Thursday, August 7, 2008

TESOL Jobs Italy

General Information

Now more than ever there is a healthy demand for English in Italy. Obviously, the biggest demand is in Rome, however, unlike some of its neighboring countries even medium to small cities are in need of English, especially in the North. With drop-dead gorgeous scenery, delicious food, art and architecture, we all owe it to ourselves to spend a good amount of time there.


Teaching English

If you wish to teach in a state or private high-school may need to have a degree, but a TESOL qualification is often enough. Some teaching opportunities in Italy require two-years’ language teaching experience, but there are always opportunities available for newly qualified TESOL teachers.

With language institutes you can, expect to find yourself teaching children or adults as well as teaching students of varying ability, even within the same class. Therefore expect all ranges of ability. The challenge, particularly with children, is in motivating them. It is also a task to cope with varying levels of ability within the same class. Nevertheless, Italians can be great fun to teach, and can be very enthusiastic when provided with interesting material.

Getting a Job

For those seeking work in advance there are hundreds of language schools - scuole di lingue - which exist in Italy, and one’s best resource is the Yellow Pages. International language schools like Berlitz, Benedict Schools and Liguarama have a strong presence in Italy, and there are several Italian chains. The Italian groups include the British Schools Group www.britishschool.com and British Institutes www.britishinstitutes.it. Another is Oxford Schools www.oxforditalia.it. It is also worth contacting the teaching recruitment agency Teachers in Italy www.genovaweb.net/tii

The new arrival would do well to consult the weekly English language papers Rome Metropolitan and Wanted in Rome. In addition to this placing ads in tobacconists and supermarkets is not a bad idea, and there are also notice boards in the two English bookshops in Rome, Lion Bookshop and Economy Bookshop.

Whatever way you look for work it is important to remember that life grinds to a halt in August, as with many European countries. Therefore your travel plans should be formulated to avoid hitting this dead spot during which very little gets done.

When given a contract for a position with a school, it is very important to thoroughly read your contract, and check what it stipulates. There can be a slight cultural trait amongst Italians to tell you what you want to hear. The reality may be somewhat different. Remember what is important to you - accommodation, class size, salary, etc. and try and ensure these are adequately addressed in your contract.

Visas and Regulations

It can be the case that some state schools are not prepared to go through the difficult process of hiring native English-speaking teachers from outside of Europe. However, in some cases it is easier to place teachers from the US than from other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand. Non-EU citizens should check with the Italian consulate in their native country to look for language exchange programs, etc. Americans may wish to contact Interexchange www.interexchange.org, of New York, who run an exchange programme.

You should be aware of the fact that the reciprocal social security system that exists within the EU means that high schools are required to register their staff for a social security card and also pay part of their contributions. This means that some schools are generally not willing to take on anybody who is ineligible.

Most individuals working for institutes are self-employed, or ‘freelance’. Therefore, they are responsible for paying their own tax and social security. New arrivals are required to register with the police, organise a bank account into which their wages will be paid, and get a tax number from their local tax office.

For more information on becoming TESOL certified, visit us here!

2 comments:

dcaroma said...

I have NEVER seen a job listing in Italy that didn't require EU citizenship -- you should be more candid with your readers about teaching prospects in Italy if you come from a non-EU country.

The Language House said...

But you can find a job if you're non-EU, you just have to apply for a visa in your home country before you arrive. Visit www.thelanguagehouse.blogspot.com and look under the category "Advice for Living and Working in France and Europe"