The Guardian

'Putting the passion into pronunciation'
Mar 17th 2006

Contrary to the beliefs of the people you leave back home, teaching English can be very hard work, especially if you're newly qualified.

When time is in short supply, though, it is all too easy to fall into the trap of following a textbook every lesson. With a little imagination and the odd random resource, lessons can burst with life, not to mention heated arguments, and the odd threat of violence.

If one thing was guaranteed to get fiery Italians off to a good discussion, it was going to be cultural stereotypes. At the local level, though, it can also be a fascinating way of getting to understand people's passions and mentality.

As a first-time teacher of English in northern Italy, I was warned by my students not to mention the southerners. Questioning the majority of older-generation Lombardese about the virtues of the average Neapolitan would probably arouse the same kind of reaction as rubbing a chilli pepper on to your eyeball.

Despite all warnings, I decide to go out on a limb, liven things up, and temporarily divert attention from the difference between present-perfect and present-perfect continuous tenses.

After a highly animated comparison of the average working week of northern and southern Italy, I felt that my education about cultural stereotypes in Italy had been satisfactorily advanced, along with my ability to break up arguments (not everyone who lives in the north was born there, apparently).

It seems that stereotypical topics are of general appeal as I found myself being questioned about the state of play back home. It seemed only fair then that my students were educated in the differences between northern and southern England.

The different accents and dialects of British people from both ends of the country was a subject of particular interest, so the next lesson I decided to continue the theme. I had picked up a book of Cockney rhyming slang in a book sale for £2 and was determined to make use of it. With an advanced-level class it served as a very useful way to practice pronunciation, and to introduce some new vocabulary.

Listening to a middle-aged and heavily accented Milanese man refer to his "trouble and strife" was surreal, but it proved a useful exercise and goes to show that teaching English doesn't have to be dry.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, north-south differences were not a subject that many of my students were familiar with. If, two years earlier, you had asked me what I would be doing, describing the characters in EastEnders to a class of Italians would never have entered my head. I can now also be proud in the knowledge that someone, somewhere in Italy knows the difference between a buttie and a sandwich.

Finding your first job in Italy is probably very similar to getting one anywhere else in western Europe.

There are plenty of jobs around and many ways to find them. Perhaps the best way is to keep a close eye on the Tefl recruitment sites, and job sections of national newspapers and apply for anything that fits the bill.

Contacting language schools speculatively can also be a good idea. The Yellow Pages equivalent in the country that you are interested in is always a good source of information. Another idea is simply to turn up with your CV and Tefl certificate, although this is obviously a little riskier.

The average contract for an EFL teacher in Italy would most likely stipulate 25-30 hours of teaching a week, and would entitle you to €800-1,000 per month. The majority of private language schools have a wide variety of students with regards to both age and motivation for learning English.

General English courses taught to both children and adults are common, but teachers can also expect to teach a fair amount of "business" English. Much of the teaching is carried out on school premises, although some is likely to be conducted in office environments and local schools. For this reason, a valid driving licence will be extremely beneficial when it comes to looking for work.

English teachers in Italy are in huge demand and you will find that the warmth and hospitality associated with the country is well deserved. Students will be keen to take you under their wing and help you experience the Italian way of life, giving them a perfect opportunity to practise their English, and you an even better one to learn some Italian.

I guarantee, the way that you order a pizza prosciutto will never be the same again.

Contact via the website at www.cactustefl.com.

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