My Experience at Via Lingua– Trevin Stahly
From the moment I arrived home after my semester abroad in college, I knew I wanted to get back to Italy. Four months was simply not enough time to truly experience another place, and another culture. As graduation neared, it came time to start thinking about how to bring that dream to fruition. Turning that idea into reality raised a lot of the sort of practical, logistical questions that were all too easy to ignore up to that point. Where will I live? What will I do? HOW WILL I MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO EAT? After a bit of online research, I found the answer to all of my questions: become certified to teach English at Via Lingua in beautiful Florence! Pardon the cliché, but discovering Via Lingua changed my life in ways I never could have imagined.
With advances in technology shrinking the world every day, the use of English as a lingua franca (a common language used between people with different mother tongues) has created a worldwide demand for English teachers. Becoming certified in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) opens up opportunities in all corners of the globe. Via Lingua graduates have found jobs in Italy, Spain, Russia, Ecuador, China, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and many, many other countries. Contrary to what you might think, there are also plenty of opportunities in English-speaking countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, as many universities, community colleges, and adult education centers offer classes in English as a second language.
The enrollment process began with a simple online application, and my acceptance was given within a few days. I quickly received all of my pre-departure information and materials, and they were with me every step of the way, from choosing a start date (courses are offered monthly) to finding accommodations and providing all the necessary paperwork to apply for a study visa. Before I knew it, I was saying “Ciao!” to my friends and family and boarding a flight to my new life.
It’s amazing how much you can learn in just four weeks. The course obviously involved review of English grammar, which is something native speakers often take for granted. At the beginning of the course, I probably could have told you that a sentence was incorrect, but in many cases I would not have been able to tell you why. We also studied all things teaching English: teaching children vs. adults, large classes vs. private lessons, using games and music in the classroom, teaching Business English and Test Prep…you name it. But what I found most useful was that on the second day of the course, we were in the classroom observing an actual class, and by the end of the first week, we were in front of the students doing it ourselves. What better way to learn something than by doing it? By the time the course finished, I felt fully prepared to teach a class, because I’d already been doing it for three weeks!
One of the most comforting aspects of the course was the support the trainers offered in my job search. Four weeks moves by pretty quickly, and wanted to know where I was going at the end of the course! The staff was with me every step of the way, willing and able to answer any questions and give advice on resumes and cover letters, where to look for jobs, what to expect in terms of hours and pay, etc. I was thrilled to be hired here in Florence, and I started teaching a week after I received my certification!