Job Discussion Forums

[ferminadaza]

Ciao a tutti!

I'm looking for any helpful advice you can offer me on TEFL in Italy, which I'm hoping to spend the next year doing. However, I'm a bit apprehensive about my chances of finding employment.

For some background info - I just graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Italian, I'm Irish (so have EU citizenship), and I will be obtaining a TEFL certificate in August. These are the worries I was hoping you could help me with:

* I'm working in Ireland until the end of September to save money for the trip, which means the TEFL certificate I'm hoping to get will not be CELTA due to financial and time constraints. It is an 80-hour course; a combination of online work and an intensive weekend session.
Will this make it extremely unlikely that I find work? Or will my degree help my chances at all? I also have experience working as a Language Assistant for the Irish Refugee Council for the past two summers.

* I'm hoping to arrive in Italy the last weekend of September. Is this too late to find work as a TEFL teacher? I'll be applying for work from here too, but from what I've read on this forum, it's much easier to do so when you're actually in the country. I'll have saved living and accommodation expenses for about 2 months.

* I've heard Bologna is a vibrant university city, so was thinking there might be a good demand for English teachers there. Am I mistaken in this? Or where would be the best area/city in which to base myself?

So what are my chances? And can you offer me any advice? As I say, I'm a total newbie, so any help is more than welcome!!

Grazie mille!

[SueH]

It's a bit late and I was up in the mountains earlier so I'll be a bit brief. I never feel really qualified to talk about things as I'm a retired part-timer, but here goes anyway:

- late September may make it more difficult, and the better schools may be sorted out sooner, but it is not toooo late. Teachers cancel or don't turn up, turn out to be drunks, etc etc, so opportunities do arise. (Hint - local authority type evening classes often start quite late as well).

- knowing Italian will be a big advantage for you in networking and making contacts. The thought also occurs that your uni department must have links with Italian unis? Either way make sure that you get some good references, and maybe get them written in Italian. Many Italian speakers of English aren't particularly confident IMO (often unjustifiably), and relax a bit when they find something in Italian.

I've only been to Bologna once (World Cup 1990!!) but I think you are right in your impressions. As for your chances - I think you'll get on fine, but do try and tap up well-off parents/grand-parents/uncles/aunts etc for some tide-you-over-funds!

.. and let us know how you get on.

[Jetgirly]

While university towns are a good place for teachers, you should also consider cities with strong economies. I taught in Turin, where the automotive industry is huge. This made for LOTS of in-company work. It often involved traveling to classes at different offices and factories (make sure to work out reimbursement for travel TIME and costs before accepting any job) but we had more work than teachers.

[acmurray]

Ciao! I'm also just-graduated (having studied Italian) and moving to Bologna at the beginning of September. I don't really know anything more than you do, possibly even less, but I'd be happy to get in touch and compare notes!