Lesley University, I learned that relationships are key to learning, and. Giuseppe has proved this to me. Lesley University has been lucky to have him, and I am luckier to have been a part of his mentorship during my undergraduate career. Any school would be lucky to have him teaching people for the greater future."
Michael
Graduate Student at Columbia University
"Professor Formato is a phenomenal teacher and my time in his Italian classes is something I will always remember! Professor Formato always took the time to explain any concepts that were complicated, all while making learning fun and more accessible. In addition, he made time for students outside of class who needed extra help and was always available. I cannot recommend Professor Formato enough for any role involving teaching, tutoring, or mentoring. He is easily one of the best teachers I have ever had."
Clara
Retired Professor of Spanish Language and Literature at Lesley University
"Giuseppe Formato worked as an adjunct faculty member in the Humanities Division at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of Lesley University for many years when I was the Foreign Language Coordinator at Lesley. He was an outstanding and valuable member of the language faculty, teaching both Italian and Portuguese. He not only received stellar evaluations from students semester after semester, but he also contributed to the development of our Foreign Language program by finding funding for new Portuguese courses, organizing language lunches, participating actively in the International Poetry Festival and developing other culturally enriching curriculum beyond language courses. But most importantly, Dr. Fromato inspired generations of Lesley students to study Italian and Portuguese. Many of his students took both languages just to keep studying under his guidance. I strongly recommend Giuseppe Formato not only because he is a knowledgeable and passionate language instructor, but because he is a wonderful colleague and a remarkable human being."
Sandra Jean
Graduate Program Assistant Director for Neuroscience at Boston University
"Giuseppe was my Italian tutor. As I had some command of the language already, most of our lessons were conversational. He would gently correct my verb conjugations while at the same time keeping the flow of the conversation going, encouraging me to speak more. His patience and gentle corrections gave me the confidence to speak freely, unafraid to make mistakes. To survive in any language, one not only needs to understand what is being said but to also respond and engage with the speaker. Giuseppe is an excellent tutor, and our lessons gave me more confidence in speaking Italian. I highly recommend him."
Jo-Ann
Wine Specialist
"Giuseppe was my Italian Tutor for approximately 2 years. He was a pleasant and patient instructor as I struggled to converse in Italian. He definitely made me feel more comfortable with the Italian Language. Giuseppe's easy going manner and insight into how adults learn a foreign language make learning Italian from him to be an absolute delight. He is patient, attentive and understanding about my needs with regard to speaking Italian. The best testimonial - he is so easy to talk to in Italian. The words just seem to flow."
Maura
Community Engagement Specialist
"Dr. Formato has been one of the best lecturers/professors I have ever had in my life! I do not do well by learning in a remote format, but I must say that his lessons are always engaging, fun and well prepared! The fact that he is a polyglot (Portuguese, Spanish, English, Italian, that I know of!).His examples go beyond the source and targeted languages. On a human level, Giuseppe is one of a kind and his skills and talents are many: professionalism, kindness, joyfulness, transparency, sincerity and commitment to learning. Giuseppe is absolutely out of this world!"
Nina
Tutor
"Dr. Formato is not only a tremendous lecturer, but a highly skilled educator. As a student in Portuguese 1 & 2, Dr. Formato immediately recognized that I had some familiarity with the language already, and adapted his instruction to challenge me. Additionally, there are multiple dialects of the language; and Dr. Formato took the time to interview each student and ask what their preferences were. Some students wanted to learn Brazilian Portuguese, and others, myself included, wanted to focus on European Portuguese. Dr. Formato adapted his instruction to meet the needs of all students. His differentiated instruction provided quality educational experiences for all students. Many of us were sad to not be able to continue taking Portuguese 3, and wanted to continue learning from Dr. Formato. If I were ever given the opportunity or chance to learn from Dr. Formato again, I would. I highly recommend Dr. Formato."
Olivia
Undergraduate Student at Lesley University
"I had the privilege of being a student in two of Professor Formato’s classes in my undergraduate journey, and I can confidently attest to his exceptional qualities as an educator. Professor Formato holds a passion for his field, which is evident in his teaching approach, making complex concepts accessible and engaging for students of all levels. He possesses a rare gift for creating a safe and comfortable learning environment. From the moment I entered his classroom, I felt welcomed and supported. He exudes kindness and genuine care for his students, going above and beyond to ensure that everyone feels valued and heard. Professor Formato has a great dedication to his students' success. He takes the time to understand each student's unique strengths and challenges, offering personalized guidance and support every step of the way. Whether through one-on-one discussions, constructive feedback on assignments, or creating engaging class activities, Professor Formato consistently demonstrates his commitment to his students' academic and personal growth. I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful my experience was as a student of Professor Formato!"
Peter
Software Engineer
"My family and I have been taking private instruction in Italian for more than three years with Giuseppe Formato. He is one of the best teachers of any subject that I have ever had. Our knowledge of the Italian language enhanced our visit to Italy this summer immeasurably. Giuseppe is an enthusiastic, skillful teacher and a delightful person. I'd recommend him to anyone."
Clara
Undergraduate Student at Boston University
"Learning foreign languages has always been hard for me but once I began tutoring sessions with Giuseppe my course work became much more manageable. For one year and four courses of Italian language at Boston University Giuseppe and I met weekly to review my course material, prepare for tests, and talk in Italian together. I feel much more confident now after meeting with Giuseppe and would recommend friends at all levels of Italian and Portuguese to meet with him for specialized tutoring in a kind and judgment-free setting!"
Isabel
Client Liason
"Giuseppe Formato is a wonderful and engaging lecturer. I took three of his Italian courses as a student at Lesley University. For my degree I had a foreign language requirement but after fulfilling it, I continued to take his classes as my schedule allowed. I cannot recommend his courses enough!"
Kylee
Psychotherapist
"I met Dr. Formato as his student at Lesley University. Dr. Formato was unquestionably one of the best professors I had during my experience at Lesley University, and I thoroughly enjoyed the academic experiences provided in both the Italian Courses and the wonderfully designed Italian Cinema Course he offered. Dr. Formato’s instructional style was intentional. His teaching was direct and engaging, and the material always left me with a good understanding of the course. Dr. Formato has a clear passion for educating students not only about language but about culture, and I am so lucky to have benefited from my work with him."
Georgine
Violinist
"Giuseppe was my private tutor in Portuguese. As an adult beginner I appreciated that he was friendly and made me feel comfortable making mistakes, but we were also able to move at an ambitious pace tailored to my needs. The basic grammar and pronunciation I learned with Giuseppe has stuck with me and I still draw upon it during my frequent visits to Portugal. I found, of all my language tutors, that Giuseppe provided the best balance between grammar practice and conversation practice."
Sarah
Program Manager
"I was a student of Dr. Giuseppe’s in 2018 at Lesley University. I had enrolled in his Italian film course as a fun elective and was absolutely amazed by the amount of dedicated research he put forth toward the Italian neorealism film selection list. I wish I had kept the syllabus so I could review many of those films. It's nice to go back and reread my own essays submitted for the film course. As an instructor, Dr. Giuseppe is great at understanding students' accommodations and working with them to excel in his course. I would recommend him as a professor."
Kay
Homeschooled Student
"I have been speaking Italian with Giuseppe Formatto for six years. What started out as fun grammar and vocabulary lessons has turned into weekly conversational meetings. We talk about anything and everything, from how our weeks have been, to interesting Italian holidays and events, and more. Giuseppe speaks with me with a mix of the naturalness of a friend and the gentle guidance of a teacher. I have grown along with my understanding of Italian and Giuseppe has been there to guide me every step of the way."
John
Hospitality Director
"Giuseppe is an excellent teacher. We have worked together for three years via zoom and I am extremely pleased with my progress in learning Italian. I have experience teaching at Cornell part time and have tremendous respect for those who teach professionally - Giuseppe is always prepared, knows the material fully, and most importantly understands how best to communicate the material to me in a way that I will understand it. I completely enjoy working with him as he is as kind and pleasant as he is competent."
Berta
Project Manager
"I was fortunate to have studied Cinema of the Portuguese Speaking World with Professor Formato. As a bilingual student, Portuguese and English, his course introduced me to aspects of my linguistic culture that have helped me gain a better understanding of the Lusophone world that I am a part of. His contagious enthusiasm for the subject matter has me continuing my cinematic journey of Portuguese culture long after grades were finalized."
Sara
Editor
"I was a student of Giuseppe’s at Lesley University for multiple Italian courses as well as an Italian Cinema class. I had always wanted to take an Italian course, and I could not have been happier with Giuseppe as my professor. One thing that stood out to me about all of Giuseppe’s classes was his commitment to his students. He was always encouraging, kind, and receptive. His lessons were well thought out and his assignments meaningful. Each of his classes were always at or almost at capacity, which is a testament to how many students enjoyed his courses. He also was always looking for ways to further connect us with learning Italian and Italian culture, recommending going to poetry events, bringing in Italian goodies, planning field trips to the North End, and so much more. I would highly recommend Giuseppe!"
Jenna
Math Interventionist at Somerville Public Schools
"Giuseppe was my professor for Portuguese II at Lesley University and is my colleague at Somerville Public Schools. Prior to participating in the course he designed, I only knew two words in Portuguese. He did an incredible job building the confidence of his adult students, many of whom were educators with prior knowledge of the Spanish language. He made connections across languages and shared high quality resources in a variety of formats to make learning Portuguese fun. Additionally, he taught us about the culture of Lusophone communities in Massachusetts and abroad. Giuseppe is a highly engaging language educator, and I hope to take more of his courses in the future."
David
President of LeMaitre Vascular
"I retained Giuseppe for a several month assignment as an interpreter for my medical device company and would highly recommend him. His language/translation skills were excellent. Furthermore, his diplomatic skills, which helped bridge cultural differences, were equally impressive and useful. Guiseppe interpreted/translated for all employees in our organization, from the CEO to the factory worker, as well as in 1-1 and larger group settings, and was equally facile in all of these situations. Giuseppe is highly professional and works well under pressure. If/when I have further need for his services, I will not hesitate to retain him again."
Brendan
Dean of Students at Winter Hill Community Innovation School
"Gostei muito da aula do professor Formato! I learned a great deal, not just about grammar, idioms, and colloquial language but especially about Lusophone culture around the world. Prof Formato joyfully brings this world to his classroom, with an extra effort to be inclusive and thoughtful toward all."
Kai
Sales Associate
"I was immensely pleased to be in Giuseppe's Italian lectures at Lesley University. Giuseppe brought his passion and knowledge of the Italian language and culture to each class session! He enabled a comfortable and conversational environment where students were encouraged to work together. He always made time to provide feedback to every student. It was also impactful to see the work he put into making Italian culture present on the Lesley campus. To this day, years after my classes with him, I still find myself inspired to study Italian because of the foundation he gave me."
