Here is a selection of some of the questions we are frequently asked by students and parents on our Junior and Senior Total Immersion courses. If you don’t find the answer to your question here, please contact us at info@thelanguageplace.ie and we will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Junior and Senior Total Immersion students should fly into Dublin from where they will be taken to The Language Place by private bus. Students from the same city usually fly together on the same flight. Contact us for flight details: info@thelanguageplace.ie
Students on the Junior Total Immersion course who are 12-16 years old can fly with Aerlingus (www.aerlingus.ie ), Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) or an airline from their country. Students who fly with Ryanair must be over 16 or accompanied by somebody who is over 16. Students on the Senior Total Immersion course who are 16+ can fly with AerLingus, Ryanair or an airline from their country.
The journey from Dublin to Dundalk takes approximately one hour (70km).
Students on the Junior and Senior Total Immersion courses will be met at the airport by a teacher from The Language Place and taken directly to Dundalk by private transport to meet their host families. They will also return to the airport by private transport.
Students on the Junior and Senior Total Immersion course will stay with a host family. The host family will usually have a teenager or teenagers. It is the best way to be totally immersed in English and really experience Irish culture.
Our host families for teens are carefully chosen after a long interview process. We visit the families at their homes and collect information about the family members’ ages, occupations, language skills, interests and hobbies, pets etc. The information the student gives us on his/her student application form helps us match the student with a host family that is best for them. In general, host families for teens will have teenagers of the same age or children a little older or younger. All host families live in very comfortable houses in Dundalk or in surrounding areas. Two friends or siblings can share the same host family if they want.
Students who do not share a host family with other students have their own room. If two friends or siblings want to share the same family, they usually share a room. If two students of different nationalities share the same host family, they each have their own room.
Some students will have their own bathroom, but most students will share a bathroom with the teenagers or children in their host family.
Irish people usually have breakfast between 7.00 and 10.00. They have lunch between 12.00 and 14.00 and they have dinner between 18.00 and 19.30. Breakfast and dinner are the main meals of the day. It is important to know that lunch is much lighter than in Europe.
The student will have breakfast each morning and dinner each evening with the host family. Every day the student will have an organised activity or excursion and the host family will provide a packed lunch to take. A packed lunch is usually a sandwich, salad, yoghurt, cheese and some fruit. The host family will buy all the food the student will need for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They will also provide snacks for the student between meals.
It’s good to remember Ireland is a different country, with different ways of preparing food and typical dishes in Ireland will be different to dishes in the student’s home country – this is part of the adventure of really experiencing another culture. Before the student comes to Ireland he/she will fill in a very detailed likes and dislikes section on his/her application form. The student can tell the host family what he/she likes, what he/she doesn’t eat, etc. The families are very flexible. Students can eat as little or as much as they like. The host family will not expect the student to like absolutely everything. If the student does not like something the host family prepares, the best thing is to tell the family and they will prepare something else for him/her.
If the student forgets to put something on his/her application form about likes and dislikes, he/she can tell the host family when he/she arrives in Ireland.
The host family will buy everything the student needs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Students on the Senior Total Immersion programme will need to buy some light meals or snacks on the weekend trip to Galway.
There is a section on the student application form that asks about allergies and medications. We will make sure the student’s host family knows about any dietary restrictions or allergies before he/she arrives.
The host family will take the student to The Language Place building by car. The students will be picked up by the host family every evening at 17.30.
Yes, the host family will wash the student’s clothes with the family laundry.
Yes.
Total Immersion students must return home every day at the time agreed between the host family and the directors of The Language Place, usually not later than 18.00. From 18.00 the student is with the host family and his/her teenage host(s). This time is often spent with friends of the teenage hosts, and it is an important part of the day for the student. It is the time when he or she can practise English with his/her teenage host. The host family and The Language Place must know where the student is at all times. For this reason, students are not allowed to meet together in the evenings or participate in any activity which is not organised by his/her host family or The Language Place.
No. Smoking and vaping are not permitted in the host family house or garden or at any time during the Total Immersion programmes.
The families don’t expect a present but if the student would like to bring a small present but is not sure what to bring, something cultural from his/her own country is always a good choice.
Our host families are committed to helping our students improve their communication skills and are kind and patient. If the student has a low level of English, he/she should not expect to understand everything the first day! During his/her stay, he/she will learn how to communicate better and will feel more confident. The Language Place team want our students to enjoy their English learning experience in Ireland and we are here to help in whatever way we can. So don’t worry!
If the student wants to stay extra nights with his/her host family, please let us know in advance so that we can make the necessary arrangements with the host family. Extra nights cost €40 per night.
No. If the student does not want to do a particular activity or excursion, please let us know in advance.
All our workshops are especially designed to cover the needs of our students. The students spend three hours per day working on their speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar skills. But we know that our students also want to enjoy themselves and for this reason the students also do projects, record movies, participate in debates, do projects, carry out street interviews, play games, do quizzes, etc.
In accordance with the principal objective of our Total Immersion programmes, we make sure that our students have maximum opportunities to learn and practise English all day long.
Students are collected at 17.30 every evening and spend the rest of the evening with the host family. Usually the student will spend this time with his/her teenage host(s) and their friends but he/she can also relax, study, do some sport if he or she wants. Students are not permitted to meet other students in the evenings or at weekends unless this has been agreed in advance with the directors of The Language Place.
Yes, the student must go to all English workshops unless he or she is sick. Generally, our students enjoy their classes so much, they don’t want to miss any!
The weather in Ireland is very changeable in summer. August is the start of autumn in Ireland so we have sunny days but also cloudy days, and because we are so near the Atlantic Ocean we have rain regularly. The best thing to do is be prepared for all types of weather. When the student is packing, he/she should include some warm clothes and a jacket as well as summer t-shirts and light clothes. Use our checklist to help with packing!
Students who are under 18 years old cannot enter pubs or drink alcohol during their stay.
If the student gets sick and needs medical attention, the directors at The Language Place or a parent in his host family will take him/her to the doctor. If the student is from the EU, and has an EHIC card or an E111 form, the EU Regulation 1408/71 says that holders of the European Health Insurance Card, E111 or equivalent during a temporary stay in Ireland can have access to doctors and services in a public hospital free of charge. But if the student doesn’t have this card, he/she will have to pay for medical treatment here, so it is important to make sure the student has one before he/she comes. The cost of medicine is higher in Ireland than in other countries. It usually costs €50 to visit a GP and €100 to go to accident and emergency. If the student has an illness for which he/she has to take regular medication, it is essential to make sure the student brings enough medication with him/her for the duration of his/her stay here. If for any reason the student cannot take medicines such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or antibiotics, please tell us in advance.
If the student gets really sick and has to return home without completing his/her course, The Language Place will give him/her a credit note for a course at a later date (see terms and conditions).
The Language Place insurance covers the student while he/she is in The Language Place building, on excursions with The Language Place and during most activities with The Language Place. Unfortunately this policy does not cover our students during the following activities which are classified as high risk: karting and quad-biking. The Language Place insurance does not cover the student when he/she is doing activities with the host family. For this reason, all students must purchase a good travel insurance policy in their own country to have adequate insurance cover at all times in Ireland, for example, in case of an accident or a medical emergency, and in case of loss or theft of belongings. The Language Place cannot accept responsibility for theft or loss of belongings.
The Junior Total Immersion course is an all–inclusive course. The student does not need to buy very much while he/she is here so he/she should not bring much money with him/her. Students on the Senior Total Immersion course spend a weekend glamping in the west of Ireland and will need money for some light meals and snacks.
Yes, students on this course should speak English all the time. They must speak English with their teachers and their host families and should try to speak to the other students in English too. This is the best way to improve their English quickly.
Download the application form in your language and return the completed application form to info@thelanguageplace.ie. We will then contact the student and his/her parents to arrange an interview via Zoom to answer any further questions and to confirm the student’s place on the Junior or Senior Total Immersion course. The student will receive their host family details 4 weeks before coming to Ireland. The student should pay a non-refundable €300 booking deposit to reserve his/her place on their Total Immersion course and the balance at least 28 days before they come to Ireland.
| telephone: | 00 353 42 9320729 |
| mobiles: | 00 353 87 2297476 |
| 00 353 87 2297473 | |
| email: | |
| address: | 2 jocelyn place, |
make secure payment with Square
