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!
