Estefania’s Story

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Cork English Academy

Before coming to Ireland to improve my English I studied Marketing in Mexico and worked for many multinational companies based in Mexico.

I chose Ireland as a study abroad destination because it was an affordable option. Besides, me and my brother Emmanuel could enter the country as tourists without a visa.

I chose to study in Cork over other cities because I had only a 12 month period available to me. I wanted to maximise my language stay and I heard Cork has less Mexican and Latin American students so my opportunity to speak Spanish was lower!

Cork is a beautiful city. It is quiet but at the same time it’s lively and vibrant. Another point is that Cork is a very safe city to live in.

My English language course was great. I learned about so many different topics. The teachers were so kind to me and always willing to help me. Listening and speaking are the two skills I have improved in the most. I found improving pronunciation to be the most challenging.

My brother and I are currently living with an Irish host family. Our host family is so nice! Living with a family is a great way to improve our English.

My favourite things about Cork are:

Friendly people
People willing to help while you are learning English
Safe city
Cosmopolitan city

I will recommend my friends to come here. Living in Ireland is a great experience!

Debora’s Story

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Cork English Academy

I finished my degree in teaching in Spain this summer. I was working in a summer camp before coming to Ireland with my boyfriend in October.

Initially we thought of studying English in the UK but Brexit left the country in an uncertain situation. We decided Ireland would be a good alternative.

I met a teacher who had studied in Cork a few years ago. She loved the experience in Cork and she is now an English language teacher at home! She told me Cork is better than Dublin because it is less busy and smaller.

I loved Ireland from the first day because the people are very friendly and everybody helps you if you need it. Cork city is very small but it has everything you need: schools, pubs, cafes, supermarkets, shops, parks, public transport.

Quiero Languages recommended Cork English Academy and I think it is the best English language school in Cork. I had the best teachers in the school, Paul and Steve. I really think that they love their job and we all really enjoyed learning with them.

The extra free classes are very good. You get to listen to other teachers and hear different accents. The culture classes are great. The receptionists are very kind and I enjoyed taking part in the BINGO and school quiz with them.

Debora, her husband Moises and friends enjoying BINGO in the school.

I think I have improved all of my language skills and in specific my listening skills. I am listening to English all the time; in the school, at home and in the street. I am able to have conversations with native English speakers and watch films in English. I find some of the phrasal verbs and clauses difficult but I am improving every day.

My accommodation is wonderful. We are living with a host family. We initially booked just one month but extended to three months. The hosts are a married couple with three teenager kids. Since the first day we left very comfortable with them and we speak to them all of the time. They always help me with everything I need. My host mother cooks very, very well. We are really enjoying our stay.

We have travelled around Ireland: Dublin, Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Galway and some towns in Cork also Cobh and Kinsale. I love the landscapes of Ireland. Everything is green and you can see sheep and cows everywhere.

December Social Activity Programme

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Cork English Academy

The Social Activity Programme is a very important part of the Cork English Academy experience and we try to make sure that we have something for everybody.

Learning in the school is greatly enhanced when students are involved in social and activity events. The Social Activity Programme enables students to continue to learn about Irish culture and heritage while practicing and developing their language skills in the real world. We strongly encourage students to take part in the school’s weekly organised events along with promoting activities, festivals and interesting places to visit in Cork and surrounding areas.

Upcoming Social Activities

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Cork English Academy

All English language students at Cork English Academy are encouraged to take part in as many social activities organised by the school as possible. Meeting students from different nationalities and class levels is a great way to continue learning English outside of the classroom.

Date	Activity	Room Number	Time
Week Starting August 1st
Monday 1^st	Public Holiday – School Closed
Tuesday 2^nd	City Orientation Tour	Meet at Reception	15.30
Tuesday 2^nd	Pronunciation	Room 3	14.30
Wednesday 3^rd	Ceili by the Lough	Meet outside school	19.00
Wednesday 3^rd	Conversation	Room 3	14.30
Thursday 4^th	BINGO	Room 3	15.30
Thursday 4^th	Grammar	Room 3	14.30
Friday 5th	Trip to Blackrock Castle	Meet at reception	14.00
Date	Activity	Room Number	Time
Week Starting August 8th
Monday 8^th	Cork Ghost Tour	Meet outside school	19.30
Monday 8^th	Vocabulary Class	Room 3	14.30
Tuesday 9^th	City Orientation Tour	Meet at Reception	15.30
Tuesday 9^th	Pronunciation	Room 3	14.30
Wednesday 10^th	Ceili by the Lough	Meet outside school	19.00
Wednesday 10^th	Conversation	Room 3	14.30
Thursday 11^th	BINGO	Room 3	15.30
Thursday 11^th	Grammar	Room 3	14.30
Friday 12th	Trip to Shandon Bells	Meet at reception	14.00

Misoo’s Story

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Cork English Academy

I’m majoring in English Literature and Linguistics in South Korea. Now I’m taking a year off to study here in Cork.First of all I decided to come to Ireland because it is relatively easy to get a student visa compared to other countries. Also they allow foreign students to work which is almost impossible in other countries.

Cork is quite a big city following the capital Dublin but actually it is not as crowded as Dublin. I really love this point. Moreover, there are not that many Korean students. To practice English as much as possible I didn’t want to go somewhere where it is easy to find Korean people.

When I arrived in Cork I was very impressed at how green everything was I like the old buildings. It seems to me that they are keeping nature and traditional things very well. Also I was impressed by Irish people. Before arriving I had heard the Irish people are nice and I found this to be very true.

At the moment I am taking a General English Course. All aspects of English language learning are covered: speaking, reading, writing and listening. Depending on your level they are likely to put a focus on a different section.

As far as teachers are concerned, to be honest, every moment I’m impressed with them. They are always well prepared for class and always listen to each student. Also they correct students speaking and writing if they are making mistakes whether there are numerous mistakes or not.

My English speaking skills have developed a lot in comparison with the past. I rarely met an opportunity to practice English when I studied English my country. As a result I couldn’t get my knowledge out of my brain to express myself. Furthermore I had memorized a lot of words with the wrong pronunciations!

If I choose the most challenging part of English learning it is listening. I had heard only an American English accent before. Now I’m getting used to different accents and actually in the classroom we are training our listening with diverse accents.

You don’t need to worry about making friends even if you are an introvert. All the students in this academy are good and if you want to make Irish friends you can take part in many activities in Cork.

It is easy to travel around Ireland from Cork and also to other European countries because they are near and it doesn’t cost a lot. Irish people also spend their holidays in other countries.

I have already suggested my friend comes to Cork English Academy. I’m quite satisfied with my life here and I’m sure that this experience will affect my whole life going forward. Also it’s likely that I’ll be able to study further after going back to University. It’s challenging but a very worthy experience!