As one of the fashion capitals of the world, Milan is a city famous for sleek modern design and refined Italian style. Naturally, most people think of the city as being great for shopping, but residents of Milan know that it offers so much more than that.

For example, Milan is a great city for art and architecture lovers. There are many museums and churches that house world famous paintings, one of them being the Last Supper at the Convent Santa Maria delle Grazie. You can also visit the Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele, Castello Sforzesco and the beautiful Parco Sempione.

So maybe you’re already sold on life in Northern Italy, but then comes the question: what’s it like to teach English in Milan? To give you an idea, I’ll briefly describe to you a day in the life of a Business English Teacher in Milan.

Morning

My weekly teaching hours are split between face-to-face lessons at the client’s office and video call lessons that I host from home. Let’s imagine it’s a Monday when I’m client side. Milan is definitely a business city, so when I exit the metro at 8.30 am there’s always the hustle and bustle of people rushing to their jobs.

Sometimes I’ll have breakfast at the swanky bar across from the office. I order a croissant or a brioche as they call it in Milano, and an espresso decaffeinato. Then, off to my first lesson at 9 am. All the lessons I lead are one-to-one, so my role is more like a personal coach rather than a traditional teacher. I’m focused on boosting the students’ effectiveness at cross-border business rather than getting bogged down in grammar. I find teaching professionals in this way truly gratifying!

I’m also lucky to work for a language training company with guaranteed teaching hours between 9 and 6, so I have a great work-life balance. With The Language Grid you also work at the same client all day, meaning you’re not forced to travel all over the city and at the end of the month find that you’ve tired yourself out only for a few hours of pay. Unfortunately not all language schools in Milan offer these kinds of contracts.

Afternoon

1 pm. Lunch is one of the best parts of the day in Italy and everyone takes their full hour. You can stroll down to the nearest cafes, bakeries or restaurants to eat one of the many delicious Italian dishes, such as the Cotoletta alla Milanese, or of course, pizza. Certainly, near my main client’s office, located in one of the key fashion districts, there are also cute local boutiques. In fact, during fashion week, lunch time provides great people watching because models and fashionistas from around the world are everywhere! Could this be possible? Am I an agent for a famous fashion name brand? No, just an English trainer, living the life in Milan!

At 2 pm my afternoon lessons begin. I might help an executive prepare for a presentation in Tokyo or assist Senior Managers in their planning for international team building activities. Lessons are specifically catered to their everyday workplace needs, but I also have the freedom to personalise the lesson content and sprinkle in a bit of fun.

Evening

6 pm. Now commences the commute back home or why not an aperitivo on the Navigli (the city’s canal area). In Milan, you can find the culture of ‘happy hour’. However, it’s not your typical happy hour with only drinks and a few chips to eat. If you want, the Milanese happy hour can be a dinner buffet: meet up with a few friends, order a Campari spritz, and help yourself to the plethora of food on display. For me, this is the right way to end the day.

I must say that teaching business English in Milan definitely has its share of perks: the reward of working with motivated adult learners, a lively urban setting that makes each day unique, and of course great food culture.

About the author

Schiphrah Pierre, Business English Trainer at The Language Grid, Milan

Schiphrah’s guiding mantra is ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again’, which definitely reflects her dedication to her students’ progress and results. She is a qualified English trainer, with both a TEFL and TESOL to her name, alongside a degree in Architectural Technology. Schiphrah also gained invaluable experience working for an international auditing firm in her native US, and she brings this knowledge of the financial industries to her TLG training sessions.

Kickstart your Business English career       

Do you have your Trinity CertTESOL? Can you imagine yourself working abroad in a cosmopolitan city like Milan? Would you like to work for The Language Grid?

If so, follow the link! https://www.thelanguagegrid.com/en/work-with-us/