Dublin, one of the cultural capitals of Europe, is home of some of the most enduring writers of the English language. It can boast 4 nobel literature prizes (William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney), who only represent a tiny fraction of the great writers Ireland has produced. It is then worth to explore the literary … Read More
6 more ways to boost your language learning outside the classroom
Do you ever realise that you have the access to a magic portal to the whole vastity of human knowledge at your will? And you are likely to carry this wizardry in your pocket at all times. What am I talking about? The Internet, of course! What a time to be alive. Do you also realise that there’s much more … Read More
General English, the most popular course. Here’s why.
General English – The most popular course and what most courses are based on. During your first day at Alpha College, you will take an assessment test so that you are put in the appropriate class for your level. However, some people learn faster than others: for this reason, at Alpha we make sure, through regular interviews and assessment tests, … Read More
Lets get straight to the (7) point(s) – Why come to Alpha to learn English?
We have already talked about how there are many ways out there to practise your English outside the classroom, especially with all the new technologies available. However I can’t stress enough that, in order to learn a language properly, you do need to take some real classes with real teachers. Now that I’ve made this clear, you have to choose the … Read More
6 ways to boost your language learning outside the classroom
Even in today’s technologically advanced (and dependant) society, it is fundamental to participate in some language classes with real teachers that will help you improve all four of your language skills (writing, listening, speaking and reading) and help you reach your personal learning goals more quickly. In particular, in class you get the chance to practice your conversation skills in … Read More
6 reasons you should study English in alpha college besides learning English
There might be many reasons why you decide to go abroad to learn English. First of all, it is surely more effective than taking an English course in a non-English speaking country, since you will be forced to use English for everyday tasks like buying some groceries. But, probably more importantly, studying English abroad concerns much more than “just” learning … Read More
Gallery of Photography and Hot Press Cover exhibition
One of the features that make Dublin one of the most interesting cities in Europe is its cultural vitality. If you are a culture buff, or even if you’re just a curious person, this city has an incredible lot to offer. You can enjoy some of the beautiful works of art humanity has realised or you can learn the science … Read More
9 amazing places in Dublin tourist guides won’t tell you about
We have already talked about how learning English is not only a matter of studying grammar. A language is, in fact, a representation the culture and the history of a country. In Dublin, you can find many hidden treasures, the legacy of a city unknown to tourists, that make it a veritable open-air museum. You just need to know where to look! … Read More
Bloomsday festival in Dublin!
James Joyce is one of the most famous sons of Dublin, and Dubliners sure are extremely proud of having such an eminent figure among their compatriots. They are so proud of it that each year on june 16th, officially since 1954, the city celebrates Bloomsday, the day depicted in Joyce’s Ulysses. Wait a second, maybe I am going to fast here. … Read More
Student Project: Countdown travelling films
We already mentioned how Alpha College’s General English courses are task-based. Each Friday our students present a class project they prepared with their classmates. This project allows them to put into practice everything they learnt during the week, and to focus especially on their production skills (that is, writing and speaking). One of our students from a B1 class, Luiz Antonio, … Read More
Hugh Lane Gallery
Other than music and sports, Ireland has also a strong visual art tradition. For this reason, one of the guided tours we offer to our students is to one of the most important art galleries in Dublin, as well as the first known public gallery of modern art in the world. Coincidentally, this gallery is located at a few minute … Read More
Visit at the whiskey museum
There aren’t many things that scream “Ireland” more than whiskey. Whiskey is, in fact, not only a delicious liquor, but is also strictly connected with Irish history. Just think that the word whiskey is so old that it comes from the old Irish language, gaelic, Uisce beatha, “the water of life”, which was then mispronounced into whiskey by the Vikings … Read More
Hill of Tara and Trim Castle
One of the ways to fully get a grasp of a foreign culture is to learn about its past. If you’re staying in Dublin, you are lucky: at less than one hour drive from the capital, there are two of the most representative places in Irish history, both for their symbolic and cultural value: the Hill of Tara and Trim … Read More
Traditional Irish Music
It is incredible how, despite its dimension, Ireland managed to preserve such a strong tradition and impose its culture on the rest of the world, considering it has a small population of 4 million people. One of the most recognisable features of Irish culture is surely its traditional music. Even to those who don’t know anything about Ireland, a beat … Read More
Strollin’ in Dublin – episode 2
The wait is over! The new episode of Strollin’ in Dublin is finally out! This time we walked to the area known as Silicon docks, the most modern area in Dublin, which houses many of the European Headquarters of some important high-tech companies such as Google and Facebook. However, as you can see, many things caught our attention as we … Read More
Brazilian Memes by the Advanced Class
[View the story “Brazil: The Meme Country” on Storify]
Six whys of the Irish culture
I find Irish culture to be extremely fascinating. Probably it’s because, being Ireland an insular Country, it managed to preserve many of its peculiarities, probably it’s just because I’m foreign and everything seems weird to me. Whatever the case, I often find myself, with a mixed feeling of curiosity and confusion, wondering “But why?”. I thought it would be interesting … Read More
Croke Park
To be honest, I’m not too much of a sport person, so I didn’t know what to expect from the visit at the Croke park. But actually, there is much more than sports to this massive stadium. Trust me, this place is really worth a visit. From an architectural point of view, it is the third largest stadium in Europe … Read More
9 things you must know to get around in Dublin
As I have already mentioned in a previous post before, I’m terrible with public transport. It takes me forever to understand a new transport system, so I usually give up and walk everywhere instead. But we don’t want you to suffer the same fate and find yourself running a daily marathon, so I studied hard and prepared a handy guide … Read More
Strollin’ in Dublin
Why should you study English in Dublin? Because it’s AWESOME, that’s why. In case you don’t find anything interesting on Netflix or if you need to fill the void while you wait for the next season of Games of Thrones, you might be interested to know that me and Simon are launching the first episode of Stollin’ in Dublin, a … Read More