Teaching Qualifications
If you are already in Italy, you might have some luck with finding a job simply because you can speak English, but this is becoming more difficult as the competition for jobs has been growing as Italy’s popularity with English teachers has increased. Teachers with a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) or CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) course under their belt will have a much better chance. TEFL and CELTA courses can be taken around the world, including in Italy, usually over a 4 week period.

Finding work
As is the case for most ESL jobs, the Internet is the best place for teachers to look for work. If you are already in Italy, knocking on doors is a good way to go, but this can be time consuming.

Private lessons can also work out well for teachers, either for part time or full time work. If you choose to do private lessons, it will take some time to build a client base; some start up money will therefore be needed in order to handle your rent and living costs. You can expect to earn around $50 USD an hour, which is quite good, but remember that private lessons can be very unreliable, with people calling and cancelling at their leisure. Private lessons are usually acquired by word of mouth.

Compensation
If you want to take the safest and most reliable route, you will want to work for a language school. You can expect a 25 teaching hour work week, but for this would not necessarily be in block schedules, making your work day a little longer. The average pay for language schools is roughly $1600 USD a month. These hours and pay do not include preparation time.

Obtaining a work visa
This isn’t a problem for EU citizens, as they do not need a visa to teach in Italy. Other nationalities will require a visa, but not to enter the country, as they will be granted a 90 day tourist visa upon their arrival. For more information, contact the closest Italian Embassy to you.