Hi guys! This month has flown by. We, along with so many other language schools in Ireland, are so pleased to have been able to welcome new students to study English in Ireland. Our new students have arrived from Brazil, Chile and Bolivia, and are the first international students that we have been able to welcome since March 2020, giving us a sure sign that things are reaching a ‘new normal’.

This month, our focus  in class was on health and well-being. We had a virtual visit from the lovely Sinead McGuire, who is a holistic therapist based in Lanzarote. We were all extremely envious of her beautiful surroundings and ageless glow! These visits always provide us with plenty of food for thought and help direct us towards one of my favourite parts of the new curriculum- monthly presentations by students! I love this because when they start researching topics, they become creative and develop an interest in the topic they choose, to the extent that this enthusiasm can be seen when they present. This month,  topics included Chinese Medicine, the Irish Food Revolution, Dance Therapy, and Aromatherapy! We also devoted one day per week to exam preparation skills, as our students will take the IELTS exam here in Ireland at the end of their English language course.

This week is Halloween week in Ireland so a lot of public schools are closed and there is a variety of themed activities. We are getting into the spirit here at DELS with Halloween games and a trip to a Halloween festival!

Website of the month for October? Well.. the one I’ve been using most this month is www.test-english.com. Everything is divided by level and you can choose to work on grammar, reading, listening, writing or Use of English.  I particularly like how it gives explanations along with corrections, so students who decide to use it for independent study can know exactly why something is right or wrong.

Let me know what you think!

Eleanor