OzItaly school
During a school placement, your 8 hours of English tuition a week will be delivered to the students of a local school (primary, middle, or high school). The teaching hours will be in the morning and will typically be evenly distributed throughout the week. You will be working alongside an Italian co-teacher mainly assisting with English conversation skills, and you will be supported by the school staff. Accommodation will be organized by the school and might be with host families or independent. Whether you want to start a teaching career or you are just curious to see what teaching is like in Italy, the school placement is definitely the way to go!
PROGRAMME DATES
Programme dates follow the regular school year semesters when school is in session. The school year in Italy starts in September and finishes the following year in June. In general, placements are available from September to December and from January to May. Placements last 1, 2, or 3 months.
HOST FAMILY SELECTION
It is the school itself that organizes accommodation for its tutors. Host families are typically selected by the schools, and sometimes they are a teacher or a student’s family at the school. In some cases, tutors may be placed with two or three different hosts during the same placement. Accommodation strictly follows OzItaly’s standards (single bedroom, access to a shared kitchen).
ELIGIBILITY
Be an Australian citizen and a native English speaker
Be in good health
Have some experience with children
Have some teaching or tutoring experience (teaching degree or a CELTA/TESOL/TEFL qualification preferable but not essential)
VISA AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES
You can come to Italy as a tourist or on a Working Holiday Visa (OzItaly offers assistance with the visa application process). A Working Holiday Visa allows Australian citizens aged between 18 to 35 to live and work in Italy for a maximum period of 1 year and travel to and in all the other European countries. Depending on your experience and qualifications, you may also be able to find a job as an English teacher in local schools and organizations (always in high demand in this area).
FAQ
When you are an OzItaly tutor, you teach English for 8 hours a week, usually evenly distributed throughout the week (in the morning). Note that they may be spaced out based on your class schedule, so you may be at your school more than 8 hours per week.
Once the placement is confirmerd, the school teachers will help you find resources, prepare your lessons plans, and get ready for your lessons.
Tipically, students aged 6 to 10 go to primary school, students aged 11 to 14 go to middle school, and students aged 14 to 18 go to high school.
No, you do not need any special qualifications. However, a TESOL/TEFL qualification would be advantageous but not strictly necessary.
No, but this program is a great way to start learning it! People hardly ever speak English in smaller towns so learning some basic Italian will help you meet locals.
The program is designed also for people who do not have a formal teaching qualification or teaching experience in a classroom environment. You will be working alongside an Italian co-teacher, assisting with English conversation skills. You will not be expected to lead a class on your own, but you will be asked to prepare and lead lessons or discussions with your students. If you have a background of other special skills or expertise, your school may also ask you to assist with those subjects.
Placement matches are made based on a variety of factors, including shared interests, needs and preferences of host families and teachers. Applicants must be flexible about their placement location. We cannot guarantee any type of school and we cannot accept location placement requests.
Nope! You’ll enter on the standard tourist visa, which allows you to stay in the country for up to 90 days. If you are aged 18 to 30, you are eligible to apply for a “Working Holiday Visa”, which allows you to live and work in Italy for up to one year.
Yes, you are welcome to travel at the weekends as long as it doesn’t interfere with your school schedule. The programme should be viewed as a teaching and cultural immersion program first. We ask that teachers are respectful of their schools and host families. Host families should not be used as a “bed & breakfast”. Families are voluntarily opening up their homes to the OzItaly tutors. Participate and engage with your family! Cook dinner together, watch football together, and accept any invitations to outings!
You only are required to speak English during the 8 hours of English lessons each week. The rest of the time, please feel free to practice speaking Italian as much as you want.
Outside of the 8 hours a week, the time is really yours to do what you like. Some people take language classes on their own, some explore the city on walking tours or visiting museums, some people write a blog or run an online business, some people spend it with their host family. It really depends on you and what you’re interested in experiencing while in Italy!