Vasiliy Gorbachev - Language Center
"As a winner of Ireland Scholarship 2015, I chose University of Galway English Language Centre from more than 20 other English schools across Ireland. And now, after spending unforgettable four weeks in the West of Ireland, I have no regrets about the choice.
To begin with, Galway is a scenic city; it combines pastoral rural beauty with state-of-the art facilities. The former is an ideal setting for a metropolitan dweller’s soothing break, while the latter is part and parcel of the cutting-edge educational programmes run by University of Galway. Being quite moderate in scale, the city can boast a vibrant agenda as a cultural capital of Ireland. Moreover, as far as I know, Galway has just entered a bid for the European Capital of Culture 2020. Having stayed there for a month, I can’t remember being bored or restricted in my options for the night. Local coach tours, dance parties, greyhound races, theatrical productions, sport competitions, pubs with live Irish music – all these events are critical to both your cultural experience and language acquisition.
Another valuable asset of the English Language Centre is the staff. In my case, the admins and teachers did their best to make the course fruitful and enjoyable. My special thanks go here to Olivia McBride, whose administrative contribution was invaluable, and Padraig Murray, whose teaching impact and personal charm were just massive! As a unit, the English Language Centre is on the main campus of University of Galway, so its students have the opportunity to use the university’s facilities like the library, brand new sports centre, numerous eateries, etc. For me, living on the campus and mixing with language students from different cultures was the kind of fun I’d been after.
All in all, Galway on the whole and the University of Galway English Language Centre in particular are great options for both your language studies and holiday pastime."