GeoVisions - English Conversation Partner Program in Italy
GeoVisions invites native English speakers to come teach abroad in the March region of Italy! The Conversation Partner program calls for the participant (tutor) to stay with a carefully screened host-family and to help local teachers improve their English through conversations in English. Tutors meet with local teachers and their students for a maximum of 20 hours each week in exchange for their accommodations and two meals each day. This leaves the rest of the time to explore Italy or to brush up on Italian language skills through classes or reciprocating conversations in Italian. For more information, consult the GeoVisions website today!
Reviews
90%Overall
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80%Overall
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Overall my experience with the Conversation Corp program from GeoVisions in Italy was very positive. My assignment was to spend 15-20 hours a week tutoring two lovely Italian teenagers [13 and 16] in English. To my surprise, both of them were already quite good so that was actually more of a challenge then I had imagined.Also, the parents inadvertently began learning some English as well which he kids had great fun mimicking and acting out, you'd be surprised how similar 'angry' and 'hungry' sound to an Italian.
I had traveled to Italy previously for a semester abroad and vacation. Once that travel bug hit me again, I was seeking a new way to explore a culture I already knew I loved. The home-stay program was wonderful for anyone seeking to really get involved with a family and their local network. I was told some families only want a tutor and some families want the whole experience, thankfully mine was the latter. [State that this kind of experience is what you are looking for on your app to avoid the first kind].
I suggest this program if you are a comfortable, independent traveler looking for a unique experience in a country. If you don't have prior Italian language experience, make sure you put that app as well. I was in an area where no one spoke English save one or two people and it was a challenge I loved [even though it was intimidating at times], but if that's not for you, tell them.
I have already been back to visit my Italian host family throughout my continued travels and the kids and I Facebook chat regularly. I don't keep up the blog I began during my time there anymore, allieinitaly.tumblr.com, but it's still up for anyone looking to learn more about the program or the beloved seaside town of Porto Sant'Elpidio.
100%Overall
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I spent the summer of 2011 with a family in Civitanova Marche. I lived with a family who had one son. The family was absolutely amazing, and they took me into their home and treated me like family. I truly felt at home being with them. 5 days a week I would sit down with the son for an hour and teach him an English lesson. We worked on vocabulary through games. We worked on words that are used on a daily basis. I used the resources provided by GeoVisions, which were generally just ideas to spur a lesson. From the ideas, I would build on them. I used the internet a lot to find short movies, google translator (when we were really stuck), and images.
On the weekends, I would travel to nearby cities to site-see. I did have difficulty finding friends at first because of the location of the family home. We were not located in a town with easy walking as we were located in the countryside of beach area. I had to count on the family to drive me places. I did meet up with people, and we were able to travel together on the weekends or meet up on a week night. The good thing about it is that once we did get to hanging out, we continued our friendships back in the States. I actually just got back from Denver from meeting up with them.
I absolutely loved my time abroad in Civitanova and chalk it up to getting placed with a family that was a perfect fit for me.
Alumni Interviews
Meet Brodi Jewell, Geovisions-Italy Alum
Brodi Jewell recently volunteered as a teach in Italy with Geovisions. The experience taught her valuable lessons about patience. She feels that she has undergone tremendous personal growth, gaining a more positive outlook on life.
GO: What originally inspired you to teach in Italy with GeoVisions?
Brodi: I had been looking to volunteer abroad for the past year and I decided to start looking seriously. I contacted a friend who had volunteered recently and asked her what organization she went through. She told me Geovisions. So I immediately went to the website and started looking at all the different opportunities they had. I came across the conversation corps program and was immediately excited. The idea of being able to live with a family and learn their culture etc, as well as getting to interact and teach my native language sounded great. I began looking more into the places I could visit, and saw Italy was an option. Needless to say it took no time to decide where I was going!
GO: Describe your day to day activities as a teacher in Italy.
Brodi: During 8-5:30 I had free time to explore the city where I stayed, as well as the surrounding areas. When I arrived home at 5:30, my family would also arrive home with the child I was teaching. From 5:30/6pm until 8pm I would use flash cards, play sports, card games, and more. At 8pm we would eat, and then at 9 before his bed time I would play one more low-key game and then the child would go to bed. I made sure to not only speak English to the child during the games, but also in normal conversation with the rest of the family. I always pointed out different colours or objects and made him repeat what I said.
GO: How has this experience impacted your future?
Brodi: I feel as though I grew as a person from all the different experiences I had while in Italy. Whether it was learning how to live with a new family, learning a new culture, teaching a child (as I am not a teacher), travelling on my own, learning a new language, or meeting people from all over the world, all these things impacted my future. I am now more independent, self reliant, patient and I feel as though I have a more overall positive look in life, and am more apt to "roll with the punches" that life throws at you. This experience was priceless.
Further Info
About GeoVisions
GEOVISIONS WORKS WITH YOU TO HELP YOU MEET YOUR PERSONAL GOALS
GeoVisions ... We're small enough to pay close attention to our students and our employers, and large enough to give you the support and resources you need to be assured of a rewarding international experience.
Founded in 2001, GeoVisions' Co-Founders bring over 70 years of experience in international education and exchange. We're young enough to know what's needed in the twenty-first century, and old enough to have learned what's not needed.
GeoVisions carefully screens partners around the globe to help prepare participants for living in their host country.
We know the importance of international education and exchange, and we understand the value these experiences bring to your life.
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I signed up for Geo Visions Conversation Partners in early 2012 and I was matched with a family in March. There were a few communication glitches in the pre-departure process, but everything worked out. Living in Italy has always been a dream of mine, and this seemed like the perfect way to be introduced to the culture and make some Italian friends. I have been here for two days and my host family (a couple my age with no children) have been wonderful. They are very flexible and easy-going, and their schedules will allow me lots of free time to explore the Florence/Tuscany region. So far, everything has been great and Geo Visions has followed through on everything they said they would.