Estudiar Inglés en Irlanda

Whenever I talk to someone about learning a language the majority of people always express a great desire and interest in studying abroad. Whilst you can always study at home and learn your chosen language quite well, there is a major attraction in studying abroad. Not only do you get to travel and see a different part of the world, but from an academic standpoint you gain the advantage of practising the language all day, every day.

To immerse yourself in the language of another country whilst studying is probably the best way to learn. You get to hear how the native speaks, learn grammatical structures and colloquial expressions. You are surrounded by the local culture which you can use to your advantage by taking part in different activities and at the same time practise as much as possible.

The English language is the most widely spoken language in the world. Indeed, it is the language adopted by the people of my country, Ireland. Although the official language of Ireland is Gaeilge, the Irish people, apart from a select few, particularly on the west coast, use English as their first language.

I would recommend to anyone thinking about studying English abroad to consider Ireland as their choice of destination. Ireland is still a hidden gem, with most people choosing to study in countries like England or the United States of America.

I am from Dublin, the capital city of Ireland and I can tell you first-hand that this is a city with a lot to offer. It has something for everybody, which is not unlike the location of our school, Barcelona. If you are looking for that big city feeling or maybe the complete opposite, a place that feels small and welcoming, then Dublin is the place for you.

It boasts a long history which can be seen from the various buildings and architectural styles which adorn this great city. If you are a history buff who likes to spend some free time expolring the streets and taking museum tours then you will enjoy places such as the G.P.O (General Post Office), which served as the headquarters of the leaders during the Easter Rising of 1916 or Kilmainham Gaol (Jail) which has held many of the Irish rebellion`s leaders such as Padraig Pearse and Michael Collins.

Of course, if you are looking for a place to have a social drink or maybe a bite to eat in a top quality restaurant with friends then Dublin has a lot to offer with it`s wide variety of pubs and restaurants which are famously replicated around the world. Along the banks of the River Liffey is the home of the famous ‘Guinness’. This is St. James´s Gate where to this day, one of the world’s most popular drinks is brewed. If you fancy yourself as a barman or barmaid then you can take the tour of the famous old factory and you even get the opportunity to pull a pint of the black stuff yourself.

For the music lovers of the world Dublin is a great place to come to. Ireland boasts of great bands such as U2, Thin Lizzy, Snow Patrol, Two Door Cinema Club amongst others and the up and coming talent of tomorrow can be heard live in bars throughout the city.

Of course, the point of your trip will be to come and learn English so don’t worry because there are plenty of schools in the capital where you can study. One of the places you might choose to take an English course is the Swan Training Institute located at 11, Grafton Street, one of the city’s most famous streets. Swan offers various different courses to suit your needs such as four-week courses, which are great for anybody planning on only staying for a month.

Other English language schools based in Dublin include The Horner School of English at 40 Fitzwilliam Street Upper, Dublin 2, The Irish College of English which has two schools, located in Malahide and Swords, both ideal parts of Dublin.

The Delfin English School at 2, Parnell Square East, Dublin 1, just beside Dublin’s most famous street, O’Connell Street, offers a variety of different courses to help you improve your English language skills.

The Dublin School of English in Dollard House, 2-5 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, is said to be the oldest English language school, established in 1968. This is a family run school which offers many different courses to suit your needs. For example, they have classes such as ‘English with music tuition’ or ‘English with professional sports tuition’. They also have junior courses for those aged between 11-17. These are available during the summer months of July and August. The student can stay on campus whilst being supervised by the staff or stay with a host family where they can really live through English.

If you want to study the Callan Method at an official School in Dublin, visit: Elta School of English in 11 Burgh Quay, www.callanmethoddublin.ie.

If you decide to study in Dublin city centre then I recommend finding accomodation in one of the many suburbs that surround it. Wherever you stay you will have easy access to the city centre by bus or by train. Dublin Bus provides transport to and from the city all day long, as does the DART train service. The DART is an inner-city train service that commutes all around the city. These days we also have the recently opened tram service called  The Luas. This provides a limited commuting service to select parts of the city.

Whatever your needs are and however long you plan on staying in Dublin, you can rest assured that there is a school that suits you. So, if you are planning on studying abroad in the near future then why not consider Dublin where you will receive a warm welcome or as we say in Gaeilge ‘céad míle fáilte’ which means a hundred thousand welcomes!

G. Harman