In at the deep end!
#16
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12
Re: In at the deep end!
There is also loads of material available online.
If you have to teach a certain grammar point and are not sure of the exact rules you can look them up beforehand so you know exactly what you are talking about.
One part of grammar that most of us hate teaching to Italians is the "perfect". The Italians don't use it. They just use the normal present. When we say "I have been in Italy for 6 months" they say "I am here since 6 months"
We have 'for' and 'since' that work with this tense. They just have "da" so they have to learn when to use 'for' and when to use 'since' as well.
You might find some students that just want conversation lessons. They are easier to teach in the beginning as long as they really have a good basic knowledge of English and are not telling lies and you discover that you can't actually have a conversation with them at all because their English just isn't good enough.
If you have to teach a certain grammar point and are not sure of the exact rules you can look them up beforehand so you know exactly what you are talking about.
One part of grammar that most of us hate teaching to Italians is the "perfect". The Italians don't use it. They just use the normal present. When we say "I have been in Italy for 6 months" they say "I am here since 6 months"
We have 'for' and 'since' that work with this tense. They just have "da" so they have to learn when to use 'for' and when to use 'since' as well.
You might find some students that just want conversation lessons. They are easier to teach in the beginning as long as they really have a good basic knowledge of English and are not telling lies and you discover that you can't actually have a conversation with them at all because their English just isn't good enough.
#17
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12
Re: In at the deep end!
Im doing the tefl course online at the moment but have had lots of people asking me for lessons. Had a student for 3 months, 17 year old girl who is a language student and just wanted conversation, very easy, and a lady who did a course through the british school and just wanted me to go through her work with her as she didnt get one on one at the school, again easy as all the info was there.
#18
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12
Re: In at the deep end!
Flyster - this is an interesting site
http://www.eslcafe.com/
On the 'stuff for teachers' bit you can look up Italy and theres loads of useful info from people currently teaching over here.
The other bits give good ideas for teaching as well
Good luck
ps: i lived in a place just outside Bergamo for a year - its was really pretty -up in the Val Seriana.
http://www.eslcafe.com/
On the 'stuff for teachers' bit you can look up Italy and theres loads of useful info from people currently teaching over here.
The other bits give good ideas for teaching as well
Good luck
ps: i lived in a place just outside Bergamo for a year - its was really pretty -up in the Val Seriana.
I fell in love with Bergamo a few years ago, just by chance I met a woman living in the UK from that area a year later. She took me around the lakes and mountains on her scooter and I was hooked! I was also told all the usual North vs South stories from her family and friends.
#19
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Joined: Mar 2009
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Re: In at the deep end!
Thank you for all your help and advice, now I have another question for you all....
When searching for rental accomodation over there, were would be a good place to look? I know Italians stay at home until their late 40s!!!! but do they have a flatmate/lodger scene like here in the UK, I figure renting a room from an Italian or flatsharing would be a fast-track way to learn the language, they'd get to improve their English too..... even if it would turn out to have Yorkshire twang to it!
When searching for rental accomodation over there, were would be a good place to look? I know Italians stay at home until their late 40s!!!! but do they have a flatmate/lodger scene like here in the UK, I figure renting a room from an Italian or flatsharing would be a fast-track way to learn the language, they'd get to improve their English too..... even if it would turn out to have Yorkshire twang to it!