Expat Community > Italy

DonnaViola
Joined 2008
Posts: 2

Moving to Sicily

16 years ago

Hi, I am a new member to this site, and have been reading through the posts and great advice/feedback that people have been posting. It is so wonderful and inspiring to have a resource like this available on the web for people who are serious about relocating to another country.

I am planning to move to Sicily in the next year or two. I am an American currently finishing a Masters degree in creative writing (will graduate this Spring/Summer 2009) and also plan to go for a CELTA or TEFL certification within the year.

I have been lucky enough to have visited Sicily once before(Palermo/Monreale/ Mondello). Though I am not yet fluent in Italian, (only at a basic level), I am currently working towards mastering the language.

Like most university students, I am graduating with a lot of debt, and one of my major concerns in moving abroad is earning enough money to make my student loan payment each month. I consider myself a pretty modest person in terms of my lifestyle. I don't care for materialistic things, just as long as I have the basic necessities (food, shelter, etc.)...
I'm single and I have no children to support.

I've been collecting a great deal of research over these past months, and I am confused about how much ESL teachers make in Italy. I suppose it depends on the country you are teaching in, but I hear that teaching ESL in Italy doesn't pay the rent. Again, I'm not looking to make a lot of money... just enough to survive and make a loan payment each month.

Also, I wonder if having a Masters degree with teaching experience from an American university will open more doors. I suspect that it won't make much of a difference, just as long as you have the TEFL or CELTA behind you, but I am curious if anyone on this site has ever experienced being helped or hindered from having a graduate degree.

I understand that it is very difficult to find work in Southern Italy. When I was in Rome, I met a lot of Sicilians who had to travel north and/or abroad to find work. But I am very passionate and serious about making a new life here in this part of Italy, and I am willing to deal with whatever challenges lie ahead.

I know that somehow there is a way to make this happen, as many of you already have. I really appreciate any advice or comments that anyone on this site could offer me. Thank you so much for your time, patience and support!!

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Expat Community > Italy

Moving to Sicily

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