Your Teacher – Prof. Beatrice Litt
I was born in Sicily, in Polizzi Generosa, a small town in the mountains of the province of Palermo. My family moved to Palermo, the capital of the region, when I was a young girl. I studied French and English at secondary school in Palermo. I then obtained an Italian law degree from the University of Palermo and practiced criminal law for two years.
While practicing law, I was also preparing to become a judge in Italy, when in 1977 my life took a different turn. I married David Litt, a young American diplomat in Palermo, later US Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and now retired, but working in professional education in Chapel Hill, NC. We have two children, Barbara and Giorgio, and two grandchildren, Aurelia and Luca.
Because of my husband’s diplomatic career, we have lived (among other places) in Damascus, Syria; Kabul, Afghanistan; Niamey, Niger; Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates; and Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany.
During our very first assignment together in the United States in 1977, I was trained as a foreign language instructor at the renowned Foreign Service Institute of the Department of State in Washington, DC. For many years I taught Italian to American diplomats whenever our assignments were in Washington.
I have also been a visiting professor of Italian at the University of Tampa and the University of South Florida, both in Tampa, Florida; as well as at Duke University in Durham, NC, and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Currently I teach the Italian language privately at my home, both in person and virtually, as well as for the CHICLE Language Institute in Chapel Hill.
Gardening, Italian gourmet cooking, and counted cross-stitch point (which keeps me awake if I am watching a movie at home) are the activities I love in order to relax. I play pickleball, tennis, and golf, and try to keep fit by visiting the gym often. My husband and I travel frequently overseas for his work, to see family, or with friends just for pleasure.
I love foreign cultures and always relish the opportunity to meet new people. I try to practice speaking foreign languages whenever possible.
My motto in teaching is: Never say, “I cannot speak a foreign language, I am not good at it, I am too old for this, etc….” In fact, you can learn a foreign language. I will prove it to you, if you give me and yourself a fighting chance.
MY EMAIL ADDRESS: beatrice@thelitts.net
- Studied French and English at secondary school in Palermo
- Obtained an Italian law degree from the University of Palermo
- Practiced criminal law for two years
- Trained to teach Italian at the Foreign Service Institute of the US Department of State
- Italian
- English
- French
- Arabic
- Dari
- Italian Language Teaching, Interpreting and Translating
Certifications
