Teaching in France or Italy

[carol]

I'm just about to finish my Certificate in TEFL, does anybody know how I go about getting a job in France or Italy.

thanks for any advice you can give me - I'm completely new to this!

[Caro]

I don't want to depress you but... if you're looking for a career in TEFL or considering it as something more long-term than a pleasant year off from the real world, I wouldn't really start looking in Italy. It's a fantastic country to live in, great food, lovely people, nice weather, lots to see and do, but frankly you'll be too broke to see or do anything. Italian schools pay dismally - about 800 euros a month is standard, and a lot of them operate in "nero" - which means illegally and not paying taxes. It also means if you get sick you don't have a doctor. A lot of schools now require teachers to open a VAT number (partita IVA) and they pay them through that - however it'll cost you about 1000 euro a year just to pay the accountant, never mind the tax and contributions on top of that.

That said, there are some decent schools - AISLI are an association of good language schools who all pay relatively decently and treat their teachers well - I'd start by sending CVs to all the schools on their website. If you've got a British National Insurance number, there are some schools who'll hire you on a British contract (paying tax and contributions in the UK) and you work out much better on that. If you're just coming for a year and want to have some fun, go to any old school at all which offer an apartment as part of the deal so you don't have to find one or worry about what to do with it when you want to break the contract. In my personal experience, schools that offer apartments pay in "nero" but if you're only coming for a year maybe it doesn't matter to you. I'd also look south as opposed to north - I've heard the cost of living is much cheaper there, and wages are about the same... (plus the weather's generally better!!!)

I don't mean to put you off but it is really, really difficult to make a living in this country - I've been here two years and will have to leave for good this summer unless I find a non-teaching job by then (much as I love the place)...

Good luck with the rest of your course!

[carol]

Thanks for this, it seems to cover everything. You haven't put me off, just given me a realistic view of Italy

Carol

[yucatan]

Hi
I ve taught in Mexico, France, Austria and Germany.I have tried to teach in Italy and never succeeded, and France was very difficult.Please check my other reply in this forum, about France.
I have to say wouldn t recommend either, but maybe Sarkozy's France will be better.
Good luck, both are great countries in other ways...
Marek (AMM)

[elaineitaly]

Hi,
I had a good few TEfl jobs in Italy and lived there for a number of years .The schools are hard to work for, are very demanding of the teachers and the pay is low. You would be much better trying to find private students which is not that hard.. Italy is a country in which you musyt make connections to survive. They can keep quite wary of strangers, the futher south you go the worse this wariness gets.
To work there you have to prove yourself to be an honest,relaible person and this takes quite a while. number 1 advice: be open and friendly as u possibiliy can makes friends with everyone you meet and u'll be ok.

[LeProf]

Hi There,

I've been living and teaching in France for 15 years and I have to say that it's pretty easy to get a reasonable job once you have got your TEFL Cert. You mustn't expect to be rich, you never will be in TEFL alone, but you can survive and have a good time in cities like Paris while having a rewarding and interesting career.

Best of luck to you,
Sab Will
Will Power English