Natan, from Belgium, tells us about his pleasant experience in his general English course in Dublin.

Hello everyone, I am Natan Hermans. I am from Belgium. Today, I will talk about my feelings since I have arrived in Ireland: what I think about the country, the culture and, of course, the school where I am learning English: ISI Dublin.

So, let’s start with the country. It’s a beautiful country where the people are very kind and friendly. The landscapes of Ireland can shock you because they are amazing, but I will let you discover that yourself! About the capital city: Dublin, the architecture is incredible and stays in its time. If you want to discover Irish culture and tradition, Dublin is the best spot. It has a lot of museums, activities, buildings, and beautiful natural places to visit. Just be careful about some things: first, the people drive on the left, so be careful when you are crossing the road, it can be very disturbing at the beginning; second, if you want to work here, you will need a PPS number (it can be obtained on the internet), because if you don’t have this number your chances of getting a job are near zero; lastly, sometimes the Irish people will talk to you in English but with a strong accent, so it can be difficult to understand them (don’t hesitate to ask them to repeat themselves slowly).

About the culture, Ireland has an important culture, it is one of the last Celtic countries. With Irish mythology, Viking invasions, etc., it amounts to a lot of history: since antiquity until nowadays a lot of events have happened here, such as Saint Patrick’s arrival, the Viking settlement, Irish immigration due to British subjugation, famine, et cetera, and the concomitant rebellions and revolutions, finally successful in ousting the British from the country following the infamous 1916 Easter Rising. And, of course, part and parcel of this history are a lot of traditions: Halloween, Saint Patrick’s Day, Friday night drinking (oopsy! I probably shouldn’t say that!) . . . In short, if you like history, culture, traditions, and all that kind of stuff, Ireland will be a great place for you!

Finally, I would like to talk about ISI English Language School itself. It’s a very good place to learn English because everybody is learning English and you need to speak it so it is the best way to force you to understand the language. The teachers are very kind and helpful. They will try their best to guide you in the language. The classes are divided by levels of English, so, if you are new to the language you will be with other new students at your level so that you can support one another. There is a cafeteria in the school itself if you want to eat something and it is not expensive. There are lots of activities organized by the school during the afternoons midweek and most of them are free, so, if you want to visit the city it’s a good way; that’s why I recommend to study in the mornings as opposed to the afternoons.

In conclusion, if you want to travel to Dublin and learn at ISI, I encourage you to do it because it’s a very amazing experience and I swear to you that you will not regret it!