Testimonial from a French teacher : Erasmus+ experience and language training in Dublin at ISI Dublin

June 2025: During our annual networking evening dedicated to teacher and student mobility programs, organized by the International Service of the Catholic Education Department of Nantes, a colleague who teaches in a primary school shared her experience of an Erasmus+ teacher training mobility in Ireland and her week at ISI Dublin. The idea began to take shape… A first reflection on why Dublin could be the ideal destination for an Erasmus+ teacher training course started to emerge.

I am the International Label Coordinator at my school in Rezé, near Nantes. We were awarded only three mobility grants, yet four teachers wanted to take part in an Erasmus+ programme for French teachers ! Solidarity came first… We decided to go anyway and try to fit the return flights, accommodation, and one week of classes into our budget for this Erasmus+ teacher mobility experience between France and Ireland.

As soon as the new school year began in September 2025, I visited the ISI Dublin website, recognized as a leading Erasmus+ training centre for French teachers, and shared the information with my colleagues. The website was clear and easy to navigate. The programmes were appealing, and the prices were quite attractive, especially before December. The online registration process made everything much easier. Two of us registered quickly (€400 each) for this Erasmus+ course for French teachers in Dublin. The other two took a few more months to decide and ended up paying an additional €50 each.

Another major advantage was that I always had a supportive and responsive contact person at ISI Dublin who answered all my questions regarding this Erasmus+ teacher training course in Ireland and our upcoming European educational mobility project.

At the beginning of December, we created a WhatsApp group so that we could discuss every detail of our Erasmus+ mobility in Dublin whenever needed. We searched for an Airbnb close enough to the school to walk there, comfortable, and within our budget. Success ! We quickly found the perfect place, right beside Christchurch and only a ten-minute walk from the school.

Our Ryanair flights were booked fairly early, at the beginning of February (€151.30 each including insurance). This was a key step in organizing our Erasmus+ teacher training course in Ireland.

Friday, 10 April. It was the last day of school before a two-week holiday. We met at the airport at 6:45 p.m. for a scheduled departure at 8:15 p.m. After significant delays and a very turbulent arrival due to strong winds, we finally landed in Dublin at 10:30 p.m. local time. We jumped onto the first Dublin Express bus available, travelled to Aston Quay, and then walked to Christchurch. At last, we could drop off our luggage and discover our cosy home for the week during our Erasmus+ educational stay in Dublin.

Monday, 13 April. After a weekend full of discoveries in this vibrant capital city, it was time to get serious ! We arrived at ISI Dublin at 8:45 a.m. for our Erasmus+ English course in Dublin. After finding our names on the digital screens in the entrance hall, we each headed to our classrooms. I spent the week studying with Adele, alongside Brazilian, Mexican, and Argentine students. There were six French teachers in the group. The atmosphere was fantastic relaxed yet focused. It was a wonderful professional development opportunity through Erasmus+.

During breaks, we could relax in the beautiful student lounge, both bright and cosy. Drinks, cakes, sandwiches, comfortable sofas, tables, benches, and armchairs created the perfect environment for meeting students from all over the world. The intercultural exchange was incredibly enriching. People of all ages, backgrounds, and professions shared their unique life stories.

Every day at lunchtime, we joined Steffi and other students for conversation classes covering a wide range of current and relevant topics, always in a supportive and relaxed atmosphere. She introduced discussion themes, and we exchanged ideas freely. There was no judgement. She listened carefully and later highlighted common mistakes without singling anyone out, writing useful language points on the board. It was an excellent language development exercise within this Erasmus+ continuing professional development course for teachers.

In the afternoons, ISI Dublin offered various activities, but we chose to explore the city independently during our free time. We visited the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle, the National Gallery, Trinity College, the National Museum of Ireland, the Guinness Storehouse, Sunday morning service at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Christchurch Cathedral, enjoyed an Irish Fry at Rosie’s Café, afternoon tea at Bewley’s Café, took a train trip and hike to Howth, attended live music sessions at The Cobblestone, discovered a different pub every evening, spent an exciting night at Shelbourne Park watching greyhound races, explored the city’s many parks, enjoyed fish and chips at Leo Burdock’s, wandered around the Grand Canal Docks, tasted beef stew at Copper Alley Bistro, and visited the GPO and the Spire. It was a true cultural and educational immersion in Dublin through Erasmus+.

The week flew by and gave me the opportunity to meet wonderful people, improve my English thanks to Erasmus+ in Dublin, and discover this lively and welcoming capital city. It was an enriching Erasmus+ experience for teachers in Ireland that I would highly recommend. Saying goodbye to my group was quite emotional.

I would warmly recommend ISI Dublin to colleagues from the Pays de la Loire region who wish to take part in language training for teachers in Dublin through an Erasmus+ programme for French educators. It is an excellent way to improve English proficiency while experiencing a truly European training programme that combines immersive learning, cultural discovery, and meaningful professional development.