I have been studying Italian off and on for 7 years. In 2017 I attended a 2 week long Italian course as a beginner in Bologna at a school named ARCA. Since then I have primarily used language apps and miscellaneous videos and reading materials to improve my language skills. I would describe myself as A2 or B1 level. I have a reasonable level of grammar and vocabulary knowledge. I struggle with listening to Italian, and especially with speaking. I have mild hearing loss and sometimes mistake the initial consonants, confusing “s”, “h” and “v” for example. I usually wear hearing aids when I am in social settings, and plan to use headsets or hearing aids for these lessons. My wife and I have traveled to Italy 5 times. Our first trip was in 2012. Our most recent trip was last October, when we visited Turin, the piedmont area, and Genoa. I am a retired software engineer. I now I work part-time as a church musician and play harpsichord with a local early music group.