While thinking about interesting topics for the blog, I think that telling you about the experience of Bea, a Spanish girl who is in 6th class in primary school, will be very useful for parents who want their children to take a language immersion program away from home.
Beatriz’s parents spoke to me from the beginning about the possibility of their 11-year-old daughter completing 6th class in Ireland and they were hesitating between stayingin a boarding school or in a host family.
In the previous blog, I told you about how important the maturity of children is toattend a school year in Ireland. Knowing Beatriz, I was able to confirm that between heracceptable level of English and her independent nature, she would be more thancapable of coming to Ireland and integrating into an Irish family in which she wouldlearn much more than a boarding school.
Beatriz’s host family lives in a small town near Cork and includes her parents and twogirls, ages 9 and 6. The parents work so that they can take turns looking after the girlsafter school is over, and the host mum is especially creative. When classes werecanceled due to Covid 19, the mother organised cooking and yoga sessions, she alsoorganised an “art gallery” in the hallway of her house with the drawings of the threeartists. On the other hand, the girls have formed a bond that is sure to last for years.
At school, her teacher has not stopped praising her, not only for the level of Englishthat she is learning naturally, but also because she has become one of the best studentsin the class. Beatriz’s attitude towards learning has been amazing, her Irish accent isflawless and the confidence with which she expresses herself in English are the bestrewards that her parents and I could have had when it came to evaluating thisimmersion program for children.
At Ireland-Experience we are focused on Irish host families for children from the age of10, with whom they feel welcomed and cared for, enjoying a natural integration into theEnglish language, family, and culture. Finally, I have to reveal to you that, after theaccumulated experience in these years with students of all ages, the best age tocomplete a school year in Ireland is between 10 and 14 years old, just before theirteenage years begins. Without a doubt, I can confirm that learning is faster, natural andthey enjoy the day to day to the fullest.
