Teach English in Florence, Italy

Florence is a fantastic city, nestled in the north of Italy, it’s the capital of the Tuscany region. Neighbouring Pisa, Bologna and Chianti’s vineyards, it’s a fantastic place to live and work as a TEFL teacher!

It’s full to bursting with romance, architecture, museums, incredible food and markets galore! It’s the Renaissance capital of Europe, famously hosting Michelangelo’s ‘David’. If you’re into art, you’ll have a new gallery to visit every weekend. If your thing is more restaurants and bars, Florence has it all. Pizzerias, trattorias, cafes and gelaterias on every corner. A foodies paradise.

The most incredible sights include Duomo – Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, if you haven’t heard of it, it can only be described as the most iconic site in Florence. A gold covered masterpiece. The Uffizi gallery – Italy’s most visited museum – holds some of the most breathtaking pieces on the planet.

Florence is a beautiful city, full of culture, romance, food and exceptional restaurants. The tourist spots do come with a price tag, but living as a local is more than affordable on a TEFL teachers salary!

You’ll be able to pay; rent, food, bills, transport costs, plus eat out and enjoy the cosmopolitan delights of the city, each month!

Living expenses come to around €1100-€1300 Euro per month in the city, so you’ll live a very comfortable life and enjoy the delights of Florence.

Markets and local produce are a great way to practise your Italian, plus pick up some of the finest ingredients to cook with each day. Before you know it you’ll be giving Gino D’Acampo a run for his money in the kitchen.

Florence is situated right by the infamous Prosecco region of Italy – an absolute must for the wine lovers palate.

It’s recommended to have savings of approx €2500 Euro before you begin your program, to live comfortably until you’re paid by your employer, which is usually at the end of your first month teaching.

OPTIONS DURING THE COURSE

TEFL teachers usually share apartments, pre-arranged by the housing team in Florence. A shared apartment is between €500-€650 Euro per month and will be ready for your arrival.

If you feel confident enough to arrange accommodation by yourself, on the following websites you can find rooms and apartments for rent. If you need suggestions about the best neighborhoods to stay, we will be happy to help you:

• www.airbnb.com
• www.spotahome.com
• www.tripadvisor.com

OPTIONS AFTER THE COURSE

It all comes down to where you decide to live and work, following the course! You’ll have full assistance from the accommodations team, to ensure you have your new, more permanent accommodation secured, ready for the time you begin teaching.

If you decide Florence holds your heart, accommodation is locally sourced in shared apartments, for around €400 EUR per month upwards. Sharing apartments is the most cost effective way to enjoy the salary you’ve worked hard for.

• Course format

This course a 130 hour, 4 week TEFL certification. It’s intensive and includes many teaching practises and planning sessions. You’ll be studying from 8.30am to 4.00pm Monday to Friday.

• Teaching practices

You’ll have at least 10 hours of teaching practicals throughout the course. Each day you’ll also be lesson planning and studying new teaching methods.

• Type of assessment

You’ll be assessed continually throughout the 4 weeks training with observances from your trainers and peers.

• Course location and centre

The training centre is located just off the Piazza della Republica, right in the heart of the historical centre of Florence.

• Requirements

To complete the TEFL course you need to be at least 18 years old (although each applicant is considered on a case by case basis). You can also be a non-native speaker of English as long as you have a level C1 or above, which will be tested during the interview. A Bachelors degree (in any discipline) is preferred, however there are plenty of TEFL jobs for non degree holders.

• Job market and employment possibility

There’s a good demand for TEFL teachers in Italy. Outside of the country, our team work with you to find jobs where you’d like to work – in any corner of the world! You’re fully assisted in securing your job after training.

• Visa Requirements

EU passport holders can live and work in Italy without restrictions. For Non-EU passport holders, you will need a visa to live, study and work in Italy for longer than 3 months. We can arrange this with you when you arrive in Italy if needed. Many TEFL providers allow their students to come to Italy and stay illegally after the three month period, however, TEFL Connect provides a course that allows non-EU passport holders a student visa for a year, which includes Italian language classes, and you can legally work 20 hours per week. You not only receive your TEFL certification but learn a new language as well!

In Italy, there are a range of TEFL teaching opportunities; from language centres to summer camps, private tuition to schools. You’ll usually teach your students 20 hours per week, with time outside this for lesson planning, grading papers and so on.

Since there are jobs year round, there’s no peak hiring time! Contracts in schools and language centres are usually 6 months long.

You can expect to earn €1200 – €1500 Euro per month depending on job type and hours worked.

The job assistance from the team in Florence is worldwide, so you can teach anywhere on completion of the course!