- Anna, please tell us about the creation of your educational agency.
- Interest in education abroad is growing - this is understandable and explainable. In the entire civilized world, people go abroad to study a foreign language. Currently, many Ukrainian students are receiving education abroad, including in Ireland.
On the Internet, you can find a huge amount of advertising for various educational institutions. But how to make the right choice? How to evaluate the quality of teaching and the offered program? How to organize the visa application process? Reliable information can only be obtained from someone who has personally visited Irish educational institutions and talked to teachers and students.
Our agency was registered in 2007, after three years of work as part of the Ukrainian-Irish Business Association, with the aim of providing professional assistance to those wishing to study in Ireland. We represent only one country - Ireland - and set ourselves the task of becoming a bridge between Ukraine and Ireland in all areas.
- How can the popularity of Ireland among Ukrainian students be explained?
- Indeed, Ukrainians' interest in Ireland is growing every year. Why are more and more of our compatriots choosing the Emerald Isle? Having lived in Ireland for over three years, I will present my point of view.
Ireland is a small, extraordinarily 'homely' and tidy country. Its maximum length from north to south is 486 km, width - 275 km. English has been used in Ireland since the Middle Ages, with the greatest flowering of literature in the 18th century. Educational and cultural traditions, along with the unique style of English, are reflected in the works of Jonathan Swift, Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde.
In the field of education, Ireland seriously competes with Great Britain. Its quality is confirmed by top positions in rankings. I can name many advantages of Irish education. These are state support and funding, high requirements for teachers, excellent school equipment, variety of programs, school atmosphere, and finally, its traditions. Many schools are family-run, and during studies, the student is in a friendly atmosphere, which greatly helps in learning. The variety of programs is admirable – for example, English plus horseback riding, surfing, Irish dancing, painting, and much more. And all this splendor is located in different places: on a farm, in a medieval castle, by the sea, in the city.
- Why does language learning abroad give such good results?
- Since the borders opened for our citizens, it turned out that people who studied a foreign language at school and then at university (and had good grades!) do not understand live speech. Yes, a graduate of a language-focused school can translate a text, sometimes recite a memorized topic for life, many know grammar perfectly. But they cannot speak and understand a foreigner. Instead of the term 'I read and translate with a dictionary', a new one has appeared – 'spoken language' – the ability to understand a native speaker. Now learning a language is fashionable, many language schools have opened with various methods (including allegedly formerly secret methods for training intelligence officers). But the situation has not improved much.
Meanwhile, 'the wheel has long been invented' – all over the world, people go abroad to gain knowledge of a foreign language. Being in a foreign country, a person is forced to communicate. They have to speak themselves and understand other people, adults, elderly, children. This is fundamentally different even from special courses taught by native speakers in our country. After all, after two or three hours of such classes, when they go outside, they still switch to their native language!
- What are the prospects for those planning to study abroad?
- The answer to this question is simple: study to build a career and discover the world. True professionals are always welcome in international companies in any country. And Ukraine's rapidly developing economy requires specialists with a European diploma recognized worldwide.
- You visited Ireland, what interesting meetings did you have there?
- The purpose of my trip to Ireland was to familiarize myself with educational institutions, their directors, and staff. The Irish government understands the potential of relations with Ukraine. I spoke with MP and Chair of the Irish-Ukrainian Parliamentary Association Charlie O'Connor. During visits to our country, he met with the President of Ukraine and is very interested in developing educational contacts between our countries. This will allow Ukrainian students to receive a European education and give Irish teachers the opportunity to work in Ukrainian schools. Many Irish people would like to study Ukrainian and Russian in Ukraine. Invaluable help was provided to me by Brendan Murphy, Chairman of the Ukrainian-Irish Business Association, which works together with the Embassy of Ukraine in Dublin. He has been to our country many times, supports and inspires the work of the Ukrainian-Irish educational agency, and regularly holds briefings for Irish businessmen at the Embassy of Ukraine. Besides these 'protocol meetings', I met many people, and these meetings left unforgettable impressions.
Studying abroad is a serious step towards success. And I am sure that coming to Ireland will be the happiest decision in your life. Come to our office, and we will be happy to help you.
Interviewed by Yuri VOLKOV.
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