The TEFL Course in Rome
1. How much does the TEFL course cost?
Total fee: Euro 1,300 |
(approximately US$1770/ £885 at current
rate of exchange). |
2. How do I pay for the course?
Unlike many other courses we do not ask for full course fees to be paid in advance. We do however require a NON-REFUNDABLE deposit of €300 which will be subtracted from the total course fees. The final balance of the course fee (€1.000) is due on the first day of the course.
*Please note that we are only able to reserve your place on the course once we have received your deposit payment.
Please note that the course fee does not include meals or other living expenses.
3. 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, on Friday, 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
Does the TEFL Programme offer ACCOMMODATION?
1. 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 Area 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 a quiet suburb 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.
2. How much does accommodation for the duration of the course cost?
Accommodation fees: varying depending on which
accommodation you choose**:
350 euros and up for single room accommodation.
250 euros and up for double room (if there’s another student
who wants to share)(book ahead to be sure of the 350 euro
single room/ 250 euro double-shared room rate, as these
rooms are limited).
Extra fees not included in the above figures:
30 euros cleaning fee; 50 euros refundable apartment deposit.
**City centre accommodations may cost more.
3. How do I pay for my accommodation?
You may pay the landlord or landlady directly upon your arrival, in Euros and in cash.
Who the host school?
INTERLINGUE – Language System
Via Ennio Quirino Visconti, 20
00193 ROMA
Please, to check where we are located in Rome, check the map on our web site:
www.interlingue-it.com
Tel. Numbers |
+39 06 32 15 740 |
+39 06 32 10 317 |
Fax Numbers |
+39 06 32 35 709 |
E-mail: tefl.rome@interlingue-it.com
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 can 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 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 New Zeeland citizen you may apply for a “Working Holiday Visa” with a validity of 12 months in Australia at the Italian Embassy in Wellington or other Italian diplomatic or consular offices by New Zeeland citizens who are ordinarily resident in Australia. Please, check www.ambwellington.esteri.it
If you are a CANADIAN citizen you may apply for a “Working Holiday Visa” with a validity of 12 months in Canada at the Italian Embassy in Ottawa or other Italian diplomatic or consular offices by Canadian citizens who are ordinarily resident in Canda. The agreement has been signed in OCTOBER 2006 between the Italian Sottosegretario agli Affari Esteri, Bobo Craxi and the Canadian Vice Minister to the foreign Affairs,Peter Harder.
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
Please note that neither TEFL International nor its host school in Rome, INTERLINGUE SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES, provide work or study visas for TEFL course students.
5. What other documentation might I need in Italy?
Most likely you will need to obtain a PERMESSO DI SOGGIORNO within the first 8 days of your stay in Italy- this is NOT a work visa, it simply establishes, in a way, your existence in Italy. This can be done at any Carabinieri, police station (Questura).
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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 .
TEFL IN ROME
1 - TERMS & CONDITIONS
Your initial application should be completed on the “Application Form” – please, request it via e-mail.
As part of our pre-screening process, applicants are requested to submit an account of their personal history and background and of their motives for joining the course, as well as their future aspirations.
If for any reason you wish to subsequently cancel your place on the course after your part or full fees (i.e. deposit plus balance) have been paid, TEFL International cannot provide any refund.
The reason for this is that the staffing for the course and accommodation have fixed costs which have to be paid for in advance and based on a specific number of course members in the group. The school cannot guarantee to replace course members who subsequently drop out.
The deposit can be used as part payment for any course on any date, subject to the availability of places. Applications cannot be transferred or deferred within one week of the start of a course that the applicant has agreed to attend. At this time, if you are unable to attend the course, your deposit could be forfeited.
The course fee is based on your satisfactory completion all the course assessments, including Teaching Practices, within the four weeks. If for any reason you do not complete these satisfactorily within the period and it is agreed that an extension of time or further Teaching Practices are possible later, you will be liable to additional charges to cover additional staff time. These are 30 EU for each Teaching Practice and 20 EU for each piece of written work. If you withdraw from the moderation of your current course and wish to enter moderation on a later course, an additional moderation fee must be paid.
Please read the following warnings about course cancellations. Although, TEFL International has never cancelled a course due to lack of numbers, and we have no plans of ever doing so, if for some reason we do cancel a course, we will allow any members who had signed up for the course and paid their deposit to enrol in a future course.
The TEFL International TESOL certificate will be available on the last day of the course.
All course members are liable to the disciplinary regulations of the centre.
The course director's decision is final.
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 area of Rome is about 450/500 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. One is never too far from some means of public transport.
For detailed information about the transportation system and ticket prices, please check:
www.atac.roma.it
5. 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!
Questions about Rome; Living in 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 please 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.
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.
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!
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