A Day In the Life of a Student in the Florence, Italy TEFL Course

International TEFL Academy is proud to offer a world-class 4-week Florence TEFL Course at our partner TEFL school’s headquarters located in the heart of Florence, Italy. Employing a state-of-the-art curriculum and taught by expert university-level instructors, this course is designed to provide you with the skills & qualification you need to succeed in teaching English abroad. This course is fun and you will learn a ton, but it is also very demanding and requires that you be prepared to meet the full-time demands of a rigorous university-level course. To help you prepare for this course, we've put together a typical day in the life schedule to outline the daily grind and commitment required. 

Wednesday – Week 1

This is the day the new trainees begin teaching their own classes. There is a mixture of curiosity, excitement and butterflies as they prepare to deliver their first lesson to Italian students. This quickly becomes one of the most enjoyable and satisfying components of the program, as trainees and students engage in dynamic learning and practice.

Teaching Practice 

8:30 – 10:30 am:  Selected teacher trainees teach either Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced level ESL students for a period of four weeks. The students represent all walks of life in Italy: young adults, students, professionals and homemakers. The lessons that they teach will either be Language Skills: Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking or Grammar. After two weeks, students will enjoy their own freedom of “Teacher’s Choice” lessons. Each lesson concludes with personal observer feedback and guided self-reflection.

Community Education Input Sessions

10:30 – 12:30 am: The trainees participate in two input sessions devoted to “Learning Styles” and “Teaching and Learning a Foreign Language.” Led by the trainer, students engage in active discussions, role-plays and simulations to review the methodology, theory and applications. Sessions are accompanied by PowerPoint presentations and linked to the main themes of the course: Pedagogy, Teaching Skills, Language Awareness and Cross-Cultural Learning. The teacher trainees are encouraged to develop reflection and empathy and apply their learning to each outcome

Italian Lunch

12:30 – 1:30 pm: Lunchtime means enjoying a sandwich or pasta in Piazza delle Repubblica, right outside the school. Coffee and ice cream are also good options. Students enjoy the beautiful terrace at school overlooking the center and with a birds-eye view of the Duomo.

Community Education Input Sessions and Class Visits

1:30 - 3pm: After lunch, the teacher trainees participate in another input session on “Teaching Vocabulary” which includes a game designed to explore word-building and synonyms and antonyms. Trainers model different techniques to encourage student creativity and confidence, and a sense of community. Students then visit authentic ESL classes and mingle with local students studying all levels of English.

Lesson Planning

3:00 – 4:30pm: Lesson Planning. Trainees prepare their lessons for the following morning, focusing on the specific skill, language level and overall plan for their class. Trainers guide and demonstrate a variety of approaches, and students are able to utilize individual lesson outlines and suggested techniques. In small groups, students deliver a segment of their lessons to build confidence, self-monitor and observe and critique the stages of each lesson for timing. Trainees teach and learn from each other, and integrate feedback to grow as a group.

After-hours Study and Social Time

4:30 - Although the course day ends at 4:30 pm, the teacher trainees are invited to stay as long as they wish at the center, using all the classroom space they need and taking advantage of the resource center library. It’s a great opportunity to meet more Italian students, all teachers and staff, and exchange conversation – or go get a gelato!