Do’s and don’ts of teaching English in Italy

Learning about a new country and its customs can be fascinating – but it can also be difficult to dodge the local faux pas! We’re sharing the do’s and don’t of teaching English in TEFL locations to help you avoid embarrassing yourself. Today, we’ve got a few tips to help you settle in while teaching English in Italy.

Meeting and greeting

DO

• Greet people with enthusiasm – a strong handshake and a big smile should do it. In some cases, Italians may kiss you once on each cheek, but it’s best to let them make the move rather than dive in for the kill!
• Say a simple ‘ciao’ (meaning: hi, pronunciation: chow) when you bump into someone you know.
• If you’re invited for dinner, take a bottle of wine as a gift.
• Get into football! Most Italians love football and will appreciate a heated discussion about the latest match.
• Split the bill – generally Italians like to split the bill evenly between everyone in the group. Trying to pay for just your own meal and drink may come off as rude.
• Drink an espresso in the morning before you start work… This is entirely optional, but you’ll be running on the same fumes as everyone else if you have an espresso too!

DON’T

• Be afraid to express your opinion. Italians are animated and generally love an interesting discussion.
• Go to a restaurant before 8pm. It’s common to go for a late dinner in Italy.
• Dress immodestly when visiting a church. Avoid wearing shorts, short skirts or revealing tops.
• Don’t wear socks and sandals. Italy is home to fashion hub Milan and locals do not appreciate the socks and sandals combo! Obviously, no one will stop you if that’s what you want to wear – but do so at your own risk!
• Give carnations as a gift. This flower is usually used at funerals.

Wine and dine rules

DO

• Order two courses at dinner time. It’s common to have a starter and a main course when eating out in the evening in Italy. However, one course at lunchtime in fine!
• If you have lots of cutlery in a restaurant, start from the outside and work inwards. Good table manners go down very well in Italy.

DON’T

• Rush your food. Meals are just as much for socialising as they are for eating in Italy – so take your time! In fact, large family meals can often go on for hours in Italy.
• Drink a cappuccino after dinner – Italians think this will give you an unsettled stomach. Lots of Italians will have an espresso instead.

In the classroom

DO

• Ask students to work in small groups where possible. Italian students are generally quite keen to help each other and enjoy working in small groups.
• Prepare to keep students engaged with authentic materials (like DVDs and videos online) and competitive activities. Italian students usually enjoy games and good fun but they are notoriously easily distracted too!

DON’T

• Assign too much homework if you’re teaching adults. They will often have a busy schedule and not much time to do extra work.
• Turn down invitations from students to go for food or a drink after class. Eating out with your Italian students is a good way to win them over!
• Be afraid to end activities that get out of hand. Italians can be loud and animated, so sometimes games can go awry!

There’s plenty more customs and traditions and do’s and don’ts to teaching English in Italy – but we’ll let you discover some of those yourself! If you’d like to learn more about another culture, check out the do’s and don’ts of teaching English in China.