Reccommend an english college in Dublin or see options below.

JIdontknow

Hi all, I am wondering can you help me. I know someone who is hoping to spend a few months here advancing her english (Fluent Spanish and very very good english, just to expand it further).
Two options are ISI, Meetinghouse Lane, Marys Abbey, Dublin 1 http://www.studyinireland.ie/site/about-isi-2/facilities/ and the other is DELFIN http://www.delfinschool.com/dublin/ Lower Dominick Street Dublin 1.

Has anyone experience of either of these places or know anything about them?
Can anyone reccommend other alternatives?
Is there much involved in studying here from abroad (South America), visa, pps number, bank account etc (They plan to work part time while studying English here)?
Are there many jobs available, cafe or restaurant work washing dishes, hotel house keeping, work that does not require much previous experience?

Please be as honest (Good and bad) as you can, I would hate to set this person the wrong way with false information as another option for them is to study in Australia for a few months instead. It is alot of money and I want them to get value for money and set them along the corect path.

Thanks in advance, and I appreciate anybodies input or contribution.

holystungun9

International house is another option. Google them to find them. I can't vouch for them specifically but they are essentially an international franchise and should be inspected often so should have a reputation.

Most South Americans would prefer American English whereas most Europeans want British English. It would be good to know her actual level as in B2, C1,C2 or whatever. Unless she has specific exams or language goals for potential work or study situations she could just waste her money wherever she goes.

In her home country she could call in to three different schools if possible to do level tests ( this is a sneaky way to do it as she will have no interest in studying in any of them but they won't have to know this). On getting the results should then make some excuses about not being able to attend. Realising what level she really is should be her first step in making decisions.

Maybe her level IS very high but she just wants to talk to people regularly about regular stuff and not be written essays, formal letters and doing other more academic stuff.

JIdontknow

Thanks for your reply. I am not sure of actual level, but I would consider her english excellent, I can vouch for this and can say it is really very very good. I would think that she wants to more talk regularly and conversational english (Perhaps some written too), but opposed to writing formal letters, essays (Almost like we experience in secondary school, writing letters essays etc, she covers this in her classes in South America,) I would like the course to be enjoyable and instead focus on more everyday english , usage, and conversational english, and advance her english understanding. I will confirm what she hopes to get from this course etc.

Thanks for your reply and I hope you and others reply too so I can get as much input from everyone as I can, as it is a big commitment and expense and I would like them to get the best they can.

the_syco

Is she good looking? If she is, she should be able to get a job in a pub. From working with a few chinese lads in a local pub, they went from "very little english" to the ability to hold conversation in about 6 to 9 months whilst working in the pub, as they were always around english speaking Irish people.

As mentioned by holystungun9, her future plans would dictate if she should learn here or not, to ensure she picks up on the slag used by the locals of her chosen country.

JIdontknow

Her plans at the moment are to study English here for a few months and work part time to partly fund this, Almost similiar to gap year (Only its for maybe 5-6 months instead) after school and before college, she will finish what we consider secondary school around June, (She's 19) and is hoping to study english before college. Basically a few months here further enhancing her english and a bit of a break, like people take some time off after school or a J1 in the summer, similiar scenario to that in that to get away from home for a few months and it being beneficial with further studying english.