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Options in Italy?
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Teacher in Rome



Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 1286

PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2016 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Many schools offer assistance with accommodation (ie they might already have a flat / rooms in a flat they can rent directly to you) and in university cities like Bologna you'll probably find cheapish accommodation. But I have no idea what the rents are like! Look online - kijiji ?? Don't get yourself into a 4+4 type tenancy, as then you'll need to shell out serious € for deposits etc.

Hotels in Bologna are expensive if you're looking to come over for a few days in advance to suss out the teaching scene. And as Spiral has said, your first month's salary won't be paid until the following month - often, but not always by the 15th of the month. There will probably also be some shortfall, as I don't imagine September will be a full teaching month. You might not start until the second or even third week, when companies / parents realise that there is a training / teaching need, or the budget to pay for it. I think I said before that tefl dot com is quite a good place to look for work, though not now for September. Schools probably have no idea what their teaching needs will be six months down the line.
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Baggio



Joined: 04 Feb 2014
Posts: 48

PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2016 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TIR,

quick question - looking for jobs in Italy online, are they all scams or undesirable jobs? I get a newsletter from TEFL.com every week and it has loads of jobs from Italy. Are they worth looking at?
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Teacher in Rome



Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 1286

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 6:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I got my first job in Italy through tefl.com. I think they're pretty good - employers have to pay to list the vacancy, so they tend to be legitimate. Of course, buyer beware, but I'd use them again if I was looking for work. I'd use them to find openings, then come over and talk to the school directly. It helps if you narrow down your preferred location first, but also consider the type of teaching you want to do / not to do.
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Baggio



Joined: 04 Feb 2014
Posts: 48

PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TIR,

Can I ask what you mean by "consider the type of teaching you want to do / not to do"? Could you elaborate on that a bit more?
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Teacher in Rome



Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 1286

PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 4:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I meant for example whether you're happy teaching YL, in state schools, business English, etc. Most schools will probably have a mix of students and I think it pays to ask what sort of teaching you'll mostly be doing.
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Baggio



Joined: 04 Feb 2014
Posts: 48

PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do we have the option of teaching in state schools with little understanding of the Italian language?
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Teacher in Rome



Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 1286

PostPosted: Fri Apr 29, 2016 6:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's a good question. In theory yes (since you should be speaking in English anyway), but in practice ... I don't know. It's arguably useful to be able to understand what people are saying - and not necessarily the students. You might need to speak with office staff and so on.

(Adding these edits)
But I'm not sure if I made myself clear. I'm assuming you meant that a language school would send you into a state school to do "lettorato" (ie, a sort of speaking practice type lesson to supplement the regular classes). There's no way you could get employment at a state school (ie regular hours, yearly contract) without going through all the government channels.
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Baggio



Joined: 04 Feb 2014
Posts: 48

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2016 7:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And even if going through all the officials channels, you'd have to have connections I would imagine? Italy being Italy.

What are our realistic options for September, TIR? Language academy and that's it?
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Teacher in Rome



Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 1286

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2016 7:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The best you could do for state schools would be to get yourself on the province's list of teachers to be called for substitute teaching. Then when a school had to cover an English teacher, you'd be sent to that school. (It's the region or province that assigns teachers to schools - schools don't employ teachers directly.) To find out more about how that works in your region, it would probably be best to speak to state school teachers who know the system. (Ask about the graduatoria - although in some regions it's no longer used, but there should be an alternative.)

I think your most realistic bet for September is a private language school / a number of private language schools, with private tuition on the side. (Or one main language school with hours made up at other language schools if your contract permits.) Your main employer will probably have a range of students / clients, so you might get work in state schools (sent by your language school to do speaking lessons in-class, with the regular teacher either there with you or not), or you might get sent to local businesses to do in-company teaching. You might then have a variety of students at the language school - kids needing help with their English homework, students needing preparation for Cambridge exams, adults taking a course of general English, groups of kids, etc.

None of this is going to be super-well paid. But a year's stint in a language school will allow you to meet people - including state school teachers, other providers of English (ie Cambridge exam centre staff and teachers), parents of kids needing help with their English, etc. That might mean that a year down the line you can get alternative work or go freelance. Don't expect that in your second year working at the same school, for example, you'll automatically get a pay rise or promotion.

If I were contemplating a move to Italy to teach, I'd do this:

- narrow down geographical area
weigh up the pros and cons of urban (large or small) vs rural
cost of living vs need for a car, etc

- narrow down type of teaching
business English = large urban centre

- get myself on TEFL dot com and look at the vacancies
google schools, etc

- get to Italy end Aug / beginning of Sept for interviews, last-minute change of plan (for example, you might choose Milan, go there and hate it, then decide to go to Turin or Rome...)

Or you might do what I did, which was see an ad in TEFL dot com, apply for it, go to Rome for an interview, then decide to go whatever (even when the company vacillated until the last minute as to whether or not they had money to pay me).

Final bit of advice: keep an eye on your overall career plan. Italy is a lovely place to live - but it can be difficult to make a great living. I'm fortunate in that I don't have to toil hours and hours - but neither am I interested in getting a prestigious uni post, for example. After your first year here, you should evaluate your experiences and potential career development in the light of your overall objectives.
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Baggio



Joined: 04 Feb 2014
Posts: 48

PostPosted: Fri May 06, 2016 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, thanks for the advice TIR. Greatly appreciated.

TIR just out of interest, as someone who has lived in Italy for a long time, would you personally recommend Italy as a destination to live in regards to ESL teaching or would you suggest to go for another country?
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mrpianoman



Joined: 27 Mar 2016
Posts: 171

PostPosted: Fri May 06, 2016 9:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It depends what you want. If you want a big salary, then you won't get it in Italy. The most you can get is about 2000euro gross per month and a lot of schools pay about 1300 net from what I have seen. It's a relaxing place to live and the people are very friendly and there are nice restaurants and cafes to relax in. So I'd recommend it for a nice, relaxing life. Rents are cheap, at least in Turin they are. Teaching can be enjoyable in Italy as the students try hard to learn.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Fri May 06, 2016 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
It depends what you want. If you want a big salary, then you won't get it in Italy. The most you can get is about 2000euro gross per month and a lot of schools pay about 1300 net from what I have seen. It's a relaxing place to live and the people are very friendly and there are nice restaurants and cafes to relax in. So I'd recommend it for a nice, relaxing life. Rents are cheap, at least in Turin they are. Teaching can be enjoyable in Italy as the students try hard to learn.


That's an impressively sweeping analysis from a guy who taught in Italy for 3 weeks at Berlitz before being let go (by Berlitz!) and heading back to the UK Rolling Eyes
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Andre 3000



Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 32
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sat May 07, 2016 7:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Baggio, are you mrpianoman?
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mrpianoman



Joined: 27 Mar 2016
Posts: 171

PostPosted: Sat May 07, 2016 8:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Huh??????????? No!
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Sat May 07, 2016 11:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Baggio's genuine . The pianoguy's the under-bridge dweller Wink
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