New Flights from Paris to Shannon International Airport!

Good news for the Limerick & Shannon Region; Aer Lingus is to begin a new service of flights from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to Shannon Airport, commencing on 17th December, 2010. The new flights will run 3 times per week. This new route is a significant boost for tourism in the West of Ireland. Paris is one of the world's busiest airports. A large population live in Paris and the surrounding region. This new direct service will greatly facilitate the many students from France who come to Ireland to learn English and attend English courses in Ireland.

LTI offer intensive, one-to-one, homestay and farmstay English courses in the Limerick and Shannon Region. They have a large network of host families who are delighted to welcome French students who want to learn English in Ireland. The Limerick & Shannon Region is also a great place to enjoy Ireland as there are many attractions; King John's Castle, spectacular Cliffs of Moher, beaches of the atlantic coastline, the Burren Region landscape, Bunratty Castle & Folk Park and charming towns and villages like Adare and Killaloe.

La compagnie aérienne irlandaise Aer Lingus va opérer un vol, Paris Charles de Gaulle - Shannon trois fois par semaine à partir du 17 décembre prochain.  Entre ses centres urbains pleins de vie et ses impressionnants paysages d’une belle campagne intacte, ses plages immaculées et sa côte magnifique, la région de Limerick et Shannon est une formidable destination où venir étudier l’anglais. 

LTI offre des séjours linguistiques en Irlande chez votre professeur dans la région de Limerick et Shannon.  L’Irlande a été nommé comme étant le pays le plus accueillant au monde par le guide de voyage Lonely Planet. Vous avez donc la garantie d’un accueil chaleureux de votre famille Irlandaise ainsi qu’un environnement familial accueillant pour pratiquer votre anglais.  LTI propose également des séjours linguistiques à la ferme en Irlande.   Un séjour linguistique à la ferme en Irlande donne l’occasion unique d’être totalement plongé dans la langue et de participer aux activités de la ferme.

My Farmstay Experience in Ireland!: Nicole, Italy, 31 years old

My name is Nicole and I am from Italy.  I had the opportunity to take part twice in a farmstay programmme in Ireland.  I loved the farmstay so much that I went back a second time to the same farm!

The first time was in winter (cold winter – it was in December, for New Year’s Eve) and the second time it was in June.  In December I really wanted to experience something new and different and I definitely succeeded! The Farmstay in Ireland was a completely new experience, out of the everyday world, out of the city traffic and daily stress. I worked with horses on a family farm in the beautiful countryside of County Tipperary.  I had to clean the stables every morning and to do some other small works at home. I would definitely suggest this kind of farmstay for all those that, like me, want to escape for a while from the frenetic city life, work, stressful situations and find themselves in contact with nature, silence, animals. 

Moreover, I had the possibility to speak English a lot, because I was alone with my host family and ever time that I didn’t know how to express a concept, I asked and they answered to me. It was an intensive English course, just not in a class, but in a farm with a real family.  It really is a great way to learn English.

The second time I came back to the same family to improve my English and I decided to take some horse riding lessons from a personal teacher, too. 1 week of English speaking and horse riding. Although my horse (which you can see in the picture) was very “stubborn” (a new term that I learned), it was really funny. The weather was also wonderful, fresh and sunny. That is why I would surely suggest this time of the year to spend some time in Ireland because of the milder weather. Moreover I had the opportunity to visit some of the local markets where typical farm products were sold. I got in contact with some local people and I can assure you that they are very, very friendly. Calmer and relaxed in some way. I also met some Italian people who decided to live in Ireland to play music and I think that this is the ideal country to express musical passion.  I visited Ennis, Cahir and Limerick. 

My host family was the best that you can ever find. They always found some time to spend with me and talk with me, they explained to me how to work in a farm (they taught me how to cut grass…which was quite funny!) and also gave to me a lot of information about the Irish culture and politics.

From Language Travel Ireland I always received all the information to my enquiries and prompt answers to all my questions. I found this agency on the Internet and now I can say that I am really satisfied with them and this experience. I would recommend Language Travel Ireland for all the people who want to visit and do an English course in Ireland, because they can give you detailed information about the country, as they are Irish, they know all about Ireland.

I would surely go back to Ireland to learn more English and to see again these wonderful places and nice people.

Nicole (Trieste, Italy)

Corsi speciali; corsi intensivi di inglese, corsi di inglese in fattoria, corso di inglese commerciale, corso di inglese con due studenti, corso di inglese & sport o cultura.

LTI Launch Website in Italian - Vacanza studio in Irlanda!

LTI have recently launched their website in full Italian version. Full information on all our English courses in Ireland can be viewed in the Italian version of the new website. In recent years, an increasing number of our students coming to Ireland to study English are from Italy.  LTI felt it was about time that the website was available in Italian. Ireland is a very popular destination for Italian students who come to Ireland to learn English and experience Irish life and culture. The English & Farmstay programme in particular is proving very popular with Italian students. Both Irish and Italian people share a love of tradition, culture, good food and beautiful countryside.

We look forward to welcoming many more Italian students on our English courses in Ireland in the coming years! We invite you to look at the new website and please contact us with any comments about the website or stories if you have already been to Ireland to learn English.

IMPARATE L’INGLESE VIVENDOLO!

Vacanza studio in Irlanda

Vivendo e studiando a casa del vostro insegnante non dovrete recarvi a scuola ogni giorno. Vi verrà offerta un’opportunità unica di apprendere la lingua Inglese. Le conversazioni durante i pasti o le gite, i programmi televisivi ed i contatti sociali saranno tutti in lingua Inglese. Il vostro insegnante si occuperà solo di voi, esaminando i vostri problemi, perché sarete l'unico studente (a meno che non preferiate la nostra formula "due per corso"). Non potrete parlare la vostra lingua, perché non avrete occasione di incontrare persone che la parlano.

Vacanza studio in fattoria in Irlanda

Sperimentate la vita di una vera fattoria Irlandese prendendo parte alle attività quotidiane e divertendovi a cucinare piatti casalinghi. Vivete all’aria aperta, circondati dalla vista spettacolare dell’entroterra e della campagna Irlandese! Le attività tipiche di una fattoria sono molto varie: dar da mangiare agli animali, fare giardinaggio, raccogliere la frutta e le uova fresche di giornata, mungere le mucche o le capre, raccogliere il fieno... e tanto altro ancora!

Corsi speciali; corsi intensivi di inglese, corsi di inglese in fattoria, corso di inglese commerciale, corso di inglese con due studenti, corso di inglese & sport o cultura.

St. Patrick's Day Festival 2010: Enjoyed by All!

The St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the majestic city of Limerick were launched in style by the National Lottery Skyfest which light up the skies with an amazing fireworks display. King John’s Castle provided a stunning backdrop to this year’s breathtaking fireworks display where dazzling colours and explosive effects were unleashed over one of Ireland’s most well-known and cherished treasures, the River Shannon. And all this choreographed to an amazing soundtrack.

St. Patrick is the national saint of Ireland and S. Patrick’s Day is one of the most important public holidays in Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the 17th March and on this day the people in Ireland and Irish people all over the world celebrate. Indeed, this has become a world festival with parades taking place from the USA to Australia!  Even the world famous Sydney Opera house went green!

This year, Limerick city was in celebration with a full programme of activities for the festival weekend. Festival activities included live bands, fire jugglers, face painters and much more. The main event, of course, was the St. Patrick’s Day parade which was one of the largest in Ireland. A great time was had by all including thousands of students, visitors and tourists who came to Limerick and Ireland for the celebrations!

English and Farmstay Programme in Ireland - A Great Success in 2009

Our English & Farmstay Programme in Ireland  proved to be one of our most popular programmes during 2009.  We are expecting a very busy year in 2010.   The feedback from students was very positivie.  They really enjoyed staying on a real Irish farm and getting involved in the farm activities.  The English & Farmstay programme gives a great opportunity for an authentic experience of Irish life and culture as you stay with a real family on a real farm and get involved in the day to day life of the family and the farm.  It is also an opportunity to enjoy the fresh air, home cooking and beautiful countryside of Ireland. 

Like all of our English Courses in Ireland, the most important part of our English & Farmstay programme is that it allows the student to learn English by receiving a full immersion in the English language.  Students speak English all the time as there are no other foreign students on the farm at the same time.  Our students have found that getting involved in the farm activities makes it easier to build confidence in speaking English. 

Our English & Farmstay holidays in Ireland are different as they allow the student the opportunity to get involved in life on the farm and the farm activities.  A lot of other so-called farmstay holidays are B&B or guest houses that happen to be on a farm.  You are separated from the family and you eat your meals alone.  You never receive the opportunity to get involved in the farm activities. 

Our students have told us that they love our Farmstay Programmes as they offer the opportunity to get involved in farm life and family life.  You are treated as a member of the host family from the moment you arrive.  You eat all your meals with the family.  Most importantly, your English improves very quickly.  We expect that demand will be very high for our English & Farmstay Programmes this year.  Anyone interested in booking should contact us as early as possible to avoid dissapointment.

If you have stayed on one of our farm stays in Ireland, we would be delighted to hear from you and to receive your comments or photos.

Un séjour linguistique à la ferme en Irlande vous donne l’occasion unique d’être totalement plongé dans la langue en vivant avec votre propre professeur particulier et sa famille dans leur ferme en Irlande. Les étudiants bénéficient des cours d’anglais particuliers de leur professeur, de l’hébergement en pension complète et participent aux activités de la ferme.  Nos séjours linguistiques à la ferme en Irlande sont vraiment différents de toute autre expérience d’apprentissage de l’anglais.

Christmas Time in Ireland!

Christmas will be here soon and Santa will be arriving to deliver presents for all the good boys and girls. Like other countries around the world, Christmas in Ireland is celebrated with great joy and enthusiam. In Ireland, there are some unique traditions around celebrating Christmas. Read on to see how families in Ireland celebrate Christmas.

Candle in the Window

The tradition of placing a lighted candle in the window of a family house on Christmas eve is still very popular in Ireland. It is said that the candle is a sign of welcome for Mary and Joseph who on the first Christmas eve were looking for somewhere to stay. According to the tradition, the candle is light by the youngest member of the family and should be extinguished by a girl with with the name "Mary". The name Mary was very popular in Ireland in the old days.

Decorations

Decorating your house both inside and outside is very popular in Ireland. The holly bush grows wild. It is a tradition to decorate the family home with holly during Christmas. A holly wreath is often placed on the front door of the house. This is a tradition that has been passed down through the years. In modern times in Ireland, a lot of families now use electric Christmas lights on the outsides of their homes. All decorations are traditionally taken down during Little Christmas (January 6th). It is considered bad luck to take them down any earlier than this. Christmas decorations are then put away and stored until the next Christmas!

Santa Claus

In Ireland, Santa Claus or "Santie" arrives late on Christmas Eve after all the children have gone to bed. He leaves presents under the tree and fills the Christmas stockings. The tradition is to leave something for Santa to help him on his long journey. So maybe Santa will be left a mince pie and a glass of milk or Guinness! And of course, a carrot for Rudolph the Reindeer.

The traditional Gaelic Greeting at Christmas

The traditional Irish or 'Gaelic' for 'Happy Christmas' is 'Nollaig Shona Dhuit!', pronounced 'null-ig hun-a-dit'.

A Time for Family

Christmas is a very important time in Ireland for the family. Older children who have moved away from home always try to return home for the Christmas celebrations. It is one of the few days during the year when all the family can be together and spend time together. All shops and pubs are closed on Christmas day in Ireland. On Christmas morning, there is great excitement when the family members exchange gifts and the children open their presents from Santa. Most families normally attend Christmas services at church and then the family spends the day and night together. A great feast is had for Christmas dinner which usually includes a turkey, ham, Christmas cake and maybe some wine or guinness.

We would be very interested to hear about Christmas traditions in other countries. If you are reading this and from another country, please write to us and tell us all about your Christmas. We would be delighted to hear about it. Or if you are in Ireland to learn English during the Christmas period, please tell us all about your experience.

Happy Christmas and a happy new year to everyone!

Hope Santa Comes!

Ireland: The World's Friendliest Country

Ireland topped a list of the World's Friendliest Countries in a survey drawn up by the Lonely Planet travel guide group in 2008. The Lonely Planet Bluelist books are annual collections of the top trends, destinations and experiences around the world. In the 2008 survey, Ireland comes in above Fiji, Indonesia and Malawi as the friendliest travel destination.

People were said to have 'a deliciously dark sense of humour'. The Emerald Isle has 'a welcoming attitude towards strangers' and the Irish can find craic in boom or bust eras, Lonely Planet said.

Visitors are always 'in for a treat' and with 'The Troubles' ended, 'a cautious optimism reigns supreme, infecting the land once again with the sense that anything's possible'.

"Friendly Ireland tops Lonely Planet list" to read the full article go to RTE.ie

Over 130,000 students come to Ireland each year to learn English. The warm welcome of the people of the of Ireland makes it easy to learn English and to build confidence in speaking English. You will be treated as a member of the family from the moment you arrive. Students are guaranteed to have lots of opportunities to speak English with the friendly Irish people. An English course in Ireland takes place not only with your English teacher and host family but every where you go and with everyone you meet!

L’Irlande est une destination de plus en plus populaire parmi les étudiants d’anglais venant du monde entier. Chaque année, plus de 130 000 étudiants viennent en Irlande pour apprendre l’anglais. Parmi les destinations touristiques les plus populaires, l’Irlande a été nommée Pays le plus Accueillant au Monde par le guide de voyage Lonely Planet. Celui-ci explique que les visiteurs ne pourront qu’apprécier leur voyage, les Irlandais ayant le sens de l’humour, une nature accueillante et la capacité de s’amuser en toute circonstance.

Please send us your comments and let us know if you think Ireland is the "World's Friendliest Country".