Travel Italy and Become TEFL-TP Certified with A.C.L.E.

I think my headline explains itself. I love to travel and I am studying to be a teacher so ACLE caught my attention early on. However timing was never quite right for me to pack up my bags and leave for an entire summer. My family and friends finally convinced me to do it and I am so glad they did. I learned so much from my experience. It was amazing to work with people from all over the world. I tried to learn from everyone's different approaches to teaching because everyone has their own way of doing things. In doing so, I learned a lot about myself as well.

The days are long, hot and exhausting but seeing those children having so much fun at camp made everything worth it.

I started out my ACLE experience three years ago and quite frankly if I had to go right into detail of all of the pros and cons I would be here all day(only with the cons). So, I'll narrow it down and cut to the chase(or at least try). ACLE claim they are a 'non profit organisation' when in fact they are anything but. They offer NO contract. In hindsight, it sounds great: A summer living it up in Italy with free food and accommodation, amazing experience bla bla.. Generally, this is the case.

However, you could be placed with DREADFUL camp directors ( I had 3 awful ones out of 9 camps so not bad). Think ACLE will help? THINK AGAIN!
Also, you could be placed in a single family home- I had the two WORST TWO WEEKS OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!! The sheer lack of food and general care for me was incomprehensible- told, not asked to babysit (families are told by ACLE not to do this), gritty neighbourhoods where I genuinely was afraid to walk through and not to mention the family's general lack of wanting me to be there.
The ACLE office do not care about you! No, I am not just saying this.. they literally DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU!

They will mislead you about where you are going to be placed (eg, I asked to be placed near to my airport city and of course, classic ACLE sent me three hours away even though their staff told me BEFORE I BOOKED MY TICKET FOR ITALY that I would be placed in that particular city).
The money is NOT worth the experience- and I really mean that. While I have had three fantastic summers (because of my students, tutors and families not ACLE) it does in NO WAY make up for it. You are literally working from 8:30-5/5:30 everyday not to mention your travel day (Saturday) and get paid a measly 240 a week-JOKE!!!!! I could work less hours at home in Ireland a week and get more!
They don't send enough materials to camp-EVER!
The new teaching method is useless. If you know anything about TEFL you will not support their new 'teaching methods'- if it deserves that name even- I'm convinced a monkey came up with some of the ideas but that would be insulting all monkeys!!

Now, just to make it clearer for you.. some pros and cons...

Pros:

Teaching in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Get to visit places tourists would never go because you are living with Italians.

Amazing food and weather 99% of the time.

Easy and handy flights if you're travelling from Ire/UK.

They pay on time (see cons).

Make new friends.

Life experience.

Cons:

Although they pay on time, they might as well give you a bag of peanuts- because that's what it feels like they're paying (at least they taste nice too).

DISORGANISED

They don't give two shizzles about you and you better believe it.

Favouritism exists within this company like there is no tomorrow.

They will drop you like the drop of a hat if you give them the slightest problem and remember-NO CONTRACT so there is no proof that you ever worked for them (no, your FB posts and pictures of your amazing Italian experience won't help you here, SOZ!).

They will go out of their way to do whatever the opposite of what you asked them to do (Because they are... I'll let you fill in the blanks).

You could work with amazing tutors- or total know-it-alls who actually know NOTHING.

Camp directors can be USELESS and/or control freaks.

Your host family can smother you (especially if it's their first time to have a tutor).

Long hours for a sometimes not so rewarding job.

Travelling on the trains is awful and you are sometimes left without a seat on a long journey.

You may have to share a room with a tutor (terrible situation if you don't really see eye-to-eye).

THEY ARE A TERRIBLE COMPANY-seriously, three years, nine camps, and ten host families later I don't know how I ever went back to them. I would NOT recommend this company to anybody!!!

Go elsewhere around Europe, even around Italy- you owe it to yourself!
The stress and hassle of putting up with ACLE is not worth it!

During my final week of camps I was lucky enough to be placed in Milan. I had the youngest group of children which I was initially really worried about due to the language barrier. However, my students were all absolutely amazing and an absolute pleasure to teach all week - and in some cases their English level was really good! During my free time I got the chance to explore the city and I very quickly fell in love. Milan feels exciting and like there is always something happening. We stumbled across Milano Film Festival one night which was an absolutely amazing experience; watching short films from all over the world on a big screen in the middle of the park was something that I will never forget.

Alright where do I start? I am 22. Just finished varsity. I was not enjoying the 'office' environment. I found ACLE. And the following happened; I received my degree, bought a flight ticket, resigned form my desk and off I went putting all my ambition, adventure, hope into a company I had never heard of. I have not looked back. This 3 month adventure became one of the most spirit filling, passion igniting moments of my life. I met beautiful people, from the orientation week, host families, directors, students and of course fellow tutors and ACLE staff. I found out that I am passionate about education and the revolutionary system of teaching that is encourages these Italian students to learn English. If there is one place I would recommend to enjoy a summer and perhaps jetstart your life...ACLE is it!

My First time in Europe! Who doesn't want to travel through the gorgeous Italy, experience the culture and living for free with authentic Italian families. The families go out of their way to accommodate you and show you the best time in Italy, the best food of that area, Gelateria's and more. Our Assistants at one camp was amazing, I am still friends with them. They organised a whole trip to the sea by Rimini where there was Famous Music Festival that weekend. I will never forget that weekend. I was also very fortunate to get placed in a 2 week camp in Sardinia, the beautiful Italian Island with transparent turquoise waters. Our family took us on a boat trip to all the famous beaches - it was breathtaking. BEST WEEKEND EVER! My time is Italy was unforgettable, it is hard work everyday and tiring. But it is all worth it when you can eat a mouthwatering gelato on the hot pebble streets of Florence or swim in the Mediterranean ocean by Sardinia and get paid for it.

I cannot put into words how much I loved this summer - the tutors, Italian people, families, helpers and children were all so amazing. I got to see so much of beautiful Italia and I am so grateful.

Overall I was at four camps - 3 two week camps and one 1 week camp. I was fortunate enough to begin camp up near Milan and was then moved down outside of Rome, then outside of Naples and then moved back up again to a small town outside of Milan.
I took the opportunities at the middle weekend of my two week camps to explore the amazing cities of Italy with my fantastic co-workers. I got the opportunity to visit Milan, Pompeii and even Venice where we booked hostels and stayed the weekend. My host families were more than happy to give me advice as to where to go and bring me to the train stations. During my one week camp outside of Rome my host family brought me on a grand tour to see all the major attractions and even to the Vatican. I was truly spoiled.

You need a lot of energy and enthusiasm to work at these camps. My biggest camp had 11 tutors and 115 children! I was crazy. The children are crazy, but it was so much fun. I bonded with my class and got to know so much from other tutors about their lives and culture. Of course there was different personalities and everyone was so creative and wanted their ideas heard, but at the end of the day it was about putting the children first and not fighting among ourselves, and we got on great and all the activities were fantastic (and were useful in draining some of the children's energy). Also, tactical 15 naps during our breaks also helped keep our own energy up to keep going during the day.

The hardest thing for me was leaving my families, especially when I was with them for two weeks. They were all so inviting and considerate. I didn't have one bad experience. It was sad to leave them and then open your heart to a new family, but the new families were always so good it was easy to fit in right away. Italian families live off of What's App and I am still in contact with them all.

ACLE always paid on time and I worked for a full seven weeks. We were asked if we needed a break in the middle to go on hold for a week, but I wanted to work so didn't take the offer. The camps are tiring, but so worth it. I like a good sleep in, but not once did I complain about getting up at 7 in the morning because I loved my job and I wanted to work.

I had a great social life - both with the families and my co-workers. The families sometimes paired up with another tutors family and would show us around together or go out for dinner. There was never a problem when I asked if I could meet up with the other tutors. Sometimes even the helpers and assistants would join us on a night out which was great because they knew where to bring us.

There is so much more I could write about my experience this summer. I didn't want to come home I loved it so much. I would and hopefully will go back next summer or the summer after. I now have friends all over Italy and all over the world after working with such amazing people. I recommend ACLE to everyone.

If you're an easy-going, open-minded, positive and enthusiastic person then this is the way to spend your summer. ACLE allows you to experience Italy in a way that no holiday ever could - by being totally immersed in authentic Italian life. The host families for me were by far the best part of the experience - all my families were just incredible. They will go above and beyond to ensure you feel comfortable, welcome and FULL in their family home. My families were eager to bring me to visit local sites of interest as well as take me to events, parties and family gatherings - you really are part of the family, but equally they understood if I wanted some time to myself or a night out with the other tutors. Some of them spoke little or no English which at first was daunting but as long as you approach the situation with a positive attitude it's fine - you'll be surprised how much Italian you pick up and how far their English progresses in the week or two you stay with them!

Camp life is .....exhausting but simultaneously amazing. One thing to stress is that you MUST love working with children! Entertaining up to 100 kids who don;t speak your language for hours every day is tough and you need passion to get through it. However it's also fantastic fun and the days fly by. ACLE prepare you really well at orientation with songs and games and you're always working in a team at camp so you have plenty of support from other tutors, helpers, assistants and directors.

In general I found ACLE to be very prompt and helpful in replying to any questions or queries i had about anything - they are always there on the phone or e-mail. Also all my camp directors (who speak English) were really helpful and there to help you with any difficulties you have.

Unlike some of the other posts on the forum, I enjoyed the social life ! Possibly it depends on the tutors you are working with but most days after camp we would go for a spritz....or two....and head to the local nightclub/beach party Friday nights. In general I think the ACLE experience is all about what you make of it. If you are the type of person who lets the slightest difficulty get you down, it's probably not for you. If you are adventurous, up for trying new things and tend to see the positive in challenging situations, you will learn a lot and have an incredible time. One of my favourite things about the program was that you never knew where in Italy your next camp would be until 3 days before you had to leave! It's all about making the most of the moment. And make sure you travel when you're finished in camp!

If you take this program for what it is, you can have the time of your life. No- you aren't going to be able to make much money,or any if you are traveling from afar. No, you are probably not going to have an amazing social life- most of your evenings will be spent with host families. There is not any flexibility in terms of where you go, who you go with or stay with, what you eat, your sleeping arrangements (I once shared a bunk bed with a kid...) your daily schedule etc. You have to be SUPER flexible. You also need endless energy and to genuinely enjoy working with kids. But it does offer you an opportunity to see the real Italy like no tourist possible could, and make connections (with Italian families and tutors from around the world) that last a lifetime. 5 years later I am still in touch with host families and fellow tutors. Here is the low down:

PROS
- they do pay, and pay on time. In Italy this is rare
- host families tend to be awesome and extremely hospitable
-you get to see the "real Italy" and small town life
- fellow tutors include lots of very cool interesting young people
- the kids can be very cute (but beware- see below)
- assuming you get work, you won't pay for a thing during your camp weeks.
- one of the only jobs in Italy you can have without a work visa (but tach out see below)
- I actually made more money with acle than I did later on working for a language school in Italy. That's not saying much, but still...

CONS
-some tutors can be obnoxious and immature.
-if you aren't a great tutor you will probably be put "on hold" with no work, pay, and often no place to stay (have money set aside to travel)
- if you do work the whole time, there is no time for a social life or travel- camp will be your life.
- sometimes you will feel like you are being held hostage by your host family. They will want to spend every waking moment with you,
- you will likely spend most of your summer around Milan and bergamo- that's where the work is.
- the are some camp directors who are genuinely crazy and make your life miserable. On the flip side there are amazing ones too.
- the company recently got investigated for tax evasion. This doesn't surprise me at all. They are very disorganized and claim that you are a "volunteer" to get around work visas. The whole thing is a little shady, but won't affect you if you are just looking for a fun, unique summer experience.
-the office definitely plays favorites- their favorites are clear at orientation, and those people will continually get the best assignments.

I would definitely recommend this, but only for those who are willing to accept the above conditions. For me it was worth it, but it's definitely not for everyone.