Teflnet Forums

Hi,

I'm hoping to move to Italy at the beginning of next year but had a couple of questions I wanted to ask here.

I'm curious to find out if it is likely, not just possible, that I will be able to find work with a language school in January and also if freelance work can be picked up quickly. A previous post mentioned that there is a recruitment period in January but this might be quite small, as it will mostly cover teachers who have left at Christmas. I'm worried that the positions available in January will already have been filled by teachers in Italy through word of mouth. Any thoughts on this?

Ideally I would like to work completely freelance however I know that it will take some time to build up contacts and students. Is it possible to make a living working on a freelance basis and how long does it take to get to the point where you are able to do this?

I'm interested in working in Lombardy, currently studying a 120 hour TEFL course (mixture of online/lessons), have a BA degree and speak good, conversational Italian.

Thanks for your help,

Melissa

You ask a question which is impossible to answer.

How good are you at interviews? Do you have teaching experience? How good are you at teaching? Is your teaching course recognised by anybody other than the school selling it? Those answers are a starting point.

Teachers are ten a penny here in Italy, native and non-native speakers alike. You can't just turn up and expect to get a job, not unless you come with reams of references from recognised names. Certainly, you won't be taken seriously at all, or even get replies to emails, until you at least live here and have the requisite work and residence papers.

Teaching freelance is the way to go but until you understand the country and city you're living in, the people you want to sell to and the competition, you won't get far. Far too few teachers know how to sell themselves properly. Or even know what they have worth selling, and being able to speak English or Italian isn't what it takes.

Unless you don't need money for a few months, at least, I'd suggest you find a job with a reputable school and then use that as a base from which to work. How easy that will be depends on you.