Fly with your English

Testimonials

ARNAU

TY student

I am a 4th year student in Spain but at the moment I am studying in Naas. I have been here for the last 3 months and since I arrived I got on well with everyone, as Irish people are really kind and it is quite easy to speak with them.

I go to school every day except for Wednesdays, because I do my work placement. In the morning, I get up at quarter past seven and I have my breakfast: cereals with milk and a toast; after that, I take my bike and I go to school from 9 in the morning till 4 o’clock in the afternoon. After school I usually go home by bike, but somedays I go to the town with some friends. The school is quite fun, as Transition Year is a school year considered light and we do more activities and practical things than classical subjects.

My work experience is at an elderly people residence near the church town where I take care of the garden and I do what they need me to do, for example, one day I had to paint a fence, another day, I had to pick up the leaves from the path… It is a very nice and quiet place, where some people go to relax and disconnect.

Tuesdays at 18.30 and Wednesdays at 20.00 I have my soccer training. I play in a local team in Naas, with more TY and Year 5 students from Naas and surroundings. We are in the U17 league and we play matches almost every Saturday. Now, we are the second ones in the table, but I can assure that we will be on the top of it by next week, as the team has really good players.

What surprised me the most when I arrived here, it was the amount of sport people does, for example, in my host family, two of the sons played in the Naas hurling senior team, which means they play in 1st division. As I have seen, hurling and Gaelic football are far more important in Ireland than soccer or basketball, the opposite of Spain, as local Irish fans of these sports go to every match to support their teams and more in the county finals, which are currently taking place.

I am really enjoying my time in Naas and I can say I don’t regret having come here, as it is a wonderful place to stay.

RITA SHERIDAN

Host

My name is Rita, and my family and I, have been hosting students from Barcelona with FLY WITH YOUR ENGLISH (FWYE) for the past 6 years.

During all of those years, we have made lifelong friends with all of the young adults who have been part of our home and family, and their parents and siblings. It has been, and still continues to be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling, with days filled with fun and laughter.

When I started hosting students in 2016, my own children were in their teenage years, now in 2021, they are adults and they, as much as my husband Jim and I, still enjoy welcoming each new young boy or girl into our family.

Maria and Laura, who co-own FWYE have the most amazing knack and ability of perfectly matching each student to each family, so much so, that from the day they arrive here, they immediately slot straight n to their new Irish family.

Over the years, we have had the privilege of having Alba, Pere, Laura, Aleix and at the moment, the wonderful Arnau, all very different young people and each incredible in their own way. Each of them has had varying interests and hobbies that they enjoy, from music, to gymnastics and to playing soccer with the local club.

Each of those young people are still very much part of our lives here, we are still in contact with them constantly, so much so, we have travelled to Barcelona to visit them and their families. Hosting has been and continues to be a wonderful experience for us, it’s been a pleasure to welcome each and every one of them, and they enjoy it was much as we do.

Each year, there is only one regret, and that is the trip to Dublin airport to say goodbye as they return home. Lots of tears on the day, but a new friendship made that we know will always continue.

An incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone.