About Hands-on italian

Dr. Francesca Nicora, in her role as Liaison with Languages Connect and Outreach Officer at the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, was awarded HEI (Higher Education Institute) funding from Languages Connect for the period 2023–2025. This funding enabled the organisation and delivery of outreach activities in secondary schools across Galway city and county.

The Hands-On Italian workshops bring to life one of the most fascinating aspects of Italian culture — its world-famous hand gestures. Designed and delivered by PhD students Sveva Zafferri and Federica Curreli - along with the help of student ambassadors Liadan Harrold and Agostina Reati - this initiative introduces students to the art of non-verbal communication, showing how gestures form an essential part of speaking and understanding Italian.

Over the last two years, the workshops have reached more than 500 students across 15 schools in County Galway and County Clare, sparking curiosity and laughter in every classroom. Designed especially for secondary students, each session combines cultural insight with interactive learning, proving that Italian is a language you can truly feel as much as speak.

Learning Through Gestures and Play

During the workshops, students explore the meanings of Italy’s most iconic hand gestures — from che vuoi? (“what do you want?”) to perfetto! (“perfect!”) — discovering how expression, tone, and movement work together to communicate ideas and emotions.

One of the most popular moments is the gesture performance, where students create and perform a short dialogue using only hand gestures, without speaking a single word. This fun, theatrical challenge helps them understand how body language carries meaning and emotion in Italian culture.

The experience continues with a buzz-quiz, where teams compete to match gestures with their correct meanings. The energy is high, the laughter contagious, and the learning unforgettable.

The Hands-On Italian workshops highlight the cultural and expressive heart of the Italian language — helping students connect, move, and communicate just like Italians do.