Exchange and Experience Italian Lifestyles While Teaching Abroad

Name: Exchange and Experience Italian Lifestyles While Teaching Abroad
Brand: Joinki
SKU: 202403
Rating: 5 (27 reviews)

Read 27 reviews

5.00 Rating

Leave a Review

Location

Italy
- Trento

Length

4 to 8 weeks

Project Types

Childcare Community Development Youth Education Teaching Computer Literacy Professional Development

View Other Details

Program Details

Language

Italian

Age Min.

Timeframe

Short Term Summer Winter Year Round

Housing

Host Family

Groups

Small Group (1-15)

Travel Type

Budget Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Price Details

The Program fee is €450,00 regardless of the length of the program itself.
Your Initial Deposit (“Initial Deposit”) is 150,00 Euros (abbreviated as €).

Visit our website for more details on the program.

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation Wifi

What's Not Included

Airfare SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: Mar 07, 2022

Last Reviewed: Aug 13, 2023

Wish List

110 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Become part of the Joinki Language Tutor Program in Italy. This opportunity offers you a whole new way of experiencing cultural exchange since you will be given the chance to be an active member of a true Italian community.

You will serve as an English or German language tutor to an Italian family in the Trentino region in Italy.

In return for providing exposure to the language around 15 hours per week, focusing on conversation and some language tutoring, you will receive the following:

- Lodging and full board with an Italian family (three meals per day)
- Introduction and support from Joinki
- Italian Language Course
- One excursion every two weeks
- Free public transport
- Free entry free admission to more than 60 museums, 20 castles and over 40 attractions

Request Info

Video and Photos

The best picture you can have....over the top of a mountain.

View All Photos

Program Highlights

Enhance your resume with a unique experience.
Enjoy a truly cultural immersion program in the local community.
Free train and bus travel within the Trentino Region. Free admission to more then 40 museums, 15 castles and over 40 attractions.
Develope professional and technical skill.
Improve personal relationships-building skills.

Current Teaching Jobs

View the latest teaching job postings by Joinki.

Experience Italy with Joinki

Italy

Posted
1 month ago

Joinki

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating

based on 27 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Volunteer Teach

5 rating 100%
4 rating 0%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 4.95
Support 5
Fun 4.85
Value 4.9
Safety 5

Benefits 4.85
Support 5
Fun 4.7
Facilities 4.85
Safety 5

Good for Students, Solo Travelers, Building your resume

Showing 25 - 27 of 27 reviews

This experience was the best memory of my summer. I was teaching English, hiking, travelling, getting to know so many interesting people.
Besides the benefits I have received from this program and I had a joy of giving back my English skills. I can't describe how happy I was seeing the progress in English of my students.
I left Italy filled with a lot of memories and the hope that one day I will come back to Trentino region and will be able to meet my lovely hosting family and amazing team of JOINKI again. And also a very special thank you to Sabrina who was always there for any help we needed throughout the program.
And yes, pistachio gelato is the best.

It's an unforgettable and valuable experience for me to have the chance to teach students in the primary school,middle school,high school and do culture exchange as well.

I lived with the host family near trento.They are really nice and kind to introduce me to their friends. And the three children are really cute and willing to talk to me to practice English and learn a little bit Chinese. I experienced the original Italian family lifestyle and also show them Chinese culture by Family presentation every week.

It is also a good chance to experience the differences among various education systems by teaching students in different levels and grades.

During the holidays or weekends, me and other tutors got the chance to explore Italy. Joinki group will take tutors to visit many beautiful places every two weeks and we can also travel by ourselves if we have free time.

Do not worry about the language problem, for the first few days, the member of Joinki will help you figure out problems like the transportation, library card and something you need to notice about the culture differences. The program also provides the language courses to help you learn some basic Italian.

And it's my honor to meet with the mayor at the end of my program. He's really nice and welcome more tutors all over the world can come to Italy to do culture exchange and help students there improve English or German.

Over the summer I spent two months in Italy, learning, loving, and living in a whole new world. I made new friends, discovered new cultures, and taught English. I could not have asked for a more rewarding experience. Yes, there were challenges, and yes, you’ll probably spend a lot of money, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I cannot thank Joinki enough for giving me this opportunity to travel and learn.

I lived in Valle San Felice, Italy, a small village south of Trento, with my amazing host family. The scenery was unimaginably beautiful, but the view did come with a cost. My host house was literally up the hillside away from almost everything, where the bus would only come three times a day. However, even though my specific location was pretty isolated, my host family was incredible. Sabrina and Sara really take their time to match their applicants up with welcoming and loving families. My host family was amazingly sweet, sometimes loud, but always fun.

Teaching English to my host family and at the school was both challenging and very rewarding. My host family kids were great fun, but it definitely took some time to build up that trust for them to open up to me. At the school, I got to share my culture and knowledge, and help prepare students for their KET English Exams, which I recently heard they all did very well on. Near the end of my program I also worked at a local summer camp. Very fun, but also very sweaty.

I discovered Joinki through Aiesec and quickly found how lucky I was to have done my project with Joinki. If you have any specific questions or burning inquiries, feel free to email me at dengophelia@gmail.com :)

I met lots of new people from all walks of life and made a lifetime of friends that I cannot wait to see again in future travels. Also, pistacchio gelato is the best. Grazie Mille Sabrina e Sara. Ci vediamo!

Questions & Answers

Is there a maximum age? Is it suitable for seniors?

Yes of course, all the programs though are not running at the moment due to the pandemic.

By Joinki The Culture Connector on March 9, 2021

What's the duration of the program?

1-2 months. Thanks

By Joinki The Culture Connector on December 12, 2018

Is there a minimum age?

19 years old

By Joinki The Culture Connector on September 18, 2018

Can you apply if you're not a native speaker, but you have a BA and MA in English?

Thanks for getting in touch with Joinki. Of course. The program is open even to C2 level of English applicants.

By Joinki The Culture Connector on January 31, 2018

View All Questions

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

JOINKI's purpose statement interested me right away. They are motivated to connect foreign people with the Italian culture through language. Isn't it so simple, yet brilliant?

Moreover, JOINKI has a great team that is interested in providing the best experience for a participant. I realized this after an interview with their manager, who kindly led me through the process and the next steps to take. I was assured that this program and all the people involved really would take care of me and let me have that connection with the Italian culture JOINKI is striving for.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

JOINKI organized a few excursions with the rest of the participants, so we were able to meet and get to know each other. Also, weekly Italian language lessons with the nicest teacher I have ever had.

On the first day of my program, the manager met me and explained about region's transportation, maps, must-visit places. Plus, she was always available if I had any questions regarding anything at all.

View Entire Interview

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I would advise everyone who chooses JOINKI to be open-minded and ready to be mind-blown. The people and natural wonders of the region will give you the best experience of your life. Get up early every morning to watch sunrise (you are not going to regret it); you will also get done more this way.

Also, try to step out of your comfort zone in that way you will actually be able to learn some new aspects of life in a different country. Additionally, try to bring your own materials (children books, dictionaries, textbooks) to teach a language that you will. It saves up so much time and makes the process easier since you will come prepared.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

You would spend 3-4 hours a day on teaching English to family members. If you choose to do it in the morning, you would have more time to go around and explore the region during the rest of the day. To be completely honest, your schedule in this program depends on your agreement with a family you are staying with.

There will be a few meetings with JOINKI participants that you will schedule beforehand and, of course, weekly Italian language lesson that you schedule with your own teacher. Weekends are free for you to wander further away from the region.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I didn't really know what to expect because it was my first experience abroad all by myself. I was afraid that of a thought that I won't like it and that I would feel too homesick that I would quit.

I overcame my fears when I met a wonderful family I was staying with. They really made me feel safe and like home. Also, the JOINKI team who constantly checked up on me and encouraged me to explore Italy with them. I forgot about all those fears within a first few days in the country. It was amazing how fast I felt good being in a foreign country.

What did you like most in the program?

JOINKI became like a family to me. I still keep in touch with the manager and the family I taught English to. We joke around, we share news. Now that I think about it, I wouldn't have spent my summer anywhere else. If I could, I would have stayed for longer even.

This program made me feel welcome. I can truly say that I got that unique taste of culture and I lived like a true Italian, which was one of the best experiences of my life.

Elmira Ayvazyan

2018 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What is your favorite travel memory?

My favorite travel memory was living in Belgium at the age of 17 for one year as an exchange student. The program I applied for gave me an opportunity to get in touch with a lot of different cultures and a lot of different life styles. I had a chance to study and live with Belgian people and most of all to be fluent in French . I understood the importance of communication and acceptance and especially the importance of not judging straightaway what looks different but trying to understand it with an open mind.

Why should an applicant choose Joinki?

Joinki’s main motto is “Languages are the connector between cultures and people”. Language is not just a part of a country or culture, it is a way of thinking, the way of living. To understand this concept is nowadays extremely prominent. That’s what Joinki offers and that’s why I believe an applicant should choose our program. Joinki gives the opportunity to connect the Italian culture and language to other realities where both language tutors and host families gain advantages.

View Entire Interview

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

One of our tutors wrote: “I’m so happy that I was able to live with a real Italian family and travel through Italy not like a tourist, but like I were one of the citizens”. That’s what Joinki also wants to show: that there is a possibility to live a real experience with a real Italian family in a true Italian environment.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

The program Joinki offers is in my opinion a great opportunity to take. If I were an applicant I would definitely choose it! Joinki’s program is a true cocktail of culture, language, people, nature, wonderful experiences and great achievements. Joinki tutors have the possibility to put themselves on the line, to let Italian people discover their language and culture, and in return tutors are able to explore Italian natural and cultural heritage and to learn a different from their own life style.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

What differentiates Joinki’s program from other cultural programs is its continuous search for the best quality and best experiences to offer to its participants. Every tutor is unique and Joinki offers him/her its customized and exclusive experience. I’m proud of Joinki’s team every time we receive positive feedback from our participants. They encourage us to go on and improve. It’s important to us to understand that we are on a right track.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

People are, of course, a biggest factor in being a successful company. Working in a team gives the company way more ideas and inspirations than one of the members just working alone. Moreover, it is not just who works for Joinki who makes it successful, but also the tutors and host families who are continuously giving the company a big urge and motivation.

Sabrina Pasquin

About Joinki

Our new program in Trentino, starting from 2016, offers young people the opportunity to experience a new way of cultural exchange. At the very beginning selected tutors (English and German mother tongue) will be hosted in families in the Autonomous Province of Trento in order to give them the opportunity to teach their mother tongue language. The...