The Dublin School of English is different…

Our philosophy is that learning doesn’t finish when class ends, after class is when it really starts growing; when you get a chance to practise what you’ve learned, have some fun and experience Irish culture all at the same time.

At the Dublin School of English we give you more…

As a student at The Dublin School of English, you don’t just get professional, friendly service, an accessible central local and some of the finest teachers in the country, you get so much more.  We organise a whole host of social/cultural activities, so that you’ll get to see more of Dublin and Ireland and learn about its history and culture, plus you’ll have the chance to mix with Irish people together with other students from all over the world!

Why we are different…

No other school invests as much time, money and as many resources in after-class social and cultural programmes.  We have a specialised department to co-ordinate your after-class programme, headed up by a full-time Programme Manager, which organises a wide range of tourist and recreational visits round Dublin, social activities in the evening and full-day excursions to places all over Ireland and Northern Ireland on Saturdays.

As a DSE student, you’re given two afternoon visits per week, films, quizzes and karaoke sessions on Fridays free of charge and a full-day Saturday excursion at an optional supplement.

We are here to inform, help and co-ordinate…

Students are introduced to the programme during their welcome talk when they arrive in the DSE.  If students are with a short-term visiting group, their leaders will have chosen a separate programme from our extensive list of over 60 destinations and activities a month before their arrival.

Summer programme during July and August

The summer school is a really fun place, where teenagers from all over the world get a chance to learn, interact and have fun together in English.

There is a set programme for the summer school.  The set programme goes like this: Every week, two days (for example Monday and Wednesday) are ‘Sports, Arts and Leisure Activities Days’. These offer a wide and varied range of interests to suit everyone; from soccer leagues on our all-weather or grass pitches, to tennis on Astroturf courts, to baseball and assault-courses and treasure hunts outside on St Andrews’ enormous campus overlooking Dublin Bay.

In the gymnasium there will be basketball, badminton, volleyball and dodgeball competitions.

In the cafeteria there are board games and cards games and in the students’ hall there are table tennis competitions.

There are drama workshops, ‘school of rock’ workshops and ‘jam’ sessions (music improvisation rehearsals), Irish dance classes, ballet dance classes going on all over the huge school, and a cinema in the main hall.

There are also arts and crafts rooms manned by a specialist teacher where students make T-shirts, paint and make masks.  There are also quizzes and swimming.

On the other days juniors and seniors have distinctly different tours to places of interest round Dublin.  They will be given 3-4 professionally guided activities or visits in Dublin per week. Saturdays are given over excursions to famous destinations round Ireland.

All these activities are overseen by Jack Quinn, our programme manager, our trained programme staff and teachers.  Activities have prizes and medals given out at the end of the day in assembly. Students sign up for as many activities as they like in the morning.  The other three days are afternoon trips to various destinations around Dublin.  There are also some evening activities: Irish music evenings or singalongs or discos.  Saturdays are given over to full-day excursions to destinations around Ireland.