TESOL Course ITALY, Florence/Tuscany
 Why
TESOL in Florence/Tuscany, Italy?
Italy, the land of art, architecture, sculpture, high fashion, the
Mediterranean and gastronomical delights. Italy is steeped in history.
As, the once invincible Roman Empire, Italy still fascinates the world.
Italy’s claim to fame matches TESOL’s
substantiality and popularity as a TEFL
course, promising lucrative ESL
careers to its trainees. Today, Italy is a highly-developed country with
the 7th-highest GDP and the seventeenth-highest Human Development Index
rating in the world. Italy has been a seminal place for many important
artistic and intellectual movements that spread throughout Europe and
beyond, including the Renaissance and Baroque. Perhaps Italy's greatest
cultural achievements lie in its long artistic heritage, which is often
validated through the names of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci,
Donatello, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Tintoretto, Caravaggio, Bernini,
Titian and Raphael, among many others. Beyond art, Italy's contributions
to the realms of literature, science, and music cannot be overlooked.
But Italy is not just about monuments and structures, art and artists;
it also has given the world Gucci, Pasta, pizza, olives and gondolas.
Italy is an experience one can never forget easily. And to make this
experience momentous, the TESOL
Certification
Program from TEFL
International is the best possible
choice for the Italy-bound tourists who also want to explore the
ESL world.
What is the attraction?
What is it in the soil of Florence one wonders that has nurtured so many
artists? The Duomo, the Battistero, and the Galleria Degli Uffizi, which
houses the works of Da Vinci, Raphael, and Botticelli are all here. The
cultural and historical impact of Florence is overwhelming. The city
that hosts TESOL for
TEFL International is also one of
Italy's most atmospheric and pleasant places, retaining a strong
resemblance to the small late-medieval centre that contributed so much
to the artistic and political development of Europe. Its striking
buildings, formidable galleries and treasure-crammed churches attest to
the Florentine love of display. It is the renaissance city. It is also
the city that brings new beginning in the lives of the
ESL teachers
through the TESOL
certificate.
What is in it for you?
If you are someone who distresses by strolling on the streets then you
will find from leather to shoes to renaissance style ceramics, all here.
The best part is that you can find the artisans in their shops actually
working on the pieces that they sell. Tuscan cuisine is steeped in
peasant traditions: fresh ingredients thrown together in simple ways to
make rich-flavoured dishes. Sample in trattorias (family-run places),
osterias (traditional taverns) or ristorantes. If you're desperate for a
leg stretch and a bit of fresh air, a stroll around the Giardino di
Boboli is recommended - the views from here are magnificent. You can
take full- and half-day mountain bike tours of the countryside around
Florence, or rent a bike and tangle with the traffic in town. But don’t
forget to finish off your ESL lesson
plans before you embark on a bike ride.
On the tourist map
Florence, a Renaissance city in the heart of Tuscany, is one of the most
popular travel cities in Italy. Florence has some of Italy's best
museums, beautiful cathedrals and churches, and interesting streets and
squares with elegant buildings and shops. . Utilizing the weekends that
punctuate consecutive weeks of TESOL
classes, it is always a good idea to navigate the city and discover its
irrepressible wonders.
For a feast for the eyes you won't need to venture far from Florence's
centre, a medieval wonderland containing the graceful span of Ponte
Vecchio, the Duomo's skyscraping dome, the gilded splendour of Basilica
di San Lorenzo and the well-hung Uffizi gallery. Florence's most popular
site is its Duomo (cathedral), the Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore.
The huge Gothic duomo was begun in 1296, consecrated in 1436, and holds
20,000 people. The Galleria degli Uffizi holds the world's most
important collection of Renaissance art but it's also Italy's most
crowded museum. The Uffizi holds thousands of paintings from medieval to
modern times and many antique sculptures, illuminations, and tapestries.
Artists whose works you'll see include Michelangelo, Giotto, Botticelli,
Leonardo da Vinci, Perugino, and Raphael. The Baptistry of John the
Baptist, from the 11th century, is one of Florence's oldest buildings.
The Accademia Gallery is perhaps best-known for Michelangelo's David,
removed after four centuries from Piazza Signoria, now exhibited in a
specially constructed hall. Other works by Michelangelo include some of
his "Slave" series and his sculpture of San Matteo. Museo di San Marco
is in an old Dominican monastery, restored and enlarged by Michelozzo
under the wishes of Cosimo the Old of the Medici family. The Medici
Chapels are historical labors that are as grand in their own way as are
the pyramids of Egypt. Started in 1605, these shrines were under
construction for centuries. Florence’s tradition of art and culture
naturally creates an ambience of creativity and learning for the
TEFL trainees as they hone their ESL
teaching skills in their TESOL
classroom.
Weekend excursions
From Siena to San Gimignano, to the wine-tasting in Chianti to the
alabaster and glowing hills around Volterra, you will certainly be
charmed as you are transported into a different world with each trip.
Piazzale Michelangelo is the most panoramic and amazing place to visit
in Florence. Overlooking the Arno, the city and the rolling hills of
Tuscany, this site is great for everyone. A walk up to Piazzale
Michelangelo from Porta Romana is truly an experience!
Apart from sightseeing in Florence you can utilize the weekends by going
on day trips to Venice, during which it is possible to admire the
Basilica of St Mark, with its marvelous mosaics and countless other
works of art, the most celebrated Clock Tower, the exterior of the Ducal
Palace, the famous Bridge of Sighs and other important places through
tiny calli, typically narrow Venetian lanes. If you are staying in
Florence while busy doing the TESOL
course, it does not mean you cannot
see Rome. Take a weekend trip to the "Eternal City" of Rome. Upon
arrival in Rome, you can walk through the town center, where you can
admire famous sites such as the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Piazza
Colonna, the Pantheon, via Condotti, and Piazza di Spagna. On another
weekend either you can discover the countryside of the Chianti region,
with ever changing scenery of vineyards and olive trees or visit Pisa
and have a look at the famous Leaning Tower. You can also go to Assisi,
famous all over the world for being the native town of St Francis. See
the Basilica of St Francis, frescoed by Giotto and Cimabue, the Basilica
of Santa Chiara, the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and other
important places. A TESOL trip in
Italy promises you much more than ESL teaching
skills to carry back home.
Evening and nightlife
Florence has some of the most talented musicians playing in the streets
at night. For those TESOL trainees
who aren't interested in mingling with the party crowds or club-hopping,
you can think of strolling along the banks of the River Arno and just
watch the world sail by. If you want to dance all night long you can go
at central park disco. Central Park is a great place to meet locals. The
central dance floor (there are four) is outdoors. The shops remain open
till night so you can go for shopping at night. Especially the shops at
Ponte Vecchio look really beautiful. As you shop for teaching ideas
inside your TESOL classroom, streets
of Florence also kindle your shopping spree.
About our TEFL Location
The TESOL school is located just
north of the station near Piazza San Jacopino (San Jacopino square). The
school is on 15c, Viale Corsica to 15c, on the ground level. For the
TEFL trainees there is internet access at the school, and there is a
computer available for student usage as well. There are local pizzeria,
near the School where you can have a sandwich, or a panino or to coffee
shops during the breaks.
Connectivity
There are city buses which run continuously. Taxis are available
throughout the city. While there are taxi stands throughout, it is
customary to actually call a taxi as opposed to flagging one down.
Florence is an important railway hub, and from the city's main train
station, Stazione di Santa Maria Novella, you can get direct trains
heading in most directions. The train is the most convenient option for
reaching Florence from other Italian cities or abroad. If you would like
to visit another city or Tuscan town on the weekend, trains are a great
way to get there. A convenient communication system within the city not
only would help the international tourist to be comfortably mobile but
will also help a TESOL certificate
holder to utilize the spare time post the
TEFL-classroom sessions.
Weather
The candidates traveling to Italy for the TESOL
certificate should ideally be informed that there are four
distinct seasons in Florence. Summer can be incredibly hot and humid.
The average highs hover around 31°C (88°F). Occasionally you can enjoy
the temporary relief of a cracking good thunderstorm. Winter, on the
other hand, is cool and often wet, although mercifully it doesn't last
too long. Average temperatures in January range between 1°C (33°F) and
10°C (50°F) and snow is rare. This is because it is located between
mountains and is therefore a few degrees warmer, thus eliminating the
problems that snowfall can bring. Spring and fall are truly beautiful
seasons here. Spring brings a wealth of flora with it for all to enjoy,
and fall is a welcome temperature change from the hot August sun. |
It is a very compact experience. Extensive learning but
fun. A great experience with TEFL International and very
helpful to find placement
