Teaching English in Rome - Shortcut to Free Travel

Written by Premier TEFL Published 1 August 2016 ~5 min read

Teaching English in Rome is your guaranteed shortcut to free travel. If you ever dreamed of waking up to enjoy an Italian cappuccino, have an authentic pizza for lunch and end the day with a Martini cocktail at a terrace, take a year off and go to Italy. But how can you afford it all? It’s simple, teach as you go. With an accredited TEFL course you can get qualified to teach English as a foreign language abroad. This way you can enjoy the Italian dream and earn a salary at the same time, full time or part time, depending on what you want. If you are still unsure on how to make it all come together, just read on.

How to Get Qualified to Teach Abroad

Before you find out how to get the best TEFL qualification and gain competitive advantage when applying for TEFL jobs, here is an answer to a question you might have:

Do I have to speak Italian to teach English in Rome?

Not necessarily, as you can actually learn Italian whilst teaching English in Rome. This is one of the many benefits of teaching English abroad. Most programmes come with free Italian lessons, so you can teach as you and learn as you go. However, if you choose to work as a freelance English teacher and offer one-on-one lessons, this may require you to have a moderate to high level of Italian, in order to ensure you can work comfortably with your private students, especially if they are beginners. If you teaching advanced English, knowledge of Italian might not be necessary. In order to get the best chance at securing a teaching job abroad, ensure to find accredited TEFL courses. Most of TEFL courses are taught online and offer flexible studying patterns, to suit a busy lifestyle. Whether you are a student or working full time, you can choose a coure that works around your schedule and at the level that you need. Browse the Premier TEFL library here, where you will find high quality and accredited TEFL courses that will kick-start your teaching career and tell you everything you need to know about it, from beginning to end.

How to Find TEFL Jobs in Rome

Whilst you are studying for your TEFL qualification or as soon you finished the course, start looking for jobs abroad. Rome is a great place to teach English, whether you are looking to freelance, work seasonally or have a full academic year contract. You can browse through a library of current TEFL jobs here. When teaching English in Rome you usually have about 4-5 types of jobs to choose from, and they all depend on what you want and your qualifications:

Teaching English In Public or Private Schools (young learners)
Teaching English in Universities (usually requires a degree as well as your TEFL qualification)
Teaching Business English 'In Company' (freelance or work for schools that teach English to large companies)
Freelance for Schools (work self-employed)
Freelance Private Lessons (prepare university students, professionals or young learns on one-on-one lessons or small groups)
Teach English in Summer Camps (June-July from 1 week to 8-10 weeks internships)

Depending on which one of the 6 options above you choose, your earnings from your TEFL jobs will vary. The first two tend to be contracts for the entire academic year (September-June) part-time or full-time, depending how many English lessons they offer. You will have a set amount of teaching hours as well as the preparation hours. The school gives you all the materials for the course and what they expect you to teach. Apart from the freelance jobs, you most certainly will have accommodation including on your contract and a reimbursement on your airfare costs. Working for government/public schools is usually at a lower rate, whilst private language schools and businesses can pay you much higher. They can offer you opportunities to work on an hourly rate with a group of students. The summer camps are not always paid very highly, as they are aimed at young students. You have accommodation and living covered, as well as a spending allowance and sometimes you can also receive free Italian classes. However, the summer camp environment is much more relaxed and ideal if you are a student or want to test out the teacher career. Your job will involve speaking in English all the time, from a few hours a day of classroom lessons to taking part in group activities. It's also very important to ensure you are entitled to be living and teaching English in Rome. If you are a EU citizen, there shouldn't be any residence or work permit restrictions, however, as a non-EU citizen you may need to apply for a visa. You can contact your local authorities (the embassy) to find out how you can get a working visa to teach English abroad. Usually the school will be able to provide you with the documentation needed to acquire your visa and work permit.

What to Do Whilst in Rome

Now that you are fully equipped for teaching English in Rome, with your qualification from an accredited TEFL course and probably an offer from a language school, you want to start planning your long-term Italian vacation. Rome is a city that never sleeps, a testimony of history and a vibrant representation of Italian life. From visiting the famous Colosseum to enjoying the best cappuccino in the world, you are likely to have one of the best times of your life. If this didn't convince you to get that TEFL internship in Rome, here are some other incredible sights that you are missing out on, unless you take the challenge and spend some time in the Italian capital:

Visit museums, shop and see the Pope in Vatican City
Have authentic pizza and beer whenever you feel like it
Enroll in the Gladiator School (definitely not your typical school program)
Take a Vespa Tour by night
Speak Italian everyday (even if it’s just a few words)

These are just a handful of fun activities you can enjoy in Italy. The great thing is that a holiday to Rome, especially one that lasts more than a few days, is rather costly, but teaching English in Rome allows you to enjoy it all for free. If you ever wondered how so many people travel the world for free, TEFL Jobs are your answer. Start today, with the best accredited TEFL courses online.