3 Reasons to Teach English in Italy
By: Pamela Quezada
Moving to a new country is HARD work and involves a lot more paper, staples and time spent at the copy machine then you could ever possibly imagine. BUT it has the potential to be the most rewarding experience of your life. Teaching English in breathtakingly beautiful Italy – specifically bella Roma – is simply fantastic, and here are just three of many reasons why.
Location, location, location
Did I already mention Rome? Oh, you know, just the center of the Cultural Renaissance which transformed the entire planet? The capital of the Roman Empire that RULED the whole world for hundreds and hundreds of years?
Yeah, apart from the tremendous historical significance of this living and breathing museum, the place is just jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
Besides the visual feast that is practically every single street in Rome, the food is beyond scrumptious. The fresh produce at the market at affordable prices, the emphasis on in-season ingredients and the culinary history that makes Italy the capital of DELICIOUSNESS for millennia makes this place a foodie’s paradise. Did I say foodie? I meant ANY HUMAN BEING with taste buds.
Job Prospects are HIGH
The entire world is still feelings the effects of a recession that seems never-ending, but as an English teacher in Rome you would never know it. I graduated in August and not even a month later, I was getting paid a reasonable hourly rate to teach real live students. At this point, 5 months from when I first arrived, I am actually turning DOWN work. As a born and bred Miami girl, though, I absolutely must keep it real, as it were: you will not become rich teaching English, of course…but I have a nice (and small) apartment in one of the most happening areas of Rome (shoutout to Trastevere!), I can keep up with my student loans and I eat and drink ridiculously well (authentic Italian cuisine, HELLO). My work is exciting, challenging and always surprising and fun. How, is this possible, you may ask? In the era of cubicle farms and no vacation time? Well, that brings me to…
The People
Ask anyone who has visited Italy or known an Italian and they will tell you: these people are so darn charming. The students are enthusiastic and motivated, acutely aware of just how important learning the increasingly international language of English truly is. I laugh every single day and get to connect with people who are genuinely interested in my culture and in forging relationships with their fellow students. Italians are famous for their hospitality – I have had students take me out to four course lunches in the middle of the work day! Seeing them put in the effort to learn and to see their growth over time is truly rewarding.
Do TEFL in Italy today! It will be the best decision you’ve made in a long time.
