Tips and tricks to learn a language in the best way

For Laura inSchool interviews, Tips and tricks the 30/03/2021

Interview with Aidan O Shea, Owner of The Linguaviva Centre: “Studying abroad offers students the opportunity to learn more about themselves”

AIDAN O SHEA, OWNER OF THE LINGUAVIVA CENTRE

Why would a student choose their school?

We are a Quality English (QE) school who have been teaching students in Dublin since 1977. Our focus is providing a personal and professional service to each and every student. As we are independently owned and operated, we pride ourselves on being able to cater for students with differing needs and aspirations. Each student’s learning journey is unique, and each learner has personal motivations for improving their language ability.
We take learning seriously and focus on supporting, guiding and pushing our students to reach their learning goals. With small class sizes and a highly-experienced teaching team, we aim to provide students with everything they need to attain their language objectives.

In your opinion, what are the main benefits for a student to study abroad?

Studying abroad offers students an opportunity to immerse themselves in their target language, and immediately apply lessons learnt in the classroom to real-life situations. Language and culture are inextricably mixed, meaning that as students understand more of a nation’s culture, their appreciation of its vocabulary and grammar is also increased.
Studying abroad also offers students the opportunity to learn more about themselves. The life skills and interpersonal skills developed on a study abroad programme stay with learners for life. In an ever globalised world, intercultural competence is a transferable skill that is applicable in a range of industries.

How do you see the future of language tourism?

I see language tourism heading toward a mixture of blended programmes alongside real-world experiences. The pandemic has seen massive progression in online learning and I see elements of this staying with us as we exit the COVID era. However, e-learning platforms, pre and post programme links with language schools, and online assessment are all great additions to future face-to-face programmes.
I also see students looking at programmes which enhance experience and run alongside developing other skills. More than ever, learners are looking for practical opportunities to engage and develop their language in real world settings.

What types of courses do you think will be the most sought after in the future?

I can see flipped and blended learning programmes developing in the future as learners and teachers have become more adept at online learning opportunities.
I also see courses which merge language learning alongside the development of another skill (social media marketing, game design etc.) gaining in demand as students seek to see the practical applications of both skills.

THE SCHOOL

Name of School

The Linguaviva Centre

Country/City

Ireland, Dublin

The most significant things the school can offer

Linguaviva is a boutique language school aimed at those who are serious about improving their English.
We offer an individual learning plan (IDP) to all students stating the exact content and progress we project them to make during their programme. We offer small class sizes, average 8-10 per class in Dublin’s oldest language school, where we blend the best in traditional teaching methods with e-learning support and cutting edge in-class technology.
We offer a broad range of accommodation options from 5* hotel to hostel, as well as traditional host families and student accommodation.

Types of courses taught at school

General English
Professional English
Teacher Training
Academic Year
Exam preparation (IELTS, BEC, TIE)
Group Programmes

Attractions around the school and in the city in general

We are located in the centre of Dublin city and a 10 minute walk from its main shopping area, Grafton Street. Dublin is famous for its literary culture and famous nightlife, all of which are easily accessible from our Georgian era campus.
The world famous Guinness Storehouse and Europe’s largest enclosed park, The Phoenix Park.
Dublin is well served by public transport and there a re numerous scenic seaside villages around Dublin that can be reached in 20 minutes by train.
There is a vibrant live music and sporting scene in Dublin with concerts, gigs and matches taking place throughout the year.

For Sara inTips and tricks the 26/03/2021

The main differences between make and do in English that you should know.

When we express ourselves in English, it is normal that we have doubts about when to use certain verbs that, at first glance, can be very similar. This is the case with the “do” and the “make” for example.

As main differences in its use we can highlight the use of the “do” for repeated actions, obligations or activities. Instead, we can use the “make” to talk about creating or producing something or to perform actions that you decide to do. In short, with the “do” we express an action that has no physical result, while what we express with the “make” does.

Let’s go into a little more detail about each of them:

When to use the DO

Routine actions or tasks

Do the laundry
Do the shopping

To talk about an activity that hasn’t been mentioned before or you don’t know exactly what it’s about

What is Jon doing?

To talk about individual sports

Marie does yoga
He does judo

Good/bad deeds

Do well
Do the right thing
Do badly
Do your best

General stocks

Do anything
Do something
Do nothing

Personal care

Do your hair
Do your nails
Do exercise

Profession and studies

What do you do?
What do you do for a living?
Do business
Do homework
Do a good job
Do a report
Do a course

In different grammatical structures

With phrasal verbs
As an auxiliary verb in interrogative phrases
Verbal time “to be doing”

When to use MAKE

As explained above, when we use this verb it is because you can see a tangible result, therefore it is used in the sense of creating or manufacturing.

When we talk about cooking

Make breakfast
Make an omelete

To talk about money

Make money
Make a profit

Reactions

He makes me cry
The movie makes me laugh

Communication topics

Make a phone call
Make a complaint
Make a promise
Make a speech

Interpersonal relationships

Make Friends
Make fun of someone

To make plans

Make plans
Make a decision
Make an attempt

Did these tricks do you any good? Learn all this and more by taking an English course abroad. Discover everything Ynsitu has in store for you!

For Alberto inTips and tricks the 26/03/2021

Which destination to choose for your language course abroad

If you want to live an experience learning English, it’s the perfect time for you to do it. Go on a language course abroad! In addition to learning, you will know firsthand a new culture and its people. Do you dare?

Why take a language course abroad?

When you decide to take a language course abroad,all you’re going to get are benefits, not only at the academic level, but also in the personal sphere. If you’re passionate about English and you want to perfect it, it’s time for you to step up.

The sooner you signal your goals in this direction, the greater your chances will be in the future. So, if you’re a student of ESO or high school and you are willing to live an enriching experience learning English in a foreign country, you should appreciate the following advantages that we explain below:

– You will be able to perfect your English and any other language and be bilingual. Taking for example a language course in an English-speaking country will allow you to perfect your english handling and ease. But by having constant communication in this language, you will be able to perfectly capture its intonation and pronunciation,acquiring such an advanced level that it can lead to bilingualism, if you really work hard.

– You will live a linguistic and cultural immersion you’ll always remember. Upon entering a foreign-speaking country, you are forced to speak in this language throughout the day. This will make you able to live with very different people, learn their customs and new habits that will serve you wonders to enrich you as a person.

– Increased personal growth. Knowing another culture, your mind opens up more and will allow you to take on new habits, which at the same time will make you grow and mature,which will lead to huge personal growth.

– Develop intercultural competencies. In the face of greater skills, you will get a better level of adaptation in any sector you set your mind to. Thus, at the work level you will have an advantage over others, not only because of the intellectual capacities, but because of the skills derived from using yourself abroad.

– Meet new friends. It will be easier for you to relate to young people from the country you choose to go to, and you will create bonds that will undoubtedly last a lifetime.

– You will live a unique and enriching experience abroad. Something that doesn’t happen every day!

What are the top 4 destinations to take a language course abroad?

United Kingdom

Uk marvels at every person who visits. It has the widest variety of English courses from around the world. In addition, this country has the best English academies in the world and obtaining an English degree for studying in England will give you worldwide recognition, for its high academic quality.

Ireland

Ireland allows you to better linguistic immersion, since it is not as touristy as other areas, so you will meet more natives. By practicing English longer, your level will also become higher.

In addition, it is a diverse, safe and friendly country. They are used to receiving foreigners from all over the world, especially those who will learn English. It is the most recommended destination as a first outing abroad for your children.

United States (USA)

America, in itself, is a very attractive destination for many people because of its cultural diversity. You’re going to know, no doubt, people of multiple ethnicities and cultures,which will make it easier for you to know many values.

You will soak in English in all its aspects: conversation, writing, reading and oral comprehension… in addition to living an unparalleled experience, your own American dream.

Canada

Canada is the fashionable destination for learning English, in recent years, from young people, with one of the highest levels of teaching on the planet, with a great reputation.

You can find, culturally speaking, American and European influences, throughout its history. Although it is a bilingual country, livingtogether French and English speaking places, the opportunity to meet students like you, who are going to live an amazing adventure, is huge.

For Alberto inTips and tricks the 19/03/2021

5 Tips for a Full English Language Immersion

One of the main reasons to study abroad is to be able to work perfectly in a language. And it is that knowing English is no longer just a matter ofstudy, but has become a way of life.

It is increasingly necessary and knowing it is very important for personal growth. Therefore, it is very important to learn it. The best way to do this is to go to an English-speaking country. It never goes without going to academies, attending courses or even spending a couple of weeks abroad… but study at least a year in an Anglo-Saxon country allows for a complete linguistic immersion.

If you are thinking of starting this adventure abroad, from Ynsitu, we bring you 5 tips to make the most of your stay:

1. Live with natives

The best thing for a complete linguistic immersion is to live with natives. If you are a High School student, the best option is to live in a host family (host family). If on the contrary you are a college student, avoid living in a flat with other Spanish or South American students so as not to fall into the temptation to turn to Spanish at home, which on the other hand, is a place where we spend many hours a day.

2. Make friends of all nationalities

I’m sure you have teammates (or classmates) who are Asian or European. Ideally, there’s a little bit of everything in your group of friends. At first you’ll find it difficult to relate to them because as soon as you arrive you may not understand everything they say, but in the long run, that will help you perform much better and learn many colloquial expressions.

3. Visit typical places

Take excursions to visit the most interesting places in the area. Try reading information about them in English to learn new words you don’t know yet. The more you read, the more you’ll improve your vocabulary.

4. Avoid Spanish

Obviously when you talk to your Spanish family and friends, you’ll do it in Spanish, but when you watch movies or series and read articles or magazines, do it in English. This will help make your language immersion complete. In case you live with Spaniards or South Americans, try speaking English from the outing. Do not fall into the temptation to speak Spanish because then it will be very difficult to change that custom.

5. Talk, talk and talk!

At first it’s hard and there will even be times when you don’t understand everything they tell you, but if you try to speak and express yourself in English as much as possible, you’ll learn much faster and adapt to the new language first. Don’t be ashamed to make mistakes grammatical or not knowing how to pronounce a word correctly. You learn by making mistakes and you’re sure that all the people around you will be happy to help you in your learning process. Bring out your accent when you speak English. I’m sure people like your accent… and it can even help you flirt!

We hope we helped you and… Get in the pool! The worst thing that can happen to you is that you spend an unforgettable year and that you better your level of English than you have ever imagined before.

Check out all our English courses!

If before your experience abroad you want to take a language course from Spain to reinforce your basic knowledge and feel more confident, we recommend the magnificent professionals of Innova languages!

For Carla Hawk inTips and tricks the 18/03/2021

The Essential Pre-Travel Checklist

Travelling away from home can be daunting. That niggling voice of “what if I’ve forgotten something important?” can be difficult to hush. The best way to ease a nervous mind is to feel prepared.

Checking off this handy pre-travel checklist will make sure all your essential tasks are taken care of before you go, so you can focus on enjoying your travels.

Check Travel Regulations

The rules of travel are constantly changing. Step one is to check your relevant travel regulations – both the requirements of where you are leaving from, and where you are travelling to. Each country will detail entry, exit and transit requirements on their government’s website. Even travelling between certain areas within a country can have specific rules, so check every region.

Ensure Your Passport Is Valid – and Make Copies

Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least 6 additional months upon arrival. Scan and take copies with you – if you lose your passport, copies can help you get a replacement more quickly at an embassy.

Check Visa/Entry Requirements

An obvious but often-overlooked task. Check if the country your passport was issued from is allowed in your destination country without a visa. If not, look into how to obtain the necessary visa.

Many countries allow you to enter for tourism purposes for certain amounts of time. Some places, the United States for Australians for example, have an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) that you must pay online before arrival.

Check the country’s border control rules – some places require proof of an outbound flight before they’ll let you in.

Get Travel Insurance

International travel insurance is one of the few insurances you should never go without. As the wise saying goes: “If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.”

It’s relatively cheap as far as insurance goes, and can save you from incredibly expensive, sticky situations overseas. Medical and evacuation bills for foreigners can be astronomical in some countries, so much that you may struggle to get the care you need. There’s also the bonus of some policies compensating you for transport cancellations, lost or delayed luggage, stolen goods and other common mishaps.

Buy your insurance as soon as you’ve bought your flights, so you’re covered in case of emergency cancellations before departing. Providers that operate purely online, such as WorldNomads and Downunder Insurance, are a bit cheaper due to lack of overhead costs.

It’s important to note that different insurers will cover, or not cover, specific situations and items. Sometimes you can pay extra for certain dangerous activities to be covered, such as skiing. Common exclusions include pre-existing conditions, acts of war and pandemics. Read what you are covered for carefully before you travel.

Inform Your Bank

If you’re taking your bank or credit card with you overseas, you need to inform your bank of your travel before you go. If the bank suddenly notices your card being used in a foreign country and you haven’t notified them prior, they may assume it’s fraud and cancel the card. Suddenly losing access to your funds overseas can be very frightening and inconvenient. Most banks have a 24-hour international hotline to call in case of situations like this.

Organise Foreign Currency

Check what fees your bank charges for foreign transactions and cash withdrawals. Check that they operate and are accepted where you’re going. Consider getting a travel card such as Travelex to avoid conversion fees altogether.

Even if you plan to mostly use cards, organise some advance cash in the currency of your first destination – it can come in very handy when you arrive. It will almost definitely be cheaper to get some cash before departing than at the airport upon arrival.

Put Your Documents (Securely) Online

Having your documents on paper with you in certainly convenient, but make sure you can access them online too. Put them in your inbox, google drive, or whatever you prefer, and make sure they’re password protected. This way you can access them anywhere in case you lose the paper copies.

Give a copy of important documents to a trusted family member or friend, in case you need assistance. Itineraries, plane tickets, insurance policies, passport copies, accommodation details, visas and permits can all be backed up in a variety of ways.

Health and Vaccinations

Check with your travel doctor about what vaccinations you may need, depending on your destination. Be aware that some vaccines need to be administered several months in advance to build an adequate immune response. For some countries, you’re required to provide proof of vaccination to re-enter your home country.

Make sure you have enough of any prescriptions you need. Some countries don’t allow certain drugs and medicines through their borders. It’s best to keep medications in original packaging and with a copy of your prescription or doctor’s letter if unsure.

Adaptors

All of your electronics and chargers will be useless without the correct adaptor. Google “power plug (country)” to find out what type you’ll need. You can take the guesswork out by getting a universal adaptor that fits most plugs; some even have USB ports. The only downside is they are quite a bit chunkier in size than individual adaptors.

Register with Your Country’s Travel Database

The United States has the Smart Traveler Enrolment Program (STEP), Australia has Smartraveller, and other countries have similar programs. This is basically giving your government a heads up of your whereabouts, in case it needs to find, contact or assist you in an emergency. The programs keep you up to date in regards to relevant natural disasters, violent conflicts, disease outbreaks and the like. It takes 5 minutes and gives you and your loved ones some peace of mind.

House/Pet Sitter

Make sure you have organised care for your fur-family. A house sitter can also collect your mail for you, or you can request your mail to be held at the post office temporarily.

Auto-Pay Your Bills

If you’re going for an extended period and don’t want to worry about paying your bills at home, set them to auto-pay online. Just make sure there’s enough money in your designated account/credit card so you don’t get an unexpected overdrawn fee.

International Driver’s License

If you’re planning on hiring a car overseas, check if you need an international driver’s license. Many places will let you drive for a short length of time with your home license, but some won’t. Double-check local road rules before you get behind the wheel, especially which side of the road to drive on.

Unlock Your Phone

Unlocking your phone means you can buy and use local sim cards, a much cheaper alternative to roaming fees on your mobile.

Book Your First Night’s Accommodation (At Least)

Even if you’re the adventurous type and plan on making it up as you go while travelling, do yourself a favour and have at least one night’s accommodation lined up. You’ll be grateful after long, sleepless flightsand varying time zones to already have somewhere to crash and collect your thoughts.

That’s the important stuff taken care of – now you just have to decide what to pack, and how much space you can leave for souvenirs!

Author: Carla Hawk

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Now you’re ready for your new adventure! You can learn and travel at the same time! How you can do this? Taking a language course abroad! Improve your language having the best experience of your life and discover wonderful places. Take a look trough all the different types of courses, countries and cities offering by Ynsitu!

For Alberto inTips and tricks the 18/03/2021

What to bring in your suitcase for your language course abroad

You’ve been impatient for a long time planning that long-awaited course, but you don’t see the time to pack… and it is that the journey does not start when you arrive at your destination, but when you open it and decide what to take in it. That’s when doubts begin: what should I put in, what’s essential, will I leave myself something?… Because let’s face it, I’m sure on more than one occasion you’ve forgotten something or even regretted carrying unnecessary crap.

Don’t worry about it anymore, because
from Ynsitu
we bring you the solution:

A checklist as an infographic so that you do not miss anything during your stay to study English abroad. In it you can find everything from the essential basics, to a series of “just in case”.

What clothes and accessories to wear, what to put in the need, that you should not forget or what to wear if you go to the mountain or the beach, are some of the questions that we answer to facilitate this heavy task, and it is that some things may seem obvious when preparing the suitcase, but there are some that are not so much.

Are you ready to pack up and set course? Find out now what can’t be missed to enjoy your language course abroad.