Program Reviews

It is no secret that the ACLE program is life changing. If you are looking to broaden your horizons, meet people from all over the world and learn more about yourself and communication; JOIN. Becoming part of this wonder family has changed my internal compass and how I see the world and myself. The support in this program is overwhelming, someone always has your back. You are able to make life-long relationships and an important impact with children. I did things I thought I was never capable of. ACLE is professional, organized, caring and flexible. You must put effort into your relationship with ACLE, and they will do the same. The reward from doing this work is unmatched by any other job. You will learn valuable lessons about teaching and working around the classroom. I am so proud of myself for competing a summer of camps, and I already miss it. So if you are on a rollercoaster of emotions, thats okay! The beginning can feel a bit strange; but once you've reached the end, you will look back at what you have done and want to go for another ride. ACLE is ready for your questions! Do not doubt yourself; break from your comfort zone and bust into the warm-up circle.

Such an incredible opportunity working for ACLE. The orientation (training) week is one of the best weeks ever, so challenging yet so fun! Each and every camp I was placed at when I became a tutor was so organised and each camp director was so supportive. The office staff (Kieran especially) are so helpful and go above and beyond to make sure you are feeling safe, happy and confident when at camp, and when travelling between the camps.

The host families cannot do enough for you and are so kind, helpful and welcoming! They will take you into their home as one of their own and will do anything for you to make sure you have a pleasant stay.

Of course, you can't review ACLE without mentioning the beautiful places you will travel to! From rural northern Italy, to busier cities like Rome and Milan, you have so many opportunities to take in the culture and explore!

Cannot wait to come back next year!!

What an amazing way to spend my last three weeks of summer. At first I wasn't sure what to expect but I was excited about travelling and seeing Italy for the first time. Arriving at Orientation was nerve racking but within minutes of arriving I were welcomed be such friendly faces and the amazing team of workers at ACLE. Within the first week, not only did I grow as an individual but started to make friendships for live. Each day I found myself leaning more and more about more self as an individual and also expanding my knowledge about the course and how the programme works. All the training was delivered in such a fun, engaging, beneficial way making it easy to retain but most importantly so enjoyable. The staff was excellent at their job and I truly believe it wouldn't of being the same without their enthusiasm and support. I then started my adventure as a ACLE Tutor and headed to my first camp. This is were all the training and discovery of the first week at Orientation fell into place. My first week at Camp was AMAZING, and this continued in my last week at camp. Just when you think your experience can't get any better, it did, my last week at camp was the best! I had the best team of tutors to work alongside and the kindness host family. Just everything about the experience was exciting and worth every penny.

This programme is really life changing. For one summer, after one week of training, you can spend a couple of weeks each in places you'd never thought about going to in Italy, and have the most amazing time exploring with your host family who are locals in the area.
The training is intense, but more that prepares you for camp life. It's exhausting but rewarding working with loving Italian kids.
The team is so helpful, you can contact them with any questions, and they'll get back to you ASAP. There is tonnes of support going in to each week.
The people that you meet, both ACLE tutors and Italian staff and helpers, can grow in a few short weeks to become very close to you, and your host families consider you family for life.
A summer with ACLE is an amazing growth, learning and challenging experience.

I can honestly say my past summer working for ACLE was the best summer ever! I met such amazing people from all over the world and stayed with such beautiful, welcoming families. The job itself was so fun and I loved working with the kids! Orientation was fun and showed you what was expected when we left to go to camp. I stayed in many different areas throughout Italy and got a very authentic experience as I was hosted by itlaian families. You work in a camp for either one or two weeks teaching a your set class mostly using games, books, drawing and activity books. Activities are planned in the afternoons with the other classes all together which are always pretty fun.I was wondering going over how I would manage with no itlaian but it works well, usually (only one of my camps didn't) you have a helper who speaks both Italian and English so they help out if the kids are very confused. The kids I had were adorable and loved the camps.
It exceeded all my expectations!! This is a fantastic opportunity and I can't recommend more, but I would say you'd only enjoy it if you loved children, are an outgoing person and well able to talk to new people!

My time with ACLE was challenging at times - you get difficult kids or there's a bit of a language barrier - but it was really fun and rewarding. Because of this programme I went to places in Italy I would never have thought of and met tons of cool people. It'll be hard at times, but worth it I'd say for how fun and adorable and unique the whole experience will be. Teaching kids seems really daunting but ACLE provide material and you'll get a feel for what the kids are able for. Sometimes there's stuff in the books they aren't really able to understand but the other tutors will always help and I've always been able to think of something! The host families are always so nice and this is a great way to experience things and parts of Italy you never would have thought to explore otherwise

If you are looking for a fun, challenging, exciting, and flexible work opportunity abroad, ACLE is a great option. Your summer starts with a week long orientation, which costs ~200 euro, but covers the training, lovely hotel accommodations, and food. Delicious Italian food. ACLE does a great job preparing you for camp, with a lot of practical exercises and hands on training from former tutors. After orientation you are sent to camps all over Italy, where you will work for 1 to 2 weeks at a time while you live with incredibly kind and welcoming Italian families, who make you delicious Italian food every night. The work is intense but fun, especially if you enjoy working with kids, working outdoors, and being active. The curriculum is very organized, and doesn't require a ton of lesson prep or previous education experience. Just a positive attitude and lots of positive energy.

I had the best experience of my life last summer with ACLE! As a preservice teacher here in Canada, I jumped at the opportunity to teach English to Italian children through play and theatre. I absolutely loved the teaching experience but the cultural experience I received throughout my time with ACLE was undeniably unforgettable. I stayed with two amazing Italian families who were very eager to host me as a tutor. I have since developed a very close relationship with one of those families in particular and look forward to seeing them again upon my next trip to Italy. Moreover, my experience at orientation was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. I met many people from different parts of the world who have impacted my life in indescribable ways. It goes without saying at this point, but I would definitely recommend applying for ACLE! It exceeded all of my expectations and as soon as I met the orientation training staff, all of my fears melted away.

First of all ACLE is the first company I’ve come across that provides face-to-face intensive training with experienced tutors, providing all that and orientation accommodation + board at a bargain €200. I paid twice as much as that for an online course that wasn’t half as informative or helpful in my TEFL teaching experience. During orientation you are provided with a huge manual full of resources and detailed lessons plans, you are trained how to use this book to the fullest and participate in example lessons and activities. This really helps your understanding of how the drama and play method works as well as how to deliver the lessons. The training is intensive; which is why it’s so great that they assign you a mentor, who is an experienced TEFL-TP practitioner and will identify and address any concerns you might have about your performance at camp in the following weeks. The course is challenging in that it can be a very new concept to people, that really pushes them out of their usual comfort zones, and you will need to keep learning and adapting whilst at camp. However, the staff really support you every step of the way and so will your new ACLE family!

I’m still using songs, games and activities I learnt from ACLE in my teaching job this year. In fact, it really gave me the confidence to take on the challenge of changing schools and going from only teaching pre-kindergarten last year, to teaching all grades in primary school this year.

One consideration is being able to live with host families and travel being limited to your camp destinations until you finish or you are on hold. Therefore, I wouldn’t recommend this programme for people who are just interested in travelling and think they can slack off at camp. I would however, recommend this programme to anyone who wants a real boost to an existing teaching career or wants to kickstart one in an exciting way (with some of the most delicious food in the world).

Also the mosquitos can be INSANE for anyone prone to getting bitten. I would have preferred natural repellents and tried many but honestly just get the DEET stuff and apply regularly. It was the only thing that worked for me.

I was with A.C.L.E for 4 weeks this past summer and I was impressed with how professional, receptive, and organized the company is! The training is comprehensive and adequately prepares you but also encourages to leave your comfort zone. In fact, many (if not all) of the participants learned a lot about themselves and left the orientation with a sense of pride, accomplishment, and friends.

For anyone interested in Italian culture, it is honestly the best program to experience it. Because tutors are hosted by Italian families, they get insight into the culture that would not be acquired by simply travelling. Also, the camps are all over Italy so the regional differences are also explored. Not to mention that it leaves you with friends to visit when you return to Italy!

Truly an incredible experience and if I could change anything from my experience, it would be to have stayed longer!