- On 06 March 2017
- By Thomas
From Certification to Employment
My Experience at Via Lingua– Trevin Stahly
From the moment I arrived home after my semester abroad in college, I knew I wanted to get back to Italy. Four months was simply not enough time to truly experience another place, and another culture. As graduation neared, it came time to start thinking about how to bring that dream to fruition. Turning that idea into reality raised a lot of the sort of practical, logistical questions that were all too easy to ignore up to that point. Where will I live? What will I do? HOW WILL I MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO EAT? After a bit of online research, I found the answer to all of my questions: become certified to teach English at Via Lingua in beautiful Florence! Pardon the cliché, but discovering Via Lingua changed my life in ways I never could have imagined.
With advances in technology shrinking the world every day, the use of English as a lingua franca (a common language used between people with different mother tongues) has created a worldwide demand for English teachers. Becoming certified in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) opens up opportunities in all corners of the globe. Via Lingua graduates have found jobs in Italy, Spain, Russia, Ecuador, China, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and many, many other countries. Contrary to what you might think, there are also plenty of opportunities in English-speaking countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, as many universities, community colleges, and adult education centers offer classes in English as a second language.
The enrollment process began with a simple online application, and my acceptance was given within a few days. I quickly received all of my pre-departure information and materials, and they were with me every step of the way, from choosing a start date (courses are offered monthly) to finding accommodations and providing all the necessary paperwork to apply for a study visa. Before I knew it, I was saying “Ciao!” to my friends and family and boarding a flight to my new life.
It’s amazing how much you can learn in just four weeks. The course obviously involved review of English grammar, which is something native speakers often take for granted. At the beginning of the course, I probably could have told you that a sentence was incorrect, but in many cases I would not have been able to tell you why. We also studied all things teaching English: teaching children vs. adults, large classes vs. private lessons, using games and music in the classroom, teaching Business English and Test Prep…you name it. But what I found most useful was that on the second day of the course, we were in the classroom observing an actual class, and by the end of the first week, we were in front of the students doing it ourselves. What better way to learn something than by doing it? By the time the course finished, I felt fully prepared to teach a class, because I’d already been doing it for three weeks!
One of the most comforting aspects of the course was the support the trainers offered in my job search. Four weeks moves by pretty quickly, and wanted to know where I was going at the end of the course! The staff was with me every step of the way, willing and able to answer any questions and give advice on resumes and cover letters, where to look for jobs, what to expect in terms of hours and pay, etc. I was thrilled to be hired here in Florence, and I started teaching a week after I received my certification!
A Message from the TESOL President & Executive Director Addressing Immigration Executive Orders
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“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
These words by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., sound more relevant than ever to the TESOL community, as we witness with increasing dismay the impact of the Trump administration’s latest decisions. Friends and colleagues, we cannot and must not be silent.
Last week, the President of the United States issued a series of executive orders that have a direct impact on TESOL professionals, their students, and their communities. One set of executive orders authorizes constructing a U.S.-Mexico border wall, eliminating federal grant money to sanctuary cities, hiring 5,000 more border patrol agents, and ending “catch-and-release” policies for undocumented immigrants. Another executive order imposes a 120-day suspension of admissions to the United States for people who have been granted refugee status and visas, and a 90-day ban on travel to the United States from citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and Sudan.
The immediate effect of these orders has been devastating to the populations we serve, in particular international students, immigrant students and their families, and our own TESOL community. The spirit of these orders goes against the core values that guide our work as an organization:
• Professionalism demonstrated by excellence in standards, research, and practice that improve learning outcomes
• Respect for diversity, multilingualism, multiculturalism, and individuals’ language rights
• Integrity guided by ethical and transparent action
• Commitment to life-long learning
TESOL International Association has issued a public statement strongly opposing these executive orders. Although the impetus for this statement has been the events unfolding in the United States, we recognize that policies aimed at marginalizing immigrants and excluding refugees are becoming increasingly commonplace worldwide. To help you respond to and learn about these issues, we have provided a comprehensive list of tools and resources on the TESOL website, that you may use or adapt to ensure equitable treatment of your students and their families.
Please rest assured that TESOL International Association will actively oppose any proposed policy that seeks to discriminate, diminish, or weaken our communities of English language learners and educators.
To this end, the association is taking the following steps:
1. We have set up a special discussion group in myTESOL called “Impact of U.S. Travel and Immigration Changes,” where we encourage you to share stories about how these recent executive orders have affected your ability to promote quality English language teaching. We also hope that you will use this group as a venue for sharing constructive actions teachers can take.
2. We are exploring possibilities for joint action with other organizations serving English language learners and educators, including the filing of an amicus brief as part of lawsuits challenging the executive orders.
3. We are organizing informational events as well as discussion forums as part of the upcoming TESOL International Convention in Seattle, 21-24 March. These events will address this unacceptable climate of hostility and celebrate Seattle as a sanctuary city. More information will be forthcoming in the myTESOL group mentioned above, and on the Convention website.
We encourage you to speak up whenever possible about these issues through public forums, blog posts, online comments, and opinion pieces. We also encourage you to become involved locally and support organizations that defend equal treatment under the law. It is important that we as professionals not be “silent friends” to those we serve and work with.
Dudley Reynolds Rosa Aronson
TESOL President Executive Director
A Message from the TESOL President & Executive Director Addressing Immigration Executive Orders
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
These words by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., sound more relevant than ever to the TESOL community, as we witness with increasing dismay the impact of the Trump administration’s latest decisions. Friends and colleagues, we cannot and must not be silent.
Last week, the President of the United States issued a series of executive orders that have a direct impact on TESOL professionals, their students, and their communities. One set of executive orders authorizes constructing a U.S.-Mexico border wall, eliminating federal grant money to sanctuary cities, hiring 5,000 more border patrol agents, and ending “catch-and-release” policies for undocumented immigrants. Another executive order imposes a 120-day suspension of admissions to the United States for people who have been granted refugee status and visas, and a 90-day ban on travel to the United States from citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and Sudan.
The immediate effect of these orders has been devastating to the populations we serve, in particular international students, immigrant students and their families, and our own TESOL community. The spirit of these orders goes against the core values that guide our work as an organization:
• Professionalism demonstrated by excellence in standards, research, and practice that improve learning outcomes
• Respect for diversity, multilingualism, multiculturalism, and individuals’ language rights
• Integrity guided by ethical and transparent action
• Commitment to life-long learning
TESOL International Association has issued a public statement strongly opposing these executive orders. Although the impetus for this statement has been the events unfolding in the United States, we recognize that policies aimed at marginalizing immigrants and excluding refugees are becoming increasingly commonplace worldwide. To help you respond to and learn about these issues, we have provided a comprehensive list of tools and resources on the TESOL website, that you may use or adapt to ensure equitable treatment of your students and their families.
Please rest assured that TESOL International Association will actively oppose any proposed policy that seeks to discriminate, diminish, or weaken our communities of English language learners and educators.
To this end, the association is taking the following steps:
1. We have set up a special discussion group in myTESOL called “Impact of U.S. Travel and Immigration Changes,” where we encourage you to share stories about how these recent executive orders have affected your ability to promote quality English language teaching. We also hope that you will use this group as a venue for sharing constructive actions teachers can take.
2. We are exploring possibilities for joint action with other organizations serving English language learners and educators, including the filing of an amicus brief as part of lawsuits challenging the executive orders.
3. We are organizing informational events as well as discussion forums as part of the upcoming TESOL International Convention in Seattle, 21-24 March. These events will address this unacceptable climate of hostility and celebrate Seattle as a sanctuary city. More information will be forthcoming in the myTESOL group mentioned above, and on the Convention website.
We encourage you to speak up whenever possible about these issues through public forums, blog posts, online comments, and opinion pieces. We also encourage you to become involved locally and support organizations that defend equal treatment under the law. It is important that we as professionals not be “silent friends” to those we serve and work with.
Dudley Reynolds Rosa Aronson
TESOL President Executive Director
A Message from the TESOL President & Executive Director Addressing Immigration Executive Orders
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
These words by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., sound more relevant than ever to the TESOL community, as we witness with increasing dismay the impact of the Trump administration’s latest decisions. Friends and colleagues, we cannot and must not be silent.
Last week, the President of the United States issued a series of executive orders that have a direct impact on TESOL professionals, their students, and their communities. One set of executive orders authorizes constructing a U.S.-Mexico border wall, eliminating federal grant money to sanctuary cities, hiring 5,000 more border patrol agents, and ending “catch-and-release” policies for undocumented immigrants. Another executive order imposes a 120-day suspension of admissions to the United States for people who have been granted refugee status and visas, and a 90-day ban on travel to the United States from citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and Sudan.
The immediate effect of these orders has been devastating to the populations we serve, in particular international students, immigrant students and their families, and our own TESOL community. The spirit of these orders goes against the core values that guide our work as an organization:
• Professionalism demonstrated by excellence in standards, research, and practice that improve learning outcomes
• Respect for diversity, multilingualism, multiculturalism, and individuals’ language rights
• Integrity guided by ethical and transparent action
• Commitment to life-long learning
TESOL International Association has issued a public statement strongly opposing these executive orders. Although the impetus for this statement has been the events unfolding in the United States, we recognize that policies aimed at marginalizing immigrants and excluding refugees are becoming increasingly commonplace worldwide. To help you respond to and learn about these issues, we have provided a comprehensive list of tools and resources on the TESOL website, that you may use or adapt to ensure equitable treatment of your students and their families.
Please rest assured that TESOL International Association will actively oppose any proposed policy that seeks to discriminate, diminish, or weaken our communities of English language learners and educators.
To this end, the association is taking the following steps:
1. We have set up a special discussion group in myTESOL called “Impact of U.S. Travel and Immigration Changes,” where we encourage you to share stories about how these recent executive orders have affected your ability to promote quality English language teaching. We also hope that you will use this group as a venue for sharing constructive actions teachers can take.
2. We are exploring possibilities for joint action with other organizations serving English language learners and educators, including the filing of an amicus brief as part of lawsuits challenging the executive orders.
3. We are organizing informational events as well as discussion forums as part of the upcoming TESOL International Convention in Seattle, 21-24 March. These events will address this unacceptable climate of hostility and celebrate Seattle as a sanctuary city. More information will be forthcoming in the myTESOL group mentioned above, and on the Convention website.
We encourage you to speak up whenever possible about these issues through public forums, blog posts, online comments, and opinion pieces. We also encourage you to become involved locally and support organizations that defend equal treatment under the law. It is important that we as professionals not be “silent friends” to those we serve and work with.
Dudley Reynolds Rosa Aronson
TESOL President Executive Director