INLINGUA ITALY

[ColinAtkinson]

I was wondering if anybody has an experience dealing with these schools in Italy? I have applied for numerous jobs in Italy and this school seems overly enthusiastic to recruit me. I'm not saying I'm not worth taking on but I don't have any experience or a degree.I have a lot of business experience and I completed a TEFL course but they are pretty much the only school that has shown any interest in me. Maybe I'm underestimating my own appeal but it's in my nature to be a little suspicious.

Any comments would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Colin

[Nigel]

I htink the reason Inlingua are showing so much interest in you is that they like to train theirteachers in the use of their methods. So if a teacher doesn't have a lot of experience, it doesn't matter to them. What's more important is that you have a business background and so can interact easily with their business students.

Other schools take teachers who have qualifications and experience because they don't have set methods that all teachers use.

I don't know if it's anything to be suspicious of, just different ways of working.

I've necver worked for them and don't know anybody who has. Probably a good idea to check them out anyway before going there.

Nigel

[marc]

I don't want to discourage you either about Inlingua but it has a very bad reputation. I myself have worked with Inlingua, but in the south. You see it's a franchise so it's more of a business than a school. I'm not the only one to complain about Inlingua many others have done the same. Although in t he North there are some schools that have had good comments written about them. Especially Inlingua Parma and Padova, I'm considering myself to move up north.

Inform yourself as much as possible about the school before you decide to go. A very important note too is that if you do go for an interview see what the DOS's English level is at. Because most interviews are done in Italian and very little in English, it's better if everything is explained in detail but of course in English.

Let me know if this Inlingua school is any good!!!!!!

marc

[KieraAnn]

Hi Colin

I worked for Inlingua Fabriano which is part of Inlingua Ancona. I really enjoyed working at Ancona, but Fabriano was not so good!! Most of the work is in-company - you need a car to work here as the bus service is terrible.

You receive training in their method which consists of two days watching a DVD, an hour of you being taught the Inlingua method and an hour of you teaching the inlingua method. The Inlingua method is very easy to use and there are lots of good resources.

There are some negatives about Inlingua, one being that inlingua is run as a business not as a school. My timetable changed quite a few times and the apartment that the school found for me was terrible - you would not let a dog live there. After a few complaints and threats to leave, they found me a much better apartment.

Hope this helps

Kiera

[SunShine]

It appears that most of the so-called schools that have the word "Lingua" in them are franchises and, like someone already said, are business ventures, there to take money and accept anyone, even a beggar off the street. The "Something Lingua" TEFL course I did had no entrance exam, which in itself should have been a warning to me. When I told the DOS's wife that my other half was also considering attending but decided he would not have passed, she said, without even knowing him, that of course he would. Well, I can assure you that he wouldn't have passed the grammar test, nor the rest of it. I know this topic was about a school in Italy but I thought that I would warn people to check out the school first, before paying upfront.

A few years ago, when I was also considering doing a TEFL course abroad, the schools I approached all had lengthy entry tests which took hours to complete. I should have chosen a different school. Bear this in mind when thinking of going on a course.

[kenben]

I am a Civil Engineer from Nigeria and have been living legally in Italy for 18months now. Unfortunately finding a job with my degree is not a reality in Italy especially with my skin colour, so I have taken courses that may improve my chances in the labour market and can read write and speak the italian language to a levels that is suitable for employment.

By networking I stumble across a "so good to be true" job offer at Inlingua to teach english, which I speak with fluency, until I learned that the contract was bad. After going through the training I learnt I would be working for only 3hrs a week and that cant get me through during this harsh economic crisis.

My question is, would there be a possibility of me having a full time contract at inlingua? I have no TEFL or any teaching certificate but prior to obtaining my degree I did a diploma course in mathematic education but did not complete the program because I gained admission to study engineering. I understand the methodologies of teaching and I am wondering if I can get a better future in teaching english in Italy.

[Alex Case]

If you were happy with the Inlingua methodology and don't mind moving cities, maybe you should send your CVs to all the other Inlingua schools in Italy. If not, I would suggest taking a 4 week Cambridge CELTA or Trinty Cert TESOL course so that you can be employed in other schools.

[ICAL_Pete]

As with any job, the more you have to offer in terms of qualifications and experience, the better your chances of landing a well paid job with opportunities for advancement.

Being certified will certainly make you more marketable and it will also prepare you for the job.

CELTA is undoubtedly a popular qualification especially in Europe but it is also a fairly intensive certificate program in terms of finance, workload and commitment.

If money is an issue then you may want to consider training online. Online courses can provide a thorough grounding in a new career and the right tools to approach a new profession within a manageable amount of time and finances. They are a good option particularly if you have a limited budget to further your studies or if you have other work and/or family commitments that restrict the amount of time you have available to study.

TEFL Course Review is a site where TESL/TEFL courses and course providers are independently reviewed and rated by those who have actually taken the course. It might help you to separate the wheat from the chaff.

[Alex Case]

Italy is a highly competitive market for teachers (meaning that there is a surplus of teachers looking for work) and therefore an online certificate is of little use. In fact, it is difficult to get a decent job with anything less than a Diploma (DELTA or Trinity Diploma)

[lequack]

I don't teach at Inlingua but I know a few people who do.

From what they've told me, it's quite easy work. You are given a pre-prepared lesson to teach and all you have to do is enter the classroom and you're on your way. Obviously, if you want to check up on the grammar beforehand, that would be a bonus, but it isn't necessary. If you're somebody who just wants a fun year abroad, then inlingua could be perfect. Also, if you're inexperienced, at least you'll gain some within a constricted environment that will enable you to build on your teaching skills without having to strugle with the thought of how you're going to make this NEF exercise work in class.

The main problem comes from the fact that the school is a franchise. The working conditions for each teacher depends on who their boss is. Some people have really enjoyed their time with the company and have managed to retain decent working hours that haven't left them destitute; others have worked for people who treat their staff like cattle and are only too happy to give you no work once they can see no further benefit for themselves.

One other thing: Italy is a strange country when it comes to TEFL. Getting a job is very much a case of who you know and not what you know. I've not actually applied for any jobs here, but have been employed through two different schools on the back of recomendations by my friends. I also had the strange situation two weeks ago where somebody from a middle school, in a town that I'd only been to once, offered me a job for next year. While flatered, I was confused as I'd never given anybody my CV. It was then that I remembered that I taught a teacher from another school nearby last Autumn. Through the strange linking mechanism in place in Italy ('ah, I know somebody.....') and through people talking to one another, I recieved a job offer with little effort on my part.

[jacosol]

I don't teach at Inlingua but I know a few people who do. The main problem comes from the fact that the school is a franchise. The working conditions for each teacher depends on who their boss is. Some people have really enjoyed their time with the company and have managed to retain decent working hours that haven't left them destitute; others have worked for people who treat their staff like cattle and are only too happy to give you no work once they can see no further benefit for themselves.

This seems to be the primary issue with this type of schools, since some of them might have totally different work ethic and/or program. I would skip them if I were you!

Jacob

[neverstopped]

From what they've told me, it's quite easy work. You are given a pre-prepared lesson to teach and all you have to do is enter the classroom and you're on your way.

This sounds like easy money, but personally I think this would restrict my teaching style. Not something I'd go after.

[MilanInglese]

Inlingua, like many other larger schools in Italy, is a franchise operation. Take each school on it's individual merits. Yes, there are a couple which are dodgy, but also some good ones. The quality of their training for non-experienced teachers may leave a little to be desired and I know their contracts aren't the best...but that's Italy.

Brian
www.milanoinglese.it