Teacher Spotlight: Francesca Biggio - Bringing a global perspective to language teaching

Many educators in the Edumo community will relate to Francesca Biggio’s journey into teaching. It didn’t begin with a traditional career plan; it began with pragmatism and necessity. But over the years, her path has been shaped by international experiences, curiosity, and a willingness to adapt. With teaching experiences spanning the UK, China, Nigeria, and Italy, Francesca brings a global perspective and a pragmatic mindset to the classroom.

Learning to be a language teacher

Francesca first began teaching Italian in the UK, hoping to improve her English at the same time. But her first few lessons quickly taught her that speaking a language is very different from teaching it.

“I thought I could teach Italian because I’m a native speaker. That was a mistake. It was very difficult at first.”

But she stuck with it and eventually completed formal teacher training and gaining experience in both public and private schools. But her curiosity led her to apply for a job teaching English in a rural Chinese public school. It was an experience she found very rewarding but unfortunately was cut short when changes to local teaching laws required English teachers to be native speakers. She returned to Europe but her wanderlust led her to a teaching job in Nigeria. But before long she found herself in the middle of the covid pandemic and, like so many of us, she was forced to teach online. After returning to Europe and a short stint in France, she ultimately settled in Milan.

Teaching language with digital tools

She returned to teaching classes in person but Francesca took some valuable lessons from the pandemic. She found that she was quite effective online, especially 1-on-1. In fact, more so than her days as a public school teacher in the UK. She saw the the potential of digital tools to fill certain learning needs.

It’s under these circumstances that she discovered Edumo. Francesca discovered the platform while searching for a more efficient way to create and assign custom content.

“I saw how much time you could save using AI applied to languages. I’m planning to create a small course over the summer using Edumo — something tailored to specific student needs that they can do alongside their normal class.”

Innovating to fill language learning gaps

This tailored, flexible approach is a theme that runs throughout Francesca’s teaching. She typically starts with a year-long plan to align with school goals, then adjusts based on the classroom’s composition. For the most part, she prefers to create her own materials, often combining resources she finds online, or in books, or from her own archives. She also uses AI to speed up content creation — especially for topics she finds repetitive or less engaging.

To fill resource gaps, she’s used platforms like YouTube, producing her own listening exercises for students when she couldn’t find anything suitable for beginners. Her flexibility is one of her defining characteristics, integrating digital and physical materials, adapting content to individual learners, and finding creative ways to engage students through games or interactive tools.

“For me, the most rewarding part is creating material. I love making games and seeing how they land with students. One I created — the ‘parrot game’ — helps students practice verbs and listening skills in a fun way.”

She’s also a firm believer in the role of school leadership when it comes to adopting new language learning tools like Edumo.

“It’s not just about convincing the teacher. You also need to convince the principal or whoever is making decisions. But the results are visible in the course content and the outcomes.”

Advice for new language teachers

Despite her enthusiasm, Francesca also highlights the realities of teaching. Managing difficult groups or dealing with disengaged students can be exhausting. She points out that challenges in the classroom aren’t always about teaching techniques — sometimes they’re cultural, emotional, or simply a matter of chemistry.

Francesca’s advice for new teachers? Focus on what’s working — and don’t expect perfection.

“Be patient and live in the moment. A lot won’t go well, but when something works, really enjoy it. And don’t reinvent the wheel… though I’m always trying to.”

You can find Francesca at her YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@fbiggio8184