The TEFL
Course in Rome
1. How much does
the TEFL course cost?
Total
fee: $1,690
Comprised of:
1. Non-refundable
deposit: $500, payable in advance to book your place in the
course
TEFL Course fee*: $1190, payable directly at the school in Rome on the first day of the course
with credit card, cash euros (or with a bank transfer sent 2 weeks in advance
on the starting date)
*Please note that the course fee does not include meals or other
living expenses.
2. How do I pay for the course?
You
can pay the balance of the course and accommodation fees in Rome directly at
the school on the first day of the course.
By this stage, you should already
have paid the $500NON
REFUNDABLE
deposit .
The $1190 course fee itself must
be paid in Euros.
That payment can be made in cash or
by credit card (which will take the money in euros at the current rate of
exchange), or by bank transfer (but that has to be done 2 weeks in
advance). .
3. How much does accommodation for the duration
of the course cost?
1. Accommodation fees: varying depending
on which accommodation you choose**:
STANDARD program flats PRICES:
300 euros and up for single room accommodation
200 euros and up
for double room (if there’s
another student who wants to share)
Book ahead to be sure of the 300 euro single room/ 200
euro double-shared room rate, as these rooms are limited.
Extra fees not included in the above figures:
30
euroscleaning fee; 50 euros refundable apartment deposit
**City centre accommodations may
cost more - see accommodation list for pricing.
4. How do I pay for
my accommodation?
You may pay the landlord or landlady or your
accommodation directly upon your arrival, in Euros and in cash.
5. What are the
program accommodation selections like? Where are they located?
Our standard program flats are
located on the outskirts of Rome in Cesano and are well-connected with the city
centre.
Cesano is a short commute
from school, about an hour on the train.
The switch to the metro is simple and 3 short stops later you arrive at
school. Considering that Rome is an
enormous city in which everyone experiences some kind of commute, whether they
live in or just outside Rome, being able to arrive at school in an hour is rare
and making excellent time.
Cesano is in a quiet area of
Rome, and is well-equipped with grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, bars,
and shops.
It is also about 10 minutes
away from the medieval town of Bracciano, with its famous lake and castle.
The apartments are
comfortable and simply-furnished,
with equipped kitchens.
Blankets and sheets are
provided, but bath towels are not.
We do offer accommodations in the city centre, which are
similarly furnished. Please note that pricing varies.
Rome is contained
by a large highway ring called the GRA. Within this ring is what is considered the city centre.
The historic centre is a small area located
in the centre of this ring and its accommodation is particularly expensive due
to the location rather than its amenities – in the historic centre a common
price found at a bed an breakfast is 60-80 Euros per day, while the cheapest
single apartment rooms are commonly 550 Euros a month.
6. Who are the TEFL
staff and the host school?
Angela Giordano: General manager of
Interlingue, TEFL’s host school in Rome; organizes and manages TEFL courses
Franco Chilelli: General
manager and administration at Interlingue; facilitates financial aspects of
TEFL courses and also organizes the airport pick-up service for TEFL students
Devin Gangi: TEFL Course
coordinator; works with Ms. Giordano in handling all TEFL correspondence and
administration
Ester Achille: TEFL Course
instructor; teaches grammar and pedagogy; coordinates teaching practica for
TEFL students
Vicky James: TEFL Course
instructor; teaches grammar and pedagogy; coordinates teaching practica for
TEFL students
Lidia Socci: Organizes and
manages English courses taught at Interlingue
In
addition to the above staff, we have about thirty-five other instructors and
administrative assistants, and our school offers English, French, Spanish,
Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Italian for foreigners, Latin, and Ancient Greek.
7. What is an
average program day like?
The course is very
intense, challenging, and fun experience. Classes generally begin at 9.30
and run until 13.00, during which grammar and theory are discussed. Afternoons
are spent doing supervised lesson planning, and trainees teach during the
afternoons and evenings, possibly until 20:30.
Once a week, TEFL
students are immersed unknown-language lessons, so that they can gain an
appreciation for being a language learner as well as a language teacher.
8. How many
students on average are in the program each month?
On
average we have about twenty-five students enrolled in each program, most of
whom are American or British, but we have also students Australia, New Zeeland
and South Africa.
Their ages range anywhere from 20 to
60 years old, although the majority of our students are 22 – 30 years old.
9. What are the
students like with whom I’ll be doing my teaching practicum?
Annually, our school has about 900 students of all ages
and all levels, so TEFL students will have the opportunity to experience all
kinds of teaching situations. The
students come from many backgrounds, countries (though typically Italy) and
work places.
10. Can I have
things shipped or mailed to me at the school?
Yes! In fact, we suggest you have things sent to you at
school, rather than your apartment, since the Italian post is notoriously
sporadic. Do be warned that while it’s
obviously extremely easy to pass on letters/packages while you are attending
the school, if we receive something for you after you have left, we’re more
than happy to hold it for you, but it will be up to you to find a way to get
it, by having a friend or a service pick it up.
11. Can I bring my
laptop?
Yes, if you like, but please note that we have no phone
lines available at school for hooking up a laptop, and there are no phone lines
in the accommodations. Instead, there are numerous internet facilities all over
Rome, and should you require a computer for TEFL coursework at school, we have
a computer lab with 6 computers, all of which have Internet access. However, with a laptop you have the bonus of
doing coursework at home on your own time.
Also, Rome has recently begun setting up areas where you can receive
free wireless internet. Right now those
areas are located within Rome’s parks, but service is still sporadic as it has
started up.
The job market in Italy; Teaching
in Italy; Paperwork and documentation
1. What is the job market in Italy like at
the moment? Will I have trouble securing employment?
The
job market in Italy is currently good.
Because of the increasing use of English as a common European-language,
more and more regions of Italy find themselves increasingly in need of English
teachers.
You
should have no trouble finding a job after taking the TEFL course, if you are
diligent and “put yourself out there.”
The market is generally good year-round, except for late summer
(August), since almost everyone in the country goes on vacation and there are
no students to be taught.
2. When do I need to start looking for work
in Italy? Where do I start?
We suggest you begin setting up interviews and sending
resumes to schools in the second week of the program, and we can help you with
this. There are almost two hundred language schools in Rome alone, and
thousands elsewhere in Italy.
3. What can TEFL International do to help
me secure employment?
We will provide you a list of schools in Rome and
elsewhere in Italy. We also offer a
number of “help sessions” covering accommodation, resume-CV preparation,
interviewing and visa information. We guarantee job placement assistance, but please
note that TEFL International doesn’t ‘guarantee’ its graduates employment in
Italy; it is ultimately up to you to “sell yourself” to a school, as they say.
4. What is the average salary like?
The average salary in Italy is about 1.000/1.100 Euros
per month , though of course this varies depending on what type of school or
company you work for, whether you work full- or part-time, and your own
personal spending habits.
5. What kind of Visa will I need to secure
a job? Does my nationality matter?
If you are a US
citizen you will need to secure contracted employment in order to be
eligible to apply for a proper work visa. You are not eligible to apply for a
visa before leaving the States - you must have secured contracted employment
first. Your passport acts as a Visa for
your first 3 months in Italy, and it’s during this period that you have the
opportunity to secure a contract. Most
contracts run from September to the end of June. Once a contract has been secured, you will then need to leave Italy and return to the States to
process the necessary paperwork. Visas
are only issued at your regional consulate in America.
Once that is taken care of,
you once again return to Italy to resume work at your school.
If you are an AUSTRALIAN citizen you may apply for a
“Working Holiday Visa” with a validity of 12 months in Australia at the Italian
Embassy in Canberra or other Italian diplomatic or consular offices by
Australian citizens who are ordinarily resident in Australia.
Please, check
www.italyaustralia.com.au/whv.htm.
If you are a citizen of an EU country, you are permitted to work
anywhere in the EU, so this is not so much of an issue for you.
For complete details about
visas and Italy regulations please visit :
www.italyemb.org/Visti.htm
6. How can my school help me get a Work
Visa?
The school that hires you will first give you a working
contract, and will then help you procure all the necessary paperwork and
signatures from the various Italian Ministries. With that paperwork, you can then return home to process it all
at your local consulate, where the visa is actually issued.
Please note that neither TEFL International nor its host
school in Rome, INTERLINGUE
Language System , provide work visas for TEFL course students.
7. Do most schools provide accommodations
for their teachers?
No, but there are schools that do this. For example, they
will provide a room for you, either shared or single, probably in an apartment
with other teachers, and provide you with a monthly stipend. However, it varies
from school to school.
8. How many of the TEFL graduates actually
find work in Italy?
Most of our trainees have had very good luck in securing
employment in Italy.
9. Do schools provide health insurance?
No. However, there are a number of medical facilities in
Rome that accept American insurance plans.
If you are non-EU, check to make sure your plan fully covers you
abroad! If not there are a number of
Health Insurance firms that offer coverage specifically for people staying abroad
for long periods.
EU citizens need only furnish
identification to be seen, and emergency hospital care is free for all.
11. What is a typical teaching position
like?
Obviously, it varies from school to school, but you may
be expected to teach a variety of courses, ranging from children to business
professionals at all levels, in groups or in private sessions.
12. Can I return to the States and teach
with my certificate?
Yes, though the requirements for working in ESL in the
States are different, and tend to require graduate education in ESL .
Questions about Rome; Living in
Italy
1. What are the average living expenses in
Rome?
Most likely you will rent a room in an apartment or house
with other students or Italians, and of course it depends on where you choose
to live. A nice room in a nice central area of Rome is about 450 euros per
month, and this usually includes bathroom and kitchen use. Obviously if you
choose to live on the outskirts of Rome you will pay less than you would to
live downtown in the historic city centre.
2. How do I find housing subsequent to the
program?
We are happy to help our trainees locate housing
subsequent to the program, and there are a number of newspapers that are
published weekly and bi-weekly with apartments and rooms for rent. We also have
several connections with landlords from whom we regularly rent apartments.
3. What do I do if I get sick in Italy? Are
there American medical facilities?
If you find yourself requiring medical attention, Rome
has a number of very good hospitals and clinics with well-educated, helpful
doctors. The health care system is generally free and available to everyone,
and there are pharmacies on every corner throughout the city. There is an
American hospital in Rome as well.
4. What’s the public transportation system
like?
There are two subway lines that run perpendicular to one
another in Rome; there is also a bus and tram system, as well as commuter
trains.
What to do before departing for
Italy
1. Which airport do I need to fly into?
In order to be picked up by our representative at the
airport, you must arrive in FIUMICINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (it’s also called “Leonardo
da Vinci Airport”).
Our Courtesy pick-up service
is available ONLY on the Friday before the first day of the course (from 11:00
to 17:00), so make your travel plans accordingly. You will need to send us your
flight details as soon as you receive them. If you choose to arrive on a
weekday other than Friday, you will have to make hotel or hostel reservations
for your first night(s) in Rome, as the program accommodations are available
only from the Friday before the course, and you must come directly to the
school on the Friday before the course to receive your accommodation keys and
transfer to your accommodation; we are open Monday through Friday, 8.30 to
20.30.
2. What documents do I need to bring?
Of course you need your passport; when you secure work
you may be asked to provide notarized copies of your birth certificate, social
security number and college degrees. You might also consider obtaining an
international driving permit, should driving in Italy be necessary for you;
these can be obtained in the States at any AAA office. EU citizens should bring
their EU documentation.
3. What’s the climate like? What kind of
clothing will I need to bring?
Summers are hot and somewhat humid. Winters are colder
and damper than you might think! If you are coming in the winter months (about
December to March) bring plenty of sweaters, pants/trousers, warm pyjamas, a
winter coat, gloves, scarves, etc. Don’t forget your umbrella!
4. What supplies will I
need?
Just like the
first day of any other school, you’ll need some supplies. We’ll give you your course material and
notebook, but you’ll need to have your own pens and pencils. You may also want scotch tape, a stapler,
highlighters, coloured pencils and markers, glue, scissors and white-out. You will need to buy your own paper for our
photocopier. All of these materials can
be purchased from a store near the school if you do not wish to bring them from
your home.
Please do not hesitate to
contact us should you have other questions or concerns.
Thank you for choosing TEFL
International; we look forward to meeting you!
Angela Giordano, General Manager, Interlingue
School of Languages
Devin Gangi, TEFL Course Coordinator
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