What inspired you to join the team at ACLE after becoming TEFL Certified through their program?
The TEFL.TP is a great way to experience Italy and its incredible culture. I spent close to six months in total traveling all over the country doing ACLE camps, and in that time I knew this was a country that continually fascinated me and made me want to explore more. So when the opportunity came up to make the move full-time it was a no-brainer. Furthermore, I really believe in the organization and its values, as well as the amazing friendships I have built over the years with ACLE.
I previously had no teaching experience, and although it took some time, I soon felt very comfortable.
Can you tell us about your current role as the Recruitment Officer?
In our small team we are responsible for finding prospective English teachers from all corners of the globe. We deal with the whole process, from advertising the positions, to assessing candidates, and then supporting the successful candidates in their travels to Italy.
Once here, we are then also responsible for the wellbeing of our tutors, as well as the logistics of transporting them around the country between camps and training weeks. It is a challenging role, but we are able to meet some incredible people from across the world, and hopefully ensure that they have an experience that they’ll remember forever.
You will be relocating to Rome to continue with ACLE. What excites you most about this process?
Everything about Rome excites me. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. I can’t wait to explore all of its hidden treasures. Beyond just that, it is an exciting opportunity to see another part of our organization, and to work closely with another great team of colleagues. I feel very lucky to have been given this opportunity.
I grew in confidence and experience, and that made me enjoy my time even more.
What advice would you share with prospective ACLE participants?
ACLE is a wonderful opportunity to learn a lot about yourself, about teaching, and about Italy. It gives you the opportunity to train and get in-the-field experience simultaneously. If you’re considering a career in language-teaching this is a great first step. If you love Italy, this is a wonderful opportunity to explore the country.
Should you be successful in applying, my advice would be to embrace everything that comes your way as an opportunity to learn. I learned so much from my summers with ACLE. All of the challenges taught me lessons, all of the people I met shared unique perspectives with me, and all of the places I visited left a huge impression on me.
So whether it’s learning how to teach a lively class, learning how to make fresh pasta with a host family, or learning how to take a foreign train for the first time, embrace it all as a learning opportunity.
Why is ACLE unique?
Firstly, our approach to language teaching has really been revolutionary across Italy. Everyday Italian students and teachers are inspired to take their English skills to another level. With tutors from all over the world, our students learn so much about the English-speaking world, both culturally and linguistically, and they do so in a way that is both fun and challenging. Furthermore, everyone in the organization is so dedicated and passionate about our vision and approach that it fosters a real family feel. It is a very inspiring place to work.
After living in the Netherlands, and traveling with family and on your own, what lessons have you learned, and how do they influence the work you do today?
I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to have had such a fruitful education from a young age. By traveling to interesting places, and having unique experiences for my whole life, I remain driven to seek out new opportunities to learn and experience something outside of my comfort zone. This certainly makes it easy to sympathize with the tutors we recruit here at ACLE, as many of them travel alone for the first time or take their own class for the first time.
I have just finished my 4th ACLE summer, however this was my first office-based summer! It was amazing.
What makes teaching English a good tool for long term traveling?
As English continues to grow as the global language, there are so many opportunities around the world to teach English. I have met people who have been traveling and teaching continuously for over a decade.
It is also a job with strong career prospects too. There are many opportunities to take on new roles and responsibilities. It offers the perfect balance between flexibility and security, which are two key things when traveling.
Many teaching positions are supported by assistance in finding accommodation, or actually include the accommodation in the contract. With contracts often being fixed-term you can usually decide on a yearly basis where your next destination will be.
But, one of the most rewarding parts of traveling and teaching together is that you are able to learn so much while you teach. Your students will give fantastic insights into the local culture, and through them you’ll have the opportunity to learn a lot too.
Why is it important for individuals to travel and experience new cultures?
Travel has become so much more accessible recently, particularly for English speakers. Exploring a new place and a new culture is so eye-opening, and you learn so much without even realizing you are doing so.
In a world where material things are at the forefront of most people’s minds, I believe that learning the value of experiences is what traveling has taught me most. I think a lot of people are the same, in that they travel for the first time and get hooked on it because it offers you so much more than the things that you can have, or buy, back home.
I began my ACLE journey in 2014, and it changed everything for me.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
I believe that all traveling can be meaningful, as long as one is stepping outside of their comfort zone. For me, I like to go somewhere that I think might challenge my perception of a place or a culture, or to go somewhere completely unknown because I know that I’m guaranteed to learn something I didn’t know before.
But travel that I wouldn’t necessarily consider can be meaningful for someone else. For example, overcoming a fear of flying by getting on a plane is meaningful, as is camping for the first time. I think meaningful travel is traveling out of curiosity rather than habit or routine. The opportunity to learn something new about yourself, or a place, or a skill is always a reason to travel!
What hopes do you have for the future with ACLE?
I feel like this is a very exciting time of the organization as a whole. We have lots of new projects beginning, a new head-office, and lots of new staff members. So I am confident that we will continue to go from strength to strength. I really just hope I continue loving what I do, but I don’t doubt that very much. Also, I’m going to try and improve my Italian!
