-original post at www.abirdinthekitchen.com-

In the past few days I have been very lucky to make contact with one of the teachers I’ll be working with while in Italy. I have to admit I’m more than a little relieved that she speaks excellent English. I’ve been studying Italian regularly, but I’m still at an extremely basic level. Knowing that I’ll have at least one person I can talk to in my native tongue is a great comfort – I’m sure I’ll need it when the culture shock sets in.

Our conversations have mostly revolved around what will be expected of me in the classroom. I know I’ll always have a fairly light schedule – the program only requires 15-20 hours per week of tutoring – but I’m happy that for the first month I’ll have Fridays off. I’m looking forward to revisiting some places and exploring new ones, so having long weekends will be perfect for that.

While I was researching programs I found it very difficult to find actual volunteer experiences aside from those who had particularly negative experiences. I think we all know it’s more common hear a negative review than a positive one, and it’s even less likely one finds a truly informative synopsis of travels. I hope that I’ll be able to offer that during my journey to Italy. I can document it for myself and provide insight for people who might want to embark on a similar adventure.

For the first month I’ll work Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8am to 1pm. I’ll be working with four or five classes each day and I’ll see each class for about two hours per week. I’m extremely happy to find out that Italian classrooms have excellent access to technology. Each class has Internet access and interactive multimedia boards. I wondered if I might have to lug a bunch of books and flash cards with me, but no – I can load everything onto a few USB thumbdrives! I’m sure my suitcase will be thanking me!

Apparently the students (most of whom will range from 11-14 years old) are usually very interested in a tutor’s favorite things and lifestyle in their native country. Because I also live near the nation’s capitol, they’re also very interested in Washington DC. I’ve already discussed creating PowerPoint presentations about important cities in the United States, what a typical day is like for many Americans, and other topics. I also found out they like games – so I’ll have to get imaginative on that one! Maybe word jumbles or word bingo? If there are any teachers out there I’ll gladly take assistance and advice!

I also found out that I will be the first American tutor. Apparently former tutors have all been English, and all of the English teachers in Italy speak British English. I wonder if I’ll meet Italian children who speak English with a  British accent?