I'm also American and have been living in Italy since 2012. One of the most lucrative ways to make money teaching English is finding a company (or two) who needs lessons for their employees. You get a few lessons in one trip. The private language schools charge exorbitant amounts of money so they're happy to pay an individual directly and cut out the middle man. It's still not a lot of money, but much more than you will make from a school.
Im from the U.S and im esl teacher in Guadalajara Mexico and had the same experience dealing with public and private schools . 15 years living here and i enjoy as you do living in Italy. I meet many expats as esl teachers that are from different parts of the world. I met one teacher who was from italy ,she married a mexican and now lives here as a esl teacher and so do many from Russia, Canada,Germany,Japanise,french.
Thanks for the insight on teaching English in Italy! I'm really considering making the move to Italy next year, knowing that I'll probably have to teach English in some capacity (private tutoring, online, etc). I have 3 years public elementary school teaching experience in South Korea, plus a TEFL certificate, and half a year of private academy teaching, so I think I'll have a good start upon arrival. My end-game goal, though, is to get back to making art. My degree is in Fine Arts, and I studied the crap out of Italian history and art, and when I went for 12 days in 2016, I fell in love with the entire country! My only issue right now is financial. I don't mind jumping through the bureaucratic loops to maintain legal living status in Italy. Your videos are helping me fine tune my game plan, thanks!
I haven’t finished watching this yet but wanted to say that I wish this video was around when I first moved to Florence with the hope of teaching English. The TEFL cert company I went through told me I’d have “no problem” getting a job without a visa in Italy which was a straight lie (I do partially blame my naivety too.) This video is honest and I would have known better before I invested in the TEFL course and made the move if I had seen it. So I’m glad you took the time to create it for other people looking to do the same!
Ah! Your comment just made my day and so much happier that I ended up posting this video! Thanks so much...I hope everything worked out in the end for you in Italy, but I definitely feel you! Thanks for stopping by! xx
@ Love and London - Word of advice: we italians are masters of scam. What Sofie explained is very clear, but i would like to add: keep an eye out when going down the private line. If you're a stranger (not used to how italian things work), you look like you're screaming it out: "I'm a newbie, and i trust you even if i don't know you". That's where we italians get you for good. And a secondary word of advice: It's a pop-culture thing, for us, the private teacher (just for research, try to look up on old italian movies of the 70's era, with actresses like Edwige Fenech, Barbara Bouchet, Gloria Guida and the like). If the teacher is also young and cute, bingo. You will spend most of the time avoiding the avances of the italian young males instead of actually teaching them. But, after all, they're paying you for that time, and if they don't get the language, it means more lessons will be needed in the future.
I appreciate you sharing this video! I've taught English in Spain for the past few years and I almost gave into the "language academy" lifestyle... and as you stated, I think there are many other ways to use your time and make more money (private lessons, etc.). You don't want to spend hours planning, doing workshops, etc. to get paid so little. I'm trying to transition to more freelance work to be able to work from home and your videos have been really helpful! Keep it up!
Thanks so much, Kyler! I am so glad you find them helpful- I too am trying to transition to do more freelance work also. That's why I recently started teaching English online as a segue. If you're interested in doing that also feel free to reach out for more info :)
@@sofiesworld I am a native English speaker and am learning Italian online. I have been helping Italians improve their English using Tandem and Busuu. My greatest surprise is the enjoyment I get in helping others learn English. I have no teaching experience as I retired after owning a retail travel agency for 25 years where I designed and escorted international group tours. After retirement I began the process of applying for dual citizenship as my maternal grandparents immigrated from Piemonte. What guidance could you share with me for creating a part time remote online English teaching career specializing in travel and tourism? Grazie mille Janet
I taught English and Art at a summer camp in Florence for a couple of years and the camp was run by a year round school that is basically a Pre-K with English as the primary language. I would come for 6 weeks and myself and the girls who worked there year-round would teach kids age 5-15 all day at an agriturismo. Now, the girls I worked with were mostly from Canada and the US (I’m from the US), but they all lived full time in Florence and a few had contracts, but others were paid under the table. All summer camp counselors were paid cash. Now, the girls who were full time didn’t make much money either. Several of them had side jobs as yoga teachers, massage therapists, did private lessons, or were fitness personal trainers or bartenders. One finally got her teaching certificate and was hired at an international school. For reference, my coworkers there said there is no guarantee when summer starts that you will have a job at the same public school come autumn. There is technically no guarantee you will have a job, but you will...it’s just that you may not have the same job or be in the same school if you work in the public sector. They also felt a bit used at the English pre-school and had many duties they didn’t get paid to do beyond normal expectations, but no matter how unhappy they may have been at times, the choice to leave a secure job would have major consequences for their living situation in Italy. At least, that’s how it was described to me about Florence, if anyone can add to that I’d love to hear another side to it. Also, in America as a full time public school art teacher I make $1900 every 2 weeks. As much as I would love to teach full time in Italy, paying my student loans would be difficult if I cut this salary in half or into a third. I think you have to have a strong enough passion to move there no matter what obstacles come, a very resourceful and entrepreneurial spirit to find other ways to bring in income, and you must have patience because of all the hoops you have to jump through. I’m still friends with all the girls I worked with and am happy to have gotten real talk from them early on so I could have realistic views on what it would take for me to make the leap if I chose to. If I was still in my 20s I might have tried, but as a teacher in my 10th year of teaching I have built up security and seniority that is hard for me to abandon permanently. Thanks for putting this info out there Sofie! I always wondered if Rome was different!
I am a student of english and i really like teaching it is always lovely to hear about other's teachers expériences in différent countries thanks for sharing 💋
Non EU citizens need a work or student visa. To get a work visa the employer needs to get a work permit for you (it costs the employer between 1k and 4k Euros). To get a work permit, you need to fall into the immigrant worker quota system. It isn't nearly as simple as she makes it sound. (I found all of this out the hard way in 2018 when a language school was going to hire me until they found out all of these things.)
HI Sofie I worked in Rome as a teacher 5 years ago, I can say the situation is the same here in the north of Italy where I have been working for the last 5 years. Lost a lot of time at meetings, filling out report cards (unpaid) and once the school required me to participate in a 17 hour health and safety training course which was pretty much teaching us how to move a chair safely. This was to cover their backs for legal reason which I understand. The problem though is that that I wasn't paid for those 17 hours and they cancelled my lessons at the school in order to free me up to attend the course resulting in a loss of earnings. here there was really little or no regard towards the teacher's earning for the month. They told me it was an obligation, but I told them I understand that but my first obligation is to pay my mortgage and put food on the table for the family. That was pretty much the last straw.
18 yrs ago I came to Brazil because of my relatives, because I´m a dual citizen and because I spoke the language. I started teaching English, got better at it over time and now I´m considered a coach who can bridge the two languages and get people fluent. After so many yrs in one town I´ve build a name and get whatsapp messages almost every week from people who need English for jobs in corporations, etc. My tip would be to go to a country where you know or love the language enough to understand the equivalent ways of saying things in English. It´s a long road and it is best if you like teaching English enough to stick it out and get good at it. Also, remember that the yrs pass by and eventually you get old enough not to want to start again in your native country, so think about it well to make sure you aren´t just running away from your country and are instead actually willing to accept a new place with all of its pros and cons. I have no regrets since all is working out well, however sometimes I get worried about the future of an unstable country such as Brazil. So, good luck to you all and for those who fit the bill I recommend such an alternative life, as English is crucial in today´s world and they need natives. Thanks for your video!
This is the first video I've watched from your channel and, not knowing anything about you, I must say I'm impressed. Not only is your italian impeccable (yes, I watched other videos, before coming back here to comment), but you also speak english with a very "italian" intonation -if you know what I mean-, to the point I genuinely mistook you for an italian with an absurdly high level of english xd (and I'm italian myself, lol). That being said, thanks for the video. It's always enlightening to hear foreigners talking about your homecountry, as it makes you see things from a whole different perspective.
I work in Vietnam and earn 21$ per hour, but ready to move to Europe within a year. All the teachers here who worked in Europe say that you should teach online to Chinese kids and the wage is around 16 to 18 dollars for a native speaker. So working 20 hours per week would be around 1200 euros per month which is enough so long as you don't live in milan, rome, Florence, or venice
That's what I do. If you are an American/Canadian you can work for VIPKID and make 20-21 an hour and work as many hours as you like. I have been living in Sicily for a month making $2500 working about 30 hours a week. The cost of living is low and my salary is "high" lol.
I’m an American living in Italy too and I also teach English for a public school, private and language and I can attest to the accuracy of the sale rise you mentioned.
Ciao Sofie! New Italian subscriber here :D I just wanted to say that I would have loved to have you as a teacher when I was in school. You're so nice and your accent is lovely. I wish you the best of luck!
I really like your honesty & your story. It is the same in Ireland. I am glad i watched your video cause my personal experience is pretty similar. I plan to get the Celta to improve. Your videos really are helping me to take this exam to progress quickly thanks again. Didi yoga dance
Hi Sofie! I'm glad you like Italy. It's true, the economic situation in Italy is not as good as it was in the past. But we still have many beautiful things here, as you know :) In my experience, schools here are too focused on grammar and too little on speaking and listening. So I'm learning English on my own. I'm watching lots of videos (like yours) and films in English, to improve my listening skills. I follow your channel, you speak so clear, I can understand everything you say. I wish I had a teacher like you :). Would you be so kind as to correct my mistakes, if I did (probably I did)? :D E' un piacere seguirti, un abbraccio :)
I appreciate your honesty. I think teaching is quite underpaid pretty much everywhere, not only in Italy and I guess also in USA (I always have The Simpson's irony about this topic in my mind ^_^). Somewhere in Europe it can seem nominally higher but, as you have said, in real terms it couldn't be that higher, considering the cost of living. Anyway I consider teaching to children a second language one of the noblest jobs in the world; you make them global citizens. I know it can be an excruciating job, especially for the extremely lively italian children, but that's what it is.
hello sofie i have the same expérience here in Paris France. i have many degrees even a French masters degree and yet i couldn't find other than English teaching jobs. I think it's the same thing in all Europe :)
Great video. You really painted an accurate picture of teaching here in Rome. I agree. I had a public school job (via employment with a private school who subcontracted teachers to these schools) and it was overall a terrible experience. Disorganized. Loud, chaotic and rather ungratifying work. And yes, not paid enough for the work that I put in. Agreed. if you're going to teach here, get some kind of legal status or take a risk and work under the table, heavens knows I saw that going on! Also, think about different income streams and yes private lessons are a good idea, athough I don't like to do too many of them as it does eat up your free time and when you teach English here, your free time is precious!
I hear ya, Sofie! EXACTLY the same in Bologna... and the cost of living is bloody high too. I also quit recently so fingers crossed for the next (Italian) working adventure...! In bocca al lupo, babe :)
To be 100% accurate, we should also say that the option of working for public (state founded) schools is not viable in most cases: you both have to be an Italian/ UE citizen (the are some marginal cases where that doesn't apply, such as for relatives to UE citizens with a visa or those who were granted asylum rights) and you have to go through a hyper bureaucratic recruitment process that's usually very offputting for Italians themselves, let alone foreigners.
Aww thanks for another great video! Sounds like I'm going to have to permanently change careers to teaching when I move there in Sept. Do you know if there is a specific time when schools hire? Do you have to apply at the start of the school season in September or do schools hire anytime? Thanks Sofie!
Thanks for watching Celeste! The school year starts in early September, so they like to have their teachers locked in usually before or during the summer, and they prefer to have the same teacher(s) consistent throughout the entire academic year. I would start applying now as the school year is finishing to get a feel for the schools who are needing new teachers come September :)
I am Italian and I can say that it's not only teaching, the whole "mondo del lavoro" (litteraly work world, sorry I can't think of a proper translation right now) is trash, I'm graduating next month and I've worked to pay university taxes and all the stuff I needed for my studies as delivery pizza guy, as a bartender, now I'm coaching little kids (4 to 6 years old) in a professional soccer club here in Veneto, I have to cover 30km to get to the training facilities 3 times per week, I don't do it for the money anymore, I love soccer and to be in such a great club is an honor and I can get tons of experience and knowledge from my collegues but I get only 250 € per month witch barely cover the cost of the gas to get there
ciao great to hear about your passion for football coaching! I came from India to study sports management masters in Rome, and I'd love to be a youth coach in any part of Italy. I want to earn money to survive, but want to do what I enjoy and live a calm life. If you have a little time, can you guide me from your experience? Grazie mille. (my email is itsmechaitanya13@gmail.com)
Could you do a video on how you started out freelancing and how you got the word out to start teaching private lessons, like did you make a website about it? Thank you so much this is so incredibly informative 💕
Thanks for the info, this was hella real. I’ve considered teaching as a means of surviving there. I have been teaching myself Italian for over three years now but in total I’ve spent only 17 days in the country. Need to immerse myself and perfect the language. 👌🏻
Luke L Teach at a summer camp in Italy! You can not help be immersed in the language because even if it’s an English camp, most of the kids are going to be Italian and from my experience.....I learned more Italian than they learned English!
Thank you sweetie, you are a brave girl. I am retired from the military and would love to go and teach English. I am working on my second bachelor in English online and would like to know if you know someone around my age (56) that is teaching English in Italy. Best of lucks
Hi Sofia i got knw the current situation in italy for english teachers are Enormous one of my friends said me they pay 200 Euros for two hours is it true?
Ciao Sofia, thanks for your video!! You provided amazing insight as to what the teaching experience is like in Italy!! I was born and grew up in Italy, but when I was 14 I moved to Australia, where now that I am 21 I have obtained my high school diploma, a university degree in business management, and am currently doing a TEFL course online. I aim to come back and live in Italy this year in May. Do you believe that the job prospects in regards to teaching as an English teacher in private schools are high regardless of the region/city I would live in?
6:25 This is exactly what I want to do! I want to work as a full time English teacher in Italy more than anything. But from what I can tell you need to have a master's degree in English to teach at normal Italian schools. I'm English (16yr old girl) and I want to study modern languages at uni (spanish and Italian, possibly with french), and can't do an English degree as I no longer study it (in England when you reach 16 you drop down to 3 or 4 subjects). Do you see any way around it? I'd love to teach at a liceo, would I need an English degree even if it's my first language? Could I get away with modern languages degree instead??? Even though English wouldn't be one of the modern languages I'll study? Sorry for inundating you with questions! I love your channel btw ♥️
Hi Sofie, You are spot on. I have been here (luckily in Sicily as it is beautiful) during lock down and have seen my plans to return to Asia (Sri Lanka) fade away. I worked for 2 Cambridge Schools and was lucky enough to be trained as a speaking examiner while I worked for the 1st school. Even though both schools are Cambridge preparation centres, they follow the same modus operandi of skimming and scanning your salary ha , ha. I am currently waiting for a court case against the last school who are a complete bunch of shysters as was the first school. I am kicking myself so hard as I turned down my old school in Sri Lanka saying please wait until the year ends, then covid kicked in AAAARRRRGGGGHHH. Anyhoo, to cut a long story short, yes, you can get a TEFL job in Italy quite easily; however, as teachers have often told me; make sure you get everything in writing before you sign. It is a beautiful country, but be careful with language schools. Thanks for sharing the info as it really is important for this kind of insight to get out into the teaching world as it can help so much.
It's even worse here in Slovakia. Cost of living is going up, people are charging a handful of euros for an English lessons, driving the prices down. All cash, it's very difficult to do things properly now!
Teaching is underpaid everywhere. For example, in Croatia (country next to Italy) is around 900 euros, if you're lucky to working full time, which is like a lottery.
Tatjana Barat oh wow really? I’m a high school student in Sydney who’s planning on becoming a primary teacher here in Australia. I’ve been considering whether or not I should give teaching over seas ago. I was thinking about Croatia aswell since I’m pretty much fluent in Bosnian (very similar to Croatian) and would love to live there for a while. Turkey was another option but I’m not sure Croatia would be a more comfortable option. What’s the yearly average for a English teacher in Croatia? I may have to let this abroad idea go and stick to Australia haha.
Wow thank you so much for this video!! I am half Italian and am planning on getting a degree in education. Teaching in Italy has always been a dream of mine and just teaching in general so this helped me so much with planning ahead 🤗
Grazie sofie, I was called to tutor an italian family esp to the kids, I can relate to your story I am living in bologna, and the demand of teaching english is really high here.
my great-grandma is Italian, she grew up in Barey (not entirely sure if that’s how you spell it), does that count? probably by the time I want to move to Italy, she might pass away. technically I’m an eighth Italian, so would that help me get citizenship? Edit: just looked it up, it’s spelt “Bari”
I saw this and I wanted to answer you. You have to have all the papers that prove that your great grandmother is Italian (her birth certificate is crucial. If she doesn't have it you can call the Comuna where she grew up and ask for it) and you have to start working from that. In my case my great-grandfather was Italian and my grandfather and my mom got the citizenship and I have it as well and that made my moving to Italy so much easier because I'm a legal Italian citizen. I hope I could help.
belen cam thanks so much for the reply. I’ll ask my grandmother about it as I doubt my great-grandma will know about it. she currently lives in england with us (I believe she is a British citizen) but when I’m older I’ll definitely look into it.
@@katiex3715 if your grand is British and so are you I don't think it will be a problem (as long as the UK stays in the European Union) because you are not just a British or Italian citizen you are a European Union citizen. And also I don't know how old are you but I reccomend get the citizenship as soon as possible, maybe your grandma can get it then you and your mom/dad can get it as well. But I repeat if you are EU citizen means that you are a citizen of every country that conforms the European union and the only thing you need when you move to another EU country is a change of residence.
belen cam thank you for telling me this! I’ll definitely try to do this but it depends because my parents/grandparents may see this as a hassle and they probably wouldn’t think it’s worth it. I’ll try anyway though
Bingewatching your videos :) this reality is also true in my country Portugal, the majority of people's paychecks are for paying rent, so sad :( ... mi manca tantissimo Roma però!! Un bacio
What did you get a degree in when you were in the states? I been thinking of making the move recently. I have a business degree and studying to get the CILS certification. Would be open to hearing your perspective!
Hello Sophie! I really loved your video. You were clear about everything. Let me ask you something... I am Brazilian, will get my Italy Citizenship, I am finishing my CELTA. Do you think they have some kind of “prejudice” bc English is not my mother Language? Even if I have experience teaching?
Grazia mille for sharing your experience... I'm a primary school in my home country India and I have more than ten years of experience in teaching. I want to come Italy for studying fine arts... would it be possible without any English course certificate?
I know you found the job from facebook but I am not on facebook.. is there any reliable and proven job site for teachers with a TEFL and degree certificate with a couple years experience already teaching ESL abroad?
This is really helpful, I graduate as a children's nurse May 2019 and I am moving to Florence after I graduate. It is terrifying because I do not know Italian yet, although my boyfriend is Italian. I am so nervous to move and completely change my life. Any tips or advice would be massively appreciated xx
I'm in the same position as you... my advice.... be very patient with Italy and with yourself and always stay positive and keep motivated to learn the language and find an Italian teacher if possible or self study! You need to study the language.
The situation is the exact same in Greece. The bad fact is that y'all home tutors charge your job way tooo much, taking advantage of the no invoice system too.
Hi Sofie I’m a new subscriber. Really enjoyed your honest approach in this video. I’m a qualified secondary school (high school) English teacher in Ireland. My B.A and M.A. both in English. Doing a 120 hour online TEFL course at the mo. Realistically do you think I’ll find work in Italy with it, or should I upgrade to CELTA?
Hi Joanne, welcome! I think you can definitely get a job teaching at a school with a TEFL! The CELTA is taken more seriously and I would say “easier” to get a job immediately (if you’re legally certified to work in Italy you won’t have any problems!) if you already have experience teaching in a school you are already a level up!
So hopefully I heard right. It is easy for certified teachers to get jobs in public schools in Rome? I’m close to getting my masters in education but I would live to move abroad and hopefully get sponsored but I don’t know Italian besides Spanish and English.
I’m Online Spanish tutor here in NY . My own business. My dream is to live in Rome for 6 month , working with my current students online. Do I need a spacial visa for 6 month . It’s legal continue to work with my business from Italy?
Hi Sofie! A question about the high demand for EFL teachers in Italy: how’s the demand for online teaching and do you think that online teachers can also charge about $35 USD/hour? Another question: can you furnish a link to your video about getting Italian citizenship if you have (an) Italian blood relative(s)? Thanks! Excellent videos! You just got a subscriber in Taipei, Taiwan!
Very helpful video thnx What about a non native speaker but with a bachelor degree. Are there jobs like customers service or any other apart from teaching?
I have been teaching English since 2019 in Rome at a language school . I still find difficult to communicate in italian with parents . I would like to know how we could arrange feedback of students in Italian ??? 😓😓Sofia I love your videos . ❤️❤️
Hi, Sofie. I'm a Peruvian. I've been teaching English for about 16 years and would like to move to Italy next year. Do you think I could make it there? Where should I go first? I am a C2 in English Language and have a degree in Communications.
Hey Sofie, I'm a native English speaker but I'm not an American, UK, Canadian, or Australian citizen. Would you happen to know if Italian schools also hire native speakers from other countries? FYI, I already have my TEFL certificate. Thank you! :)
That's where the CELTA course kicked in for me :) I got a lot of materials from them, but you can just go online and find simple articles from current events for the more advanced speakers or a picture to describe for less advanced. You have to be creative with your resources, but they're there- thank goodness for the internet!
Ciao Sofie! I'm really wanting to come to Italy to teach English for a year or so and I was wondering if you could help me with a few questions. I'm from Australia but have my EU citizenship so visa isn't an issue - I'm finishing up my masters in teaching (teaching Italian as a second language) do you know if I would have to get a TEFL cert if I already have a teaching degree?? Grazie in antipico!!
I’m no expert but I think you need some certificate for teaching English as a Second language even if you have a masters in teaching. Best of luck! And congrats on having an EU passport :)
Hey. I am from Russia and I am an ESl teacher in China. How do you think can I work in Italy as an english teacher too? providing that my degree in linguistics was obtained in Russia. Thank you for response beforehand;)
She gets to the point @2:15. You're welcome.
Thank you
"Let's get into it" in other words the ideas based on the title of the video, after over two minutes lol
On the move TOP 😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄
she didnt get to the point at all
American people...
I'm also American and have been living in Italy since 2012. One of the most lucrative ways to make money teaching English is finding a company (or two) who needs lessons for their employees. You get a few lessons in one trip. The private language schools charge exorbitant amounts of money so they're happy to pay an individual directly and cut out the middle man. It's still not a lot of money, but much more than you will make from a school.
How do you find a company like that?
Im from the U.S and im esl teacher in Guadalajara Mexico and had the same experience dealing with public and private schools . 15 years living here and i enjoy as you do living in Italy. I meet many expats as esl teachers that are from different parts of the world. I met one teacher who was from italy ,she married a mexican and now lives here as a esl teacher and so do many from Russia, Canada,Germany,Japanise,french.
Thanks for the insight on teaching English in Italy! I'm really considering making the move to Italy next year, knowing that I'll probably have to teach English in some capacity (private tutoring, online, etc). I have 3 years public elementary school teaching experience in South Korea, plus a TEFL certificate, and half a year of private academy teaching, so I think I'll have a good start upon arrival. My end-game goal, though, is to get back to making art. My degree is in Fine Arts, and I studied the crap out of Italian history and art, and when I went for 12 days in 2016, I fell in love with the entire country! My only issue right now is financial. I don't mind jumping through the bureaucratic loops to maintain legal living status in Italy. Your videos are helping me fine tune my game plan, thanks!
I haven’t finished watching this yet but wanted to say that I wish this video was around when I first moved to Florence with the hope of teaching English. The TEFL cert company I went through told me I’d have “no problem” getting a job without a visa in Italy which was a straight lie (I do partially blame my naivety too.) This video is honest and I would have known better before I invested in the TEFL course and made the move if I had seen it. So I’m glad you took the time to create it for other people looking to do the same!
Ah! Your comment just made my day and so much happier that I ended up posting this video! Thanks so much...I hope everything worked out in the end for you in Italy, but I definitely feel you! Thanks for stopping by! xx
All in all it did all work out and I had a lovely year living and working in Florence. Keep up the good work hun :)
@ Love and London - Word of advice: we italians are masters of scam. What Sofie explained is very clear, but i would like to add: keep an eye out when going down the private line. If you're a stranger (not used to how italian things work), you look like you're screaming it out: "I'm a newbie, and i trust you even if i don't know you". That's where we italians get you for good. And a secondary word of advice: It's a pop-culture thing, for us, the private teacher (just for research, try to look up on old italian movies of the 70's era, with actresses like Edwige Fenech, Barbara Bouchet, Gloria Guida and the like). If the teacher is also young and cute, bingo. You will spend most of the time avoiding the avances of the italian young males instead of actually teaching them. But, after all, they're paying you for that time, and if they don't get the language, it means more lessons will be needed in the future.
It was an American company and this was a long time ago, I'm no longer living in Italy.
"Maters of Scams". That's uncalled for.
South African Italian here, I was there for 4 years, moved back to S.A , found the schools super abusive and also very very low pay.
I appreciate you sharing this video! I've taught English in Spain for the past few years and I almost gave into the "language academy" lifestyle... and as you stated, I think there are many other ways to use your time and make more money (private lessons, etc.). You don't want to spend hours planning, doing workshops, etc. to get paid so little. I'm trying to transition to more freelance work to be able to work from home and your videos have been really helpful! Keep it up!
Thanks so much, Kyler! I am so glad you find them helpful- I too am trying to transition to do more freelance work also. That's why I recently started teaching English online as a segue. If you're interested in doing that also feel free to reach out for more info :)
Will do! Grazie mille! :)
@@sofiesworld I am a native English speaker and am learning Italian online. I have been helping Italians improve their English using Tandem and Busuu. My greatest surprise is the enjoyment I get in helping others learn English. I have no teaching experience as I retired after owning a retail travel agency for 25 years where I designed and escorted international group tours. After retirement I began the process of applying for dual citizenship as my maternal grandparents immigrated from Piemonte.
What guidance could you share with me for creating a part time remote online English teaching career specializing in travel and tourism? Grazie mille Janet
I taught English and Art at a summer camp in Florence for a couple of years and the camp was run by a year round school that is basically a Pre-K with English as the primary language. I would come for 6 weeks and myself and the girls who worked there year-round would teach kids age 5-15 all day at an agriturismo. Now, the girls I worked with were mostly from Canada and the US (I’m from the US), but they all lived full time in Florence and a few had contracts, but others were paid under the table. All summer camp counselors were paid cash. Now, the girls who were full time didn’t make much money either. Several of them had side jobs as yoga teachers, massage therapists, did private lessons, or were fitness personal trainers or bartenders. One finally got her teaching certificate and was hired at an international school. For reference, my coworkers there said there is no guarantee when summer starts that you will have a job at the same public school come autumn. There is technically no guarantee you will have a job, but you will...it’s just that you may not have the same job or be in the same school if you work in the public sector. They also felt a bit used at the English pre-school and had many duties they didn’t get paid to do beyond normal expectations, but no matter how unhappy they may have been at times, the choice to leave a secure job would have major consequences for their living situation in Italy. At least, that’s how it was described to me about Florence, if anyone can add to that I’d love to hear another side to it. Also, in America as a full time public school art teacher I make $1900 every 2 weeks. As much as I would love to teach full time in Italy, paying my student loans would be difficult if I cut this salary in half or into a third. I think you have to have a strong enough passion to move there no matter what obstacles come, a very resourceful and entrepreneurial spirit to find other ways to bring in income, and you must have patience because of all the hoops you have to jump through. I’m still friends with all the girls I worked with and am happy to have gotten real talk from them early on so I could have realistic views on what it would take for me to make the leap if I chose to. If I was still in my 20s I might have tried, but as a teacher in my 10th year of teaching I have built up security and seniority that is hard for me to abandon permanently. Thanks for putting this info out there Sofie! I always wondered if Rome was different!
I am a student of english and i really like teaching it is always lovely to hear about other's teachers expériences in différent countries thanks for sharing 💋
Non EU citizens need a work or student visa. To get a work visa the employer needs to get a work permit for you (it costs the employer between 1k and 4k Euros). To get a work permit, you need to fall into the immigrant worker quota system. It isn't nearly as simple as she makes it sound. (I found all of this out the hard way in 2018 when a language school was going to hire me until they found out all of these things.)
HI Sofie
I worked in Rome as a teacher 5 years ago, I can say the situation is the same here in the north of Italy where I have been working for the last 5 years. Lost a lot of time at meetings, filling out report cards (unpaid) and once the school required me to participate in a 17 hour health and safety training course which was pretty much teaching us how to move a chair safely. This was to cover their backs for legal reason which I understand. The problem though is that that I wasn't paid for those 17 hours and they cancelled my lessons at the school in order to free me up to attend the course resulting in a loss of earnings.
here there was really little or no regard towards the teacher's earning for the month.
They told me it was an obligation, but I told them I understand that but my first obligation is to pay my mortgage and put food on the table for the family.
That was pretty much the last straw.
Jason Smith do you still teach?
“If you’re from Great Britain, as of now... you’re okay” 😅🇪🇺😭
Mmm.
@@PlanetImo mmmmmmmmm
@@axellea1592 mmmmmmm
hahaha jokes
Thank feck im from Ireland ...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yes she is hot :)
I love Rome but I would only live there being independently wealthy
18 yrs ago I came to Brazil because of my relatives, because I´m a dual citizen and because I spoke the language. I started teaching English, got better at it over time and now I´m considered a coach who can bridge the two languages and get people fluent. After so many yrs in one town I´ve build a name and get whatsapp messages almost every week from people who need English for jobs in corporations, etc. My tip would be to go to a country where you know or love the language enough to understand the equivalent ways of saying things in English. It´s a long road and it is best if you like teaching English enough to stick it out and get good at it. Also, remember that the yrs pass by and eventually you get old enough not to want to start again in your native country, so think about it well to make sure you aren´t just running away from your country and are instead actually willing to accept a new place with all of its pros and cons. I have no regrets since all is working out well, however sometimes I get worried about the future of an unstable country such as Brazil. So, good luck to you all and for those who fit the bill I recommend such an alternative life, as English is crucial in today´s world and they need natives. Thanks for your video!
Thank you for sharing! I need to make money too!! Okay…you’ve helped me make the correct decision on if I should teach there or not. God bless you!
I want to teach English in jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE or Italy!!
This is the first video I've watched from your channel and, not knowing anything about you, I must say I'm impressed. Not only is your italian impeccable (yes, I watched other videos, before coming back here to comment), but you also speak english with a very "italian" intonation -if you know what I mean-, to the point I genuinely mistook you for an italian with an absurdly high level of english xd (and I'm italian myself, lol).
That being said, thanks for the video. It's always enlightening to hear foreigners talking about your homecountry, as it makes you see things from a whole different perspective.
I work in Vietnam and earn 21$ per hour, but ready to move to Europe within a year. All the teachers here who worked in Europe say that you should teach online to Chinese kids and the wage is around 16 to 18 dollars for a native speaker. So working 20 hours per week would be around 1200 euros per month which is enough so long as you don't live in milan, rome, Florence, or venice
That's what I do. If you are an American/Canadian you can work for VIPKID and make 20-21 an hour and work as many hours as you like. I have been living in Sicily for a month making $2500 working about 30 hours a week. The cost of living is low and my salary is "high" lol.
I follow you from Brazil and I love your content!
I taught a bit of German as a private tutor in Australia but once I'd paid for petrol I was barely making any money. Thanks for your honest video!
Thanks for your honesty!! Very helpful!
Thank you so much for sharing ! So helpful 🙏🙏
I’m an American living in Italy too and I also teach English for a public school, private and language and I can attest to the accuracy of the sale rise you mentioned.
Ciao Sofie! New Italian subscriber here :D
I just wanted to say that I would have loved to have you as a teacher when I was in school. You're so nice and your accent is lovely.
I wish you the best of luck!
Ahhhh thank you so much for making this!!💞
I really like your honesty & your story. It is the same in Ireland. I am glad i watched your video cause my personal experience is pretty similar. I plan to get the Celta to improve. Your videos really are helping me to take this exam to progress quickly thanks again. Didi yoga dance
Hi Sofie! I'm glad you like Italy. It's true, the economic situation in Italy is not as good as it was in the past. But we still have many beautiful things here, as you know :)
In my experience, schools here are too focused on grammar and too little on speaking and listening. So I'm learning English on my own. I'm watching lots of videos (like yours) and films in English, to improve my listening skills.
I follow your channel, you speak so clear, I can understand everything you say. I wish I had a teacher like you :).
Would you be so kind as to correct my mistakes, if I did (probably I did)? :D
E' un piacere seguirti, un abbraccio :)
I appreciate your honesty. I think teaching is quite underpaid pretty much everywhere, not only in Italy and I guess also in USA (I always have The Simpson's irony about this topic in my mind ^_^). Somewhere in Europe it can seem nominally higher but, as you have said, in real terms it couldn't be that higher, considering the cost of living.
Anyway I consider teaching to children a second language one of the noblest jobs in the world; you make them global citizens. I know it can be an excruciating job, especially for the extremely lively italian children, but that's what it is.
Did you have to learn to speak Italian before teaching?
I think she is Italian so she can probably speak it (I'm basing it off the accent I'm hearing)
@@friedchicken1 she’s american
@@sofiaconforti2535 she has a little bit of an accent, she does not sound like her first language is English, although she speaks English very well
hello sofie i have the same expérience here in Paris France. i have many degrees even a French masters degree and yet i couldn't find other than English teaching jobs.
I think it's the same thing in all Europe :)
Great video. You really painted an accurate picture of teaching here in Rome. I agree. I had a public school job (via employment with a private school who subcontracted teachers to these schools) and it was overall a terrible experience. Disorganized. Loud, chaotic and rather ungratifying work. And yes, not paid enough for the work that I put in. Agreed. if you're going to teach here, get some kind of legal status or take a risk and work under the table, heavens knows I saw that going on! Also, think about different income streams and yes private lessons are a good idea, athough I don't like to do too many of them as it does eat up your free time and when you teach English here, your free time is precious!
Thank you for the excellent video!
Hi Sofie thank you for sharing your personal experiences with us.
Pay up front! Great idea thanks for the tip!
I hear ya, Sofie! EXACTLY the same in Bologna... and the cost of living is bloody high too. I also quit recently so fingers crossed for the next (Italian) working adventure...! In bocca al lupo, babe :)
maurizio balducci Neither 🤘
Thank you so much for this vlog. Very helpful. God bless ❤️
Thank you for watching!
To be 100% accurate, we should also say that the option of working for public (state founded) schools is not viable in most cases: you both have to be an Italian/ UE citizen (the are some marginal cases where that doesn't apply, such as for relatives to UE citizens with a visa or those who were granted asylum rights) and you have to go through a hyper bureaucratic recruitment process that's usually very offputting for Italians themselves, let alone foreigners.
Hello thank you so much for the information,
The realness
Do I hence some sarcasm here, little lady? Haha!
Terrific job Sofie enjoyed 👍👍
Aww thanks for another great video! Sounds like I'm going to have to permanently change careers to teaching when I move there in Sept.
Do you know if there is a specific time when schools hire? Do you have to apply at the start of the school season in September or do schools hire anytime? Thanks Sofie!
Thanks for watching Celeste! The school year starts in early September, so they like to have their teachers locked in usually before or during the summer, and they prefer to have the same teacher(s) consistent throughout the entire academic year. I would start applying now as the school year is finishing to get a feel for the schools who are needing new teachers come September :)
I am Italian and I can say that it's not only teaching, the whole "mondo del lavoro" (litteraly work world, sorry I can't think of a proper translation right now) is trash, I'm graduating next month and I've worked to pay university taxes and all the stuff I needed for my studies as delivery pizza guy, as a bartender, now I'm coaching little kids (4 to 6 years old) in a professional soccer club here in Veneto, I have to cover 30km to get to the training facilities 3 times per week, I don't do it for the money anymore, I love soccer and to be in such a great club is an honor and I can get tons of experience and knowledge from my collegues but I get only 250 € per month witch barely cover the cost of the gas to get there
The Law 31 concordo.
P.s. dovrebbe essere labo(u)r market
ciao
great to hear about your passion for football coaching! I came from India to study sports management masters in Rome, and I'd love to be a youth coach in any part of Italy. I want to earn money to survive, but want to do what I enjoy and live a calm life. If you have a little time, can you guide me from your experience? Grazie mille. (my email is itsmechaitanya13@gmail.com)
Could you do a video on how you started out freelancing and how you got the word out to start teaching private lessons, like did you make a website about it? Thank you so much this is so incredibly informative 💕
Thanks for the info, this was hella real. I’ve considered teaching as a means of surviving there. I have been teaching myself Italian for over three years now but in total I’ve spent only 17 days in the country. Need to immerse myself and perfect the language. 👌🏻
Luke L Teach at a summer camp in Italy! You can not help be immersed in the language because even if it’s an English camp, most of the kids are going to be Italian and from my experience.....I learned more Italian than they learned English!
Thank you sweetie, you are a brave girl. I am retired from the military and would love to go and teach English. I am working on my second bachelor in English online and would like to know if you know someone around my age (56) that is teaching English in Italy. Best of lucks
Thank you! And yes! There was a woman similar to your age who was in my CELTA course to teach English but she did have experience.
I've got an internship at a language school in Rome and in return it offers me TrinityTesol certificate.. yet I'm still unsure if I should go for it
Love this girl so real ❤️🙌🏼 good for you for letting go of the job that wasn’t serving you Xo
Hi Sofia i got knw the current situation in italy for english teachers are Enormous one of my friends said me they pay 200 Euros for two hours is it true?
Ciao Sofia, thanks for your video!! You provided amazing insight as to what the teaching experience is like in Italy!! I was born and grew up in Italy, but when I was 14 I moved to Australia, where now that I am 21 I have obtained my high school diploma, a university degree in business management, and am currently doing a TEFL course online. I aim to come back and live in Italy this year in May. Do you believe that the job prospects in regards to teaching as an English teacher in private schools are high regardless of the region/city I would live in?
6:25
This is exactly what I want to do! I want to work as a full time English teacher in Italy more than anything.
But from what I can tell you need to have a master's degree in English to teach at normal Italian schools. I'm English (16yr old girl) and I want to study modern languages at uni (spanish and Italian, possibly with french), and can't do an English degree as I no longer study it (in England when you reach 16 you drop down to 3 or 4 subjects).
Do you see any way around it? I'd love to teach at a liceo, would I need an English degree even if it's my first language? Could I get away with modern languages degree instead??? Even though English wouldn't be one of the modern languages I'll study?
Sorry for inundating you with questions! I love your channel btw ♥️
Hi Sofie, You are spot on. I have been here (luckily in Sicily as it is beautiful) during lock down and have seen my plans to return to Asia (Sri Lanka) fade away. I worked for 2 Cambridge Schools and was lucky enough to be trained as a speaking examiner while I worked for the 1st school. Even though both schools are Cambridge preparation centres, they follow the same modus operandi of skimming and scanning your salary ha , ha. I am currently waiting for a court case against the last school who are a complete bunch of shysters as was the first school. I am kicking myself so hard as I turned down my old school in Sri Lanka saying please wait until the year ends, then covid kicked in AAAARRRRGGGGHHH. Anyhoo, to cut a long story short, yes, you can get a TEFL job in Italy quite easily; however, as teachers have often told me; make sure you get everything in writing before you sign. It is a beautiful country, but be careful with language schools. Thanks for sharing the info as it really is important for this kind of insight to get out into the teaching world as it can help so much.
Thank you for the tips.
It's even worse here in Slovakia. Cost of living is going up, people are charging a handful of euros for an English lessons, driving the prices down. All cash, it's very difficult to do things properly now!
Teaching is underpaid everywhere. For example, in Croatia (country next to Italy) is around 900 euros, if you're lucky to working full time, which is like a lottery.
Tatjana Barat oh wow really? I’m a high school student in Sydney who’s planning on becoming a primary teacher here in Australia. I’ve been considering whether or not I should give teaching over seas ago. I was thinking about Croatia aswell since I’m pretty much fluent in Bosnian (very similar to Croatian) and would love to live there for a while. Turkey was another option but I’m not sure Croatia would be a more comfortable option. What’s the yearly average for a English teacher in Croatia? I may have to let this abroad idea go and stick to Australia haha.
Those who can't do, teach...
Wow thank you so much for this video!! I am half Italian and am planning on getting a degree in education. Teaching in Italy has always been a dream of mine and just teaching in general so this helped me so much with planning ahead 🤗
I’m from Norway, so English is obviously not my first language. Do I still have a shot at teaching abroad online and in a real classroom?
If you are a level C2 English speaker then I don't see why not!
Hi Vanessa! When I was in secondary school my "mothertongue" English teacher was Danish so I think you might have a chance!
teaching in Rome.i appreciate it much ma'am.i am also an English teacher and very willing to work abroad if given a chance.
Grazie sofie, I was called to tutor an italian family esp to the kids, I can relate to your story I am living in bologna, and the demand of teaching english is really high here.
Work online, as a digital nomad you can work from wherever!!! Great video!!! It is not worth to work for someone in Italy. Rome is super expensive;)
my great-grandma is Italian, she grew up in Barey (not entirely sure if that’s how you spell it), does that count? probably by the time I want to move to Italy, she might pass away. technically I’m an eighth Italian, so would that help me get citizenship?
Edit: just looked it up, it’s spelt “Bari”
I saw this and I wanted to answer you. You have to have all the papers that prove that your great grandmother is Italian (her birth certificate is crucial. If she doesn't have it you can call the Comuna where she grew up and ask for it) and you have to start working from that. In my case my great-grandfather was Italian and my grandfather and my mom got the citizenship and I have it as well and that made my moving to Italy so much easier because I'm a legal Italian citizen. I hope I could help.
belen cam thanks so much for the reply. I’ll ask my grandmother about it as I doubt my great-grandma will know about it. she currently lives in england with us (I believe she is a British citizen) but when I’m older I’ll definitely look into it.
@@katiex3715 if your grand is British and so are you I don't think it will be a problem (as long as the UK stays in the European Union) because you are not just a British or Italian citizen you are a European Union citizen. And also I don't know how old are you but I reccomend get the citizenship as soon as possible, maybe your grandma can get it then you and your mom/dad can get it as well. But I repeat if you are EU citizen means that you are a citizen of every country that conforms the European union and the only thing you need when you move to another EU country is a change of residence.
belen cam thank you for telling me this! I’ll definitely try to do this but it depends because my parents/grandparents may see this as a hassle and they probably wouldn’t think it’s worth it. I’ll try anyway though
Bingewatching your videos :) this reality is also true in my country Portugal, the majority of people's paychecks are for paying rent, so sad :( ... mi manca tantissimo Roma però!! Un bacio
What did you get a degree in when you were in the states? I been thinking of making the move recently. I have a business degree and studying to get the CILS certification. Would be open to hearing your perspective!
I graduated in Communications!
Great information...
Grazie Bella..
Hello Sophie! I really loved your video. You were clear about everything. Let me ask you something... I am Brazilian, will get my Italy Citizenship, I am finishing my CELTA. Do you think they have some kind of “prejudice” bc English is not my mother Language? Even if I have experience teaching?
So enjoy your videos 💜 I'm a little confused are you still in Rome or back in Houston ✌
In Italy for a few more weeks, but we left our apartment in Rome 💗
Grazia mille for sharing your experience... I'm a primary school in my home country India and I have more than ten years of experience in teaching. I want to come Italy for studying fine arts... would it be possible without any English course certificate?
I know you found the job from facebook but I am not on facebook.. is there any reliable and proven job site for teachers with a TEFL and degree certificate with a couple years experience already teaching ESL abroad?
This is really helpful, I graduate as a children's nurse May 2019 and I am moving to Florence after I graduate. It is terrifying because I do not know Italian yet, although my boyfriend is Italian. I am so nervous to move and completely change my life. Any tips or advice would be massively appreciated xx
I'm in the same position as you... my advice.... be very patient with Italy and with yourself and always stay positive and keep motivated to learn the language and find an Italian teacher if possible or self study! You need to study the language.
Welcome to Warsaw where 20 minutes of Sun can be during 2 months! ;)
The situation is the exact same in Greece. The bad fact is that y'all home tutors charge your job way tooo much, taking advantage of the no invoice system too.
Hi Sofie I’m a new subscriber. Really enjoyed your honest approach in this video. I’m a qualified secondary school (high school) English teacher in Ireland. My B.A and M.A. both in English. Doing a 120 hour online TEFL course at the mo. Realistically do you think I’ll find work in Italy with it, or should I upgrade to CELTA?
Hi Joanne, welcome! I think you can definitely get a job teaching at a school with a TEFL! The CELTA is taken more seriously and I would say “easier” to get a job immediately (if you’re legally certified to work in Italy you won’t have any problems!) if you already have experience teaching in a school you are already a level up!
So hopefully I heard right. It is easy for certified teachers to get jobs in public schools in Rome? I’m close to getting my masters in education but I would live to move abroad and hopefully get sponsored but I don’t know Italian besides Spanish and English.
I’m Online Spanish tutor here in NY . My own business. My dream is to live in Rome for 6 month , working with my current students online. Do I need a spacial visa for 6 month . It’s legal continue to work with my business from Italy?
Hi Sofie! A question about the high demand for EFL teachers in Italy: how’s the demand for online teaching and do you think that online teachers can also charge about $35 USD/hour? Another question: can you furnish a link to your video about getting Italian citizenship if you have (an) Italian blood relative(s)? Thanks! Excellent videos! You just got a subscriber in Taipei, Taiwan!
Sophie, I'm from the states...Do you do online Italian lessons?
Very helpful video thnx
What about a non native speaker but with a bachelor degree. Are there jobs like customers service or any other apart from teaching?
I have been teaching English since 2019 in Rome at a language school . I still find difficult to communicate in italian with parents . I would like to know how we could arrange feedback of students in Italian ??? 😓😓Sofia I love your videos . ❤️❤️
Hi, Sofie. I'm a Peruvian. I've been teaching English for about 16 years and would like to move to Italy next year. Do you think I could make it there? Where should I go first? I am a C2 in English Language and have a degree in Communications.
Hi Sophie, where did you get your Celta? in the US? whereabouts?
You're welcome!!!!
Hey Sofie, I'm a native English speaker but I'm not an American, UK, Canadian, or Australian citizen. Would you happen to know if Italian schools also hire native speakers from other countries? FYI, I already have my TEFL certificate. Thank you! :)
Do the schools and/or students there have a preference for British English?
Is it necessary to graduate from English subject to become a English teacher in Italy?
what if i don't have a college degree but i have a teaching certification?
i'm not sure, but without the degree i think you can't teach in any school
we worked for the same school, I am pretty sure
Please, I am searching for universities in Italy that offer masters in TESOL.
I would deeply appreciate a response from anyone.
Thanks in advance.❤
Demand: I want to speak English fluently doing English lessons for 1 hour, once a week.
Me, teacher: Sure. In 5 years time maybe. If you're lucky.
🙄
Where I can apply and send my CV for a 6 month teaching contract? I hope you can help me
Hai mai pensato di spostarti da Roma? Per esempio Milano?
Where did you find the curriculum you are teaching ? How did you choose it? And how do you promote yourself? Thanks Sofie
Hi Antonella! I'm not sure I understand your question? Do you mean where I'm teaching online now? Or where I was teaching at the school?
Hi Sofie, I mean for your private lessons, If I wish to start doing private lessons I wouldn’t know what books or resources to use, any advice?
That's where the CELTA course kicked in for me :) I got a lot of materials from them, but you can just go online and find simple articles from current events for the more advanced speakers or a picture to describe for less advanced. You have to be creative with your resources, but they're there- thank goodness for the internet!
Got it! Thanks!
Hi Sofie! Is it necessary to have a college degree along with CELTA to teach abroad?
Ciao Sofie! I'm really wanting to come to Italy to teach English for a year or so and I was wondering if you could help me with a few questions. I'm from Australia but have my EU citizenship so visa isn't an issue - I'm finishing up my masters in teaching (teaching Italian as a second language) do you know if I would have to get a TEFL cert if I already have a teaching degree?? Grazie in antipico!!
I’m no expert but I think you need some certificate for teaching English as a Second language even if you have a masters in teaching. Best of luck! And congrats on having an EU passport :)
Hello Sofie how are you? Are you still teaching in Italy?
Hi Sofie, how did you get contacts at the beginning for private lessons? Thank you!
Networking 😉
You rock girly!! How many times a week would you meet per student?
xx,
Depends! Some just wanted once per week and I had a couple twice per week.
Could you help me ? Looking for a teaching job in abroad.
Hey. I am from Russia and I am an ESl teacher in China. How do you think can I work in Italy as an english teacher too? providing that my degree in linguistics was obtained in Russia. Thank you for response beforehand;)
Nice your english fluent.
Why many go to Europe to work under the table? Japan and Korea pay you $2000 and you get work permit.
Most universities are not recognised in Italy. Not sure if the American college is...
Americsn colleges are recognised everywhere on the planet, so are UK ones as well.