Initial Assessment

On commencement of the course the participants are required to sit a short examination in order to ascertain their existing knowledge of English. On the basis of this test they are placed in classes which range from Beginner to Advanced. In the event of an absolute beginner arriving after the commencement of a course, some intensive tuition may be given in order to bring him quickly to the level of the lowest class.

Course Design, Content and Texts

The language programme is based on Direct Method principles with English used entirely as the language of instruction. Course work covers the basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, though at the lower levels particular emphasis is placed on the practice of spoken English and familiarising the students with the basic grammatical structures.

At the more advanced levels the course includes the following areas:

1. The revision and consolidation of structures already known and the introduction of new grammatical concepts.

2. Classes devoted to a notional/functional approach with the aim of providing the formulae and vocabulary for everyday situations.

3. Work designed to improve writing, including practice in the students' individual needs such as note-taking and the preparation of sermons.

4. Practice to improve reading and aural comprehension.

5. Material relating to the participants' vocation.

Each course participant is issued with a main textbook for class use and home-study and in addition to this, the teachers make available a large range of supplementary material for listening and reading comprehension practice.

Teaching Staff

The teachers on the language programme are all trained and experienced in T.E.F.L.(Teaching English as a Foreign Language) in addition to holding university degrees.

In-House Testing and External Examinations

The students are tested at regular intervals during the course in order to monitor progress and to identify any areas of particular weakness. Where such weaknesses exist, extra tuition will be given to enable the student to maintain the level of the class. Students are also prepared for external examinations in English such as those offered by: Cambridge University, Oxford University and the Royal Society of Arts.
Every effort is made to ensure that the student makes maximum use of his/her time in Ireland; this is achieved by the intensive nature of the programmes, the use of self-access materials and the participants' total immersion in an English-speaking environment.