Today was one of those uneventful days that you won't miss if they disappear from the calendar of your memory, a rather grey and cold day, raining all the time– so a perfect day to spend the day in bed and sleep. What is exactly what I did, so though not eventful, at least it was quite relaxing. 
A perfect time to get back to planning my year in Italy. Where was I?
Oh, yes, take a TEFL course in Italy. Obviously, the timing of the course is kind of important. It would be nice if I could time it so that by the end of the course I could start working with a school somewhere.
As the school year for language schools starts in September/October, I should then do a course in August.
However, from my experience with the London School in Prague, I know that the main recruitment drive for TEFL teachers is early summer to ensure the school has enough staff to run the following school year starting in autumn. Only if the recruitment in spring/summer was not successful, or if recruited staff fail to show up are there any vacancies at the beginning of the school year.
Based on that it would be better to do the TEFL course earlier in the year.
Though by now I have 7 years of German language teaching experience (one year as a Teaching Assistant in York 1991/92, three years in Prague with the London School of Modern Languages, and 3 years in Birmingham with Berlitz) I don’t actually have any formal teaching qualification.
So I think it would be good to add a bit of weight to the TEFL certificate and do a teaching qualification that could lead to a Qualified Teacher status. Obviously, I could do a PGCE in Modern Languages, after all I work at the School of Education at the University of Birmingham, who offers those courses, but I don’t really want to tech children. I fancy more the Adult education sector, as I find it easier. No naughty step, or dealing with parents when the student was lazy or endless arguments why learning a foreign language is good for you.
In England, the City and Guilds 7407 Teacher Training is the qualification to be able to work in Further and Adult or Community Education: http://www.bournville.ac.uk/leaflets/0628.pdf
This qualification is preceeded by the City and Guild 7302 Teacher Training – an introduction to the teaching: http://www.bournville.ac.uk/leaflets/0627.pdf
In Birmingham, the Bournville College offers both courses: http://www.bournville.ac.uk/search/courseresult.asp
So, my “TEFL plan” would go something like this:
In the beginning of the year I will do the City and Guild 7302 Teacher Training, as it is part-time it does not affect my normal work-load and it will also prepare me a little for the TEFL course in Italy.
Then in May I will do the TEFL course in Neaples, as it combines the British Council status with the Cambridge TEFL reputation.
"I think that Napoli is not a good idea."
Why not?
"Do you want your photo to be published on the Italian newspaper as tourist killed on the street?"
Thanks for that, Annalisa, that is exactly the kind of positive encouragement I was hoping for from my Italian friends... 
After the course I will start to apply to Schools throughout Italy. I might do an Italian course (depends on the money really) for 2 weeks and spend the rest of the summer, until the beginning of the school year doing two or three workcamps with the SCI, the organisation, for which I lead workcamps since 1994.
The TELF course and the camps are less difficult to achieve as I can pay for them as a customer, but finding a school that will employ me might be prove to be the most difficult part. 
But then, I don’t have to go down the TEFL teaching route, there are alternatives… 
