ACLE: Teaching in Italy

Since we didn't speak the same language as the children we had to come up with fun games, such as pie throwing, to engage the children and get them excited about English. Here, the kids had a blast pieing the tutor's faces...

ACLE is an organization that hires tutors to teach English in different cities around Italy at “summer camps”. You first go through a one week training to learn to teach children who don’t speak the same language as you. ACLE believes in inspiring kids to love English by doing engaging activities, such as playing games and singing songs, with them.

After you are properly trained you move every week, with a group of other tutors, to one- or two-week long summer camps around the country. You never know what city you’re going to be placed in, but that’s part of the fun. In each city you lived with a host family that will shower you with pizza, pasta and good ‘ol Italian love. Then ACLE pays for you to move to the next city!

An ACLE budget breakdown
Plane ticket: Out of your own pocket.

Orientation fee: £150. That covers a partial TOEFL certification, hotel and meals for the one week orientation.

Wages: We (newbie tutors) made £225 per week. Returning tutors receive £255 per week. We get a £50 stipend every Friday but ACLE holds on to the remaing salary until the last day of tutoring. This is fine by us so we got a larger chunk of change in the end.

Visa: As major changes have been made regarding European and Italian immigration laws, most Italian associations, including ACLE, are still unable to issue or assist applicants in obtaining long-term working visas. Instead we participate as “volunteers” and become members of ACLE, and they contribute money to us for our help. Works for me.

Transporation and Meals: ACLE covers both areas completely. They even give us extra Euros when we travel from place to place so we can buy our own food.