Testimonials

Carlos has been teaching me Italian for a little over a year now, and it has been a pure joy!  I had lived in Italy when I was younger but had forgotten much of what I knew about the language because no one speaks it where I live. Carlos began to patiently bring me back to my former level of fluency and beyond. I have learned things about the language that I never understood before.  We have very interesting conversations in Italian about a variety of subjects: philosophy, theology, cinema, music, contemporary culture, science, and, most importantly, food and wine!  My wife and I had the pleasure of meeting him for dinner one evening, and he brought us one bottle each of homemade limoncello and coffee liqueur! He is a man of many talents. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to study under him, and I look forward to many years of his continued linguistic guidance and friendship.

I started taking classes with Carlos to prepare for a trip to Italy for a friend’s wedding – and I convinced the bride to join me! It would be my second time in Italy and I knew that having language skills would make the trip even more special. After 8 months of weekly classes with Carlos, I had enough of a foundation that I felt very comfortable conversing with taxi drivers, hotel and restaurant staff, and others we encountered on our trip – and that made the experience infinitely more enjoyable and special than if I didn’t have those language skills. Carlos worked with us to tailor our classes to our trip, and spent time talking about cultural norms around weddings that we both enjoyed and came in handy (I left my purple outfit at home!). Carlos is a fantastic teacher but also a wonderful person, so although the wedding has come and gone I’ve continued taking Lezione d’Italiano with him because I so enjoy learning Italian with him.

My sister, mother and I have been taking Italian lessons from Carlos for almost a year and still enthusiastically look forward to every class. In addition to his passion for languages and genuine, personable nature, Carlos’s skill as an instructor lets us progress as a group while also focusing on our individual learning aptitudes. He gladly shares his knowledge of Italian history and culture and provides valuable links to great Italian food, music and theater. In less than a year, the three of us can communicate with each other in Italian. We look forward to bringing our new skill on our next visit to Italy.  Thank you Carlos.

I am a homeschooling mother of seven beautiful sons. I reached out to Carlos in 2013, when seeking an Italian instructor for my (at the time) 7th grade homeschooler.  I had contacted numerous other teachers of both French and Italian and no one would agree to work with a 7th grader.  Carlos, joyfully accepted my oldest as a student and tutored him for 6 years.  He worked with my second son, as well and we will continue to turn to Carlos for our other children’s learning.  Carlos is a kind, intelligent and “simpatico” teacher who tailors his lessons to his learner — often creating his own materials — with quite astonishing results. He includes so many topics that would never be covered in a traditional setting. Every lesson is a joy and a leap forward!  I have been telling Carlos for many years that some day, it will be my turn to be his student!

Audra Kubelka

This summer I will be working as an au pair in Turin, Italy. When I initially took the job, I knew almost no Italian, and thought it would be a good idea to learn at least a bit before I went. I was worried that I would have barely any time to make headway, but after taking three weeks of lessons with Carlos almost daily, I feel able to have entire conversations quite comfortably! Carlos is an exceptional teacher. He is able to break down and explain the parts of the language clearly and concisely, and was able to quickly understand my particular leaning style and ability and adapt his lessons to maximize our time. His knowledge of the nuances of language is deep and his enthusiasm is infectious; I enjoyed every minute of our work together! I am endlessly grateful for all of the effort he put in to make it possible for me to learn everything I did. Patient, dedicated, and a lovely person – my only regret is that I couldn’t stay for longer!

 I have studied other languages in a variety of settings: classrooms, self-study and small groups, but my private lessons with Carlos have been the most enjoyable and efficient method I have tried.  The lessons are always pleasant because Carlos provides a variety of methods to keep the lessons interesting.  As he is a native speaker of Italian, Carlos can explain difficult concepts and model pronunciation in a way that inspires confidence in the student. 
   One really striking aspect of the experience is Carlos’s skill in tailoring the material and approach to the needs and interests of the student.  Because of this, the grammar I learned took about half the time it would have if I had been in college.   He is always prepared with something interesting, provides recommendations for films and books and hosts a conversation salon that is welcoming and helpful for all students.  Carlos is friendly, personable and encouraging.  I recommend him as a teacher to anyone who wants to learn Italian.

My husband and I have an apartment in Italy where we spend four months a year. Hence, we have been trying to learn to speak Italian for quite some time- we have taken informal courses at UT, weeklong courses in Rome, and we have used tapes, books, and various other programs. Nothing we have done compares to the personalized approach Carlos took with us. The progress we made in a couple of months is very encouraging. Carlos quickly assessed our skills and our weaknesses, and he provided a variety of platforms for practice. Carlos always takes notes of where we falter and then is ready at the next lesson to teach and practice that skill. Carlos is a superb teacher, and he has a knack for explaining difficult concepts in a way that is both understandable and memorable. The fact that he is a fluent English speaker and Italian speaker makes it easy for him to understand the idiosyncrasies of both languages, and he uses that understanding to make things clear for his students.  Time flies with Carlos. Yes, we review homework and the nuts of bolts of grammar, but more importantly, we have a lot of fun, enjoying  Italian conversation on topics that are interesting and relevant. We leave next week for spring in Italy, and we go with greater confidence as Italian speakers than before. We recommend Carlos as an excellent teacher without reservation! Plus, you will be happy to make a new friend!

The thought of learning another language was a scary proposition for me. Add to those worries the fact that these lessons were going to be absolutely critical for a project I had begun for my place of business and that is the scene for the very first day of class with Professor Capra. Within 30 minutes of the first lesson those fears and worries started to disappear, not because I mustered up some form of courage but it was all due to the personalized approach of Carlos.   I was in a class of 4-6 people, all with different motivations for being there and all with different levels of how quickly or slowly they grasped the content. Professore had the unique ability to determine each individuals learning style and developed content that not only appealed to the entire group but he found ways to tie the lesson and overall content of that day directly to your style of learning. Being in an environment like that, one that made you feel comfortable being uncomfortable and one that allowed you to see success on a daily basis was something that I had never experienced in school or from any other learning environment I had been in before.   His approach and his commitment to you as an individual is something that I would recommend for anyone looking to learn another language. He makes it fun, he makes you challenge yourself and more importantly he is just as invested in your development as you are yourself. He’s become a friend and I would recommend his work to anyone or any corporation.  

PS: His work with me has provided me the opportunity to communicate effectively with very high level business men and women in Italy which has resulted into multi-year contracted business.      

What makes a great language teacher? Profound knowledge, complete proficiency, great patience? All these are necessary, true. However, I believe the most important factor is a fondness for what you do. Carlos is both a maestro and amante of Italian. His love of Italian is contagious. You can’t help but catch it with every lesson.

I must confess that I’m a bit of a language aficionado myself. I speak Italian, French, and Spanish, as well as English. In total, I’ve studied with nearly a dozen instructors over more than a decade. Carlos has been the best, in any language. When we started several years ago, I’d never studied Italian before. Yet Carlos actually had me conversing within a week. If you are planning a trip to Italy and want to blend in with the locals, pay a visit to Carlos. He’ll have you chatting nearly from the get go. If you’ve studied Italian before, but lost your linguistic mojo, he can help make you fluent again. His private lessons are a really good value, considering the advantages. The one-on-one attention will enable you to progress much more quickly than in the typical group setting. Lo raccomando senza esitazione! Non ve ne pentirete mai!

We started working with Carlos to prepare for a return trip to Italy and couldn’t be more pleased with the result. Working once per week can be challenging for anyone, but he was always generous in giving us plenty of materials to study at home between lessons. He also gave us additional resources we could use to help our understanding. During our trip, our Italian friends were impressed by how much we had learned in such a short amount of time. A couple even commented on our use of proper grammar! I think this is one of the greatest compliments. Sure you can learn a language, but to speak it properly is a beautiful thing. We are grateful, Carlos!

I’ve been working with Carlos for six months now, and I look forward to my lessons everyday. What really stands out to me about Carlos is that he aways goes the extra mile to help me learn Italian. He always is well-prepared and organized for each lesson, and even between our lessons he does a lot of planning to keep me progressing. He gives me new ideas and resources to learn Italian. Some lessons we will focus on grammar, whereas others we focus on Italian film and culture. It’s fantastic to have a teacher that loves what he teaches. He is passionate and keeps a well-rounded teaching method. Moreover, he is a very friendly and likable teacher. Every lesson is a true pleasure.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Italian tutoring sessions with Carlos. He is an excellent teacher, tailoring his sessions to your learning speed and style. I was able to become fairly proficient with the present and the “passato prossimo” tense as well as enough vocabulary to feel comfortable going to Italy for 2 weeks in the span of 8 sessions. Carlos is also a wonderful person, and always a pleasure to be around. I definitely recommend him if you are planning a trip to Italy or want to pick up a beautiful new language. Molte grazie, Carlos.

I decided to work with a language tutor to prepare for my first visit to Italy. Although I possess certain useful life skills, learning a foreign language is not among them. Dr. Capra is the most patient teacher imaginable. He is very attuned to my needs and has even managed to convince me to speak Italian out loud with actual people (not just my dog, who never laughs at my pronunciation or my absurd way with pronouns). I would recommend Dr. Capra to anyone who would like to learn Italian!

Carlos is a terrific teacher who adapts on the fly to my state of mind in any given lesson.  Some days when I’ve been a “good student” and completed all my homework we focus on moving forward with grammar instruction targeting areas he’s observed that I need to strengthen.  Other days when my mood is less disciplined, we launch into pure conversation ranging from cheese making to complaining about politics…all while ensuring I don’t stray too far away from proper Italian.  Carlos makes the lessons varied, teaching with readings and film, pulling from a variety of grammar exercises and drawing upon his own original material from his years teaching at UT.  The sessions with Carlos move quickly and are great fun.

An absolutely excellent teacher! A teacher myself, I learned so much from Carlos–and will be forever thankful! He is caring, insightful, passionate, and so very knowledgeable of anything Italian (not just the language, of which he is an expert of course, but food, opera, music in general, history, dialects, popular culture, current events…you name it!!)

I have been taking Italian lessons form Carlos for a year and a half. Previously, I took Italian at a university. I did well academically, but was frustrated about my ability to communicate. Carlos is the best teacher by far that I have come across, because he immediately sees your strengths and weaknesses and alters his approach accordingly. What he offers is far more than just someone to speak Italian with – you will learn Italian culture and are sure to improve your Italian. You don’t need to look any further for an instructor, Carlos is the best.

I’ve taken many language classes, and Carlos’s classes (at UT Austin) rank at the very top. He’s got a great teaching style and cares very much about the success of his students. As long as you’re willing to do your part in the learning process, you’ll have a great time in his class. Learn from one of the best; you won’t regret it.