People from certain countries need a visa to travel to Ireland. If you are from the EU/EEA you do not require a visa. Students from certain countries such as Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan do not need a visa to enter Ireland but are required to register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau in Dublin if they plan on staying in Ireland for more than 90 days.
Students from visa-requiring countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Colombia and China should contact the relevant embassy for more information, or check the website www.inis.gov.ie
For your classes, bring pen, paper and a bilingual dictionary. You can buy your textbook on your first day of school at a cost of €45, depending on your level and the duration of your stay with us. You should also bring a laptop or table to access digital materials.
Face coverings are required in school and we recommend you carry some hand sanitiser.
We also recommend you bring a water bottle.
Carry details of your insurance with you. Make sure to be covered by some form of medical insurance (we can provide medical insurance at a cost of €120 for a period of up to one year, contact us for more information).
Ireland has a variable but temperate climate and weather extremes are rare. You should bring some rain gear or warm clothes with you.
If you have booked a transfer for your arrival, an Emerald driver will pick you up in the arrivals hall of Dublin airport, he/she will be holding a sign with your name on it. Our driver will take you to the accommodation that you have booked with us.
It is possible to book airport transfers at a cost of €85 each way.
If you have not booked a transfer, we recommend that you take a taxi directly to your accommodation or the AIRCOACH bus from outside the arrivals hall to the city centre (www.aircoach.ie).
An Emerald driver will pick you up in the arrivals hall of the airport; he/she will be holding a sign with your name on it. When you come out into the arrivals with your luggage, please look around to see the driver holding your name. You will be taken to your accommodation.
Lessons are delivered online using a combination of different approaches including Zoom (with its different features allowing for full class interaction with teacher, whiteboards, breakout rooms for interaction between pairs and smaller groups).
Your teacher will cover the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing and will monitor your learning during class and answer your questions just like in a real classroom. Your teacher can arrange to speak to students individually using Zoom or can communicate using email or WhatsApp.
Your teacher will send you all the necessary information, with a code for the meeting and a password.
Your teacher will manage the online lessons and will also assign homework. This could be reading or grammar revision or a writing assignment. To make the most of your online lessons you should do whatever work your teacher assigns you for homework so that you come to class prepared. Self-study is an important part of any English programme.
You can also avail of additional guided learning with free access to our custom-built Emerald Learn platform, where extra support and learning resources are available.
Finally, don’t be afraid to engage in extra study, discussions or idea sharing with your classmates from around the world.
Face-to-face teacher time daily plus material provided by the teacher. It is possible to purchase e-textbooks at an additional cost.
If you have issues for example with your level or technical difficulties, speak first to your teacher. You can also email eithne@eci.ie for academic advice. Tell us if you have technical issues and we will also try to help you. Our support team are also available to help, chat to us on our website, Facebook or email administration@eci.ie
Classes begin every Monday. You should contact us the previous week to arrange a level test, so we know which class to place you in.
You will be sent a link for a simple online test and this will be followed by a quick speaking test with one of our team on Skype or Zoom.
Payment should be by Thursday of the previous week, in order for you to receive your login credentials to join the lessons.
Yes, just let us know by Wednesday if you want to book another week of course, so we can process your booking and you can arrange payment.
You will receive an e-certificate by email at the end of your programme. Alternatively, a hard copy is available for a small fee.
Yes, these can be booked alone or upgrade your programme to add them to your group schedule. Contact us for prices.