From Sicily To London (with Martin from Rock n' Roll English)

Martin Johnston is an English teacher and a podcaster, and he has extensive experience living and working in Italy.
In this interview, I asked him about life in Italy, the challenges of teaching English in Italy, and what it is like moving from a Mediterranean island to rainy Britain.
Follow Martin:
TH-cam: @RocknRollEnglish
Website: www.rocknrollenglish.com/
01:45 Exploring Martin's Connection to Italy
03:57 Life in Rome vs. Sicily: A Cultural and Geographical Comparison
07:31 The Challenges of Working and Living in Sicily
11:00 The Bright Side: Best Things About Living in Sicily
17:52 Teaching English in Italy: Unique Experiences and Observations
19:48 Exam Culture in Italy: Peculiar Practices and Personal Anecdotes
30:04 Studying Law in Italy: A Unique Approach
32:04 The Challenge of Learning English in Italy
36:30 Cultural Adjustments: Moving from Sicily to the UK
38:22 Exploring the Quirks of British Culture
46:41 The High Cost of Living in the UK
50:05 Jungle English: A New Approach to Language Learning

[@salvatoreromano4333]

Hi, it's Milva from Sicily. My daughters are among the young people who left the island because of the lack of opportunity. My older daughter lives in England with her family, husband and three boys. She works as a teacher in Bristol and according to her the italian school system is more difficult, more homeworks, interrogations, but it gives the students a better preparation.

[@LeonardoEnglishCom]

Hi Milva - thanks for this perspective. That's really interesting to hear. I know that Italian schools require a lot of homework...
Out of interest, what reasons does she think it prepares the students better?

[@salvatoreromano4333]

My daughter says that in England many students don't get a degree at the end of the secondary school because they don't pass the final exams. In Italy when a student doesn't study enough he must repeat the same year, so he must do a good work

[@LeonardoEnglishCom]

yes, the system works differently. You can't be "bocciato" at school in the UK (and repeat the exams).

[@NasraCabdi-ym5dw]

I like British podcasts 🎉

[@LeonardoEnglishCom]

glad to hear it :)

[@fabiocerpelloni]

Nice to see the two of you in the same "room" 😄

[@LeonardoEnglishCom]

😁

[@maurofumagalli3913]

Many stereotypes about Italian culture. Regarding greeting cards: it's nice to know that someone has "wasted" 5 minutes of his time to think of you ... better than a mass WhatsApp with copy and paste text.
"Thank you card" are used only for wedding and funeral or really special occasions, not for children birthdays.

[@LeonardoEnglishCom]

I think I agree with you on the greetings card :)

[@laurapavone3513]

I can understand the connection that you built with the country that you've chosen to live in as a foreigner. I feel for England, the political directions that have been taken lately make me sad.

[@LeonardoEnglishCom]

Indeed...

[@zeyarmyintthu3489]

How long have you been living in Malta?

[@LeonardoEnglishCom]

I have lived in Malta for 7 years @zeyar, but recently left the island for good. Alastair

[@laurapavone3513]

'Veni, vidi vici 🇬🇧🍅🛶🏃🏼‍♂️🏟️'