TESOL in Italy

Andrew O'Connell

I had always taken the language I speak for granted. I had no idea that the English language could be so interesting and that it had such a rich and colourful history!

I started teaching English as a foreign language around 5 years ago. Interestingly, one of the first things I realised I needed to do as a teacher of English was to go back and learn English myself!

Here I am contemplating the atrocities of ancient Rome at the 'Arena' in Verona.

When you're among English-speaking people, it's easy to communicate! But when you have to deal with people who don't know a word of English, it's a totally different experience! You often need to draw on all your resources to make yourself understood! It can be frustrating; it can be fun; but it's never boring and you're always learning something!

I've taught a wide range of people; primary-school children, teenagers, young adults and even retirees and from all walks of life! I've had students of varying abilities; beginners, intermediate students and advanced.

I worked in a school of English in the north of Italy. I took the opportunity to enjoy all that Italy has to offer: fine food, great coffee, the latest fashions, picturesque villages and a richness of history and art.

Of course, being based in Italy, I had Europe at my doorstep. When I had holidays, I travelled around Europe or to different parts of Italy.

That beautiful turquoise water? You'll find places like that if you take a ferry from the west coast of Italy to the island of Sardinia.

Oh! And don't miss Venice, the world's most beautiful city: that's the 'Ponte Rialto' (Rialto bridge) you see, on the 'Canal Grande' (Grande Canal).

So there you have it! I started off exploring a language and I ended up exploring the world!

In demand in Italy

Lisa discovers three job offers in one day.

I thought getting a job in Italy might be a challenge. However just three days after I arrived in Milan, I had job offers from three language schools. I simply looked for language schools in the phone book and faxed them my resume. In fact, getting a job had never been easier.

Obtaining the necessary paperwork to get paid, however, was more complicated. I left the local questura (government office) with a stack of paperwork to fill out and no clear answers. After about as much effort as it took to fill out my income tax forms, I had what I needed to get paid—a 6-digit tax ID number.

An Italian friend patiently explained, "Rules are not meant to be followed, every Italian knows that. You must find a way around them. You Americans give up too quickly."

As a foreigner teaching English, I am a learner as much as I am a teacher. I understand what my students are dealing with in their fears and frustrations about learning a new language—because I am also dealing with this, but from the other end.

My students are business people and students, young and old, at varying levels of proficiency. Gilda is an oil tycoon's daughter with bodyguards; Francesca is the young, unhappy wife of a high-powered company director. I teach a Romanian student who is simultaneously learning Italian in order to make a better life for herself outside of economically shattered Romania. In the evening I teach a group of theater employees who bring their Mac laptops to class.

Work opportunities abound for English teachers in the big cities of Milan and Rome as well as smaller places in the south. Although not a necessity, for your own peace of mind you may want to invest in a short intensive course in teaching English. Completion of a training course is essential for prospective English teachers without a college degree.

Most schools won't hire teachers from outside Italy, so take all your paperwork and you will get work.