Job Discussion Forums

[BootOfTheBeast]

Ciao tutti,

Thanks for the run-down on schools/students TiR, very useful if a little depressing! Your info re Italy in general mirrors what I've gleaned from lurking about on here for a while. Living somewhere is bound to be a different pot of cockles than holidaying there, but I really like Italy and it has got be better than the UK. Please tell me it's better than living in the UK! Organisation, where it exists at all, is also a nightmare in Vietnam (governmentally anyway, my school is great in that regard) so I'm used to having to do things in triplicate.

Obviously my dream job is just that - a dream of the pipe variety - but actually if I can find somewhere that ticks enough of the boxes I don't mind compromising on some of the others.

I'm short of experience (zero) in young learners, corporate and off-site work, and to be honest I'm not in any great rush to rectify that! It would worry me, based on your summary, to land in Italy and, on top of trying to sort out endless paperwork etc, be running around like a blue-arsed fly between jobs I'm not familiar with just trying to make ends meet. The very antithesis of the life I want, in fact. No reason I should have it all handed to me on a silver plate, I know, and I'm sure many people there now are doing exactly what I've described. In the end it probably comes down to how much one wants to be there, and what one is willing to do to achieve that.

I suppose compared to many I have it very easy and have been spoilt in that my first job off the boat has been so good. I'm coming to the conclusion that if I want to make it in Europe I might be as well to move when I'm further up the managerial foodchain, with further qualifications. Maybe in a year I'll start a thread called Deltas from non-EU countries...

Boot

[BootOfTheBeast]

My word I waffle on don't I? Must work on my TTT...

[Teacher in Rome]

Ciao Boot

Living in Italy is better than living in the UK.

That's why I'm here - still - after ten years. But everybody's circumstances are different. I don't hanker after a consumerist society, don't particularly like xmas with all the hassles, and I'm not particularly close to my family. I go back about once a year, to go shopping, go to bookshops etc, and just breathe some of that good London air. It would drive me insane to live there.

Italy is a bureaucratic nightmare if you're freelance and have to file everything in triplicate, several times a year. Not even accountants like that aspect of it. Or at least, mine doesn't. To do anything here, you have to use professional services. Can't file your own taxes on your own, can't make a will on your own, can't do a myriad of things that elsewhere are commonplace.

But back to the teaching. If you don't currently have exp with YL, corporate, etc, I'd suggest you get some before coming here. It will make life a lot easier if, on top of everything else, you're not trying to play catch-up with teaching methodologies, course books, suitablie activities and so on.

Italy will always be here. I doubt very much if the economic situation will improve drastically - or if it will get much worse. There will always be work for English teachers - especially if you put in the effort to meet people, get on well with them, learn a bit of Italian... There's been a huge groundshift in people's perceptions of English over the last few years. Where once you'd be unlikely to hear an English word at all, you now get TV presenters - and even politicians - inserting the odd "leadership" (Napolitano) or "relocation" (anti-immigration Maroni - that one made me laugh) into what they say. My students yabber on about scream music, grunt music, gigs and guinness, and the teachers wonder about CLIL with Economics. There's a lot of interest, and a lot of opportunity, so not a bad destination at all.

Definitely come over with savings to tide you over for the first few months. It makes settling in much easier, and less stressful. If you get a good employer they should also help you with some of the paperwork, finding accommodation, etc. Larger towns will probably give you more variety in work, but smaller towns can be as much fun.

Oh, and a DELTA isn't normally necessary for most jobs. I have one, but nobody has ever asked to see it...

[rafaella]

Boot - thanks for the info re working in Vietnam.

Is Italy better than the UK? Italy's good points - beautiful scenery and architecture, culture and history, great food and friendly people. (Not saying the UK lacks all of these things just that, IMO, they are more abundant in Italy.) The bad points - red tape which can make straightforward transactions mind-numbingly difficult and teaching in 3 or 4 locations in one day.

TiR sums up life and teaching in Italy very well.

If you really don't want to teach young learners or corporate classes (at a language school or off-site), I think you'll find it hard to get a job in Italy. If you prove me wrong and get 20-25 hours a week teaching adults in one location in Italy, please PM me so I can apply too.

[I'm With Stupid]