English in Dublin…let’s talk with Marta

Hi Marta, tell us something about yourself…

I’m from the north of Italy and I’m 35 years old. I’m really sporty, one of my great passions is alpine skiing, but I also swim and in the future I’d like to try more sports. I ‘ve always been intrigued by the sixties, the way they dressed, the music, the style of the people. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era! In Italy I used to work for an IT company for 14 years, I was in charge of the customer services and the help desk but…I decided that I needed a new challenge, so here I am!

How did you study English in Italy?

I studied it for 5 years at High School. But in Italy we just study grammar…there’s no conversation, no listening.  English is a language, so it’s an “alive” subject, not like maths, do you know what I mean? And my aim is to make it alive in my head and start thinking in English.

Why did you choose Ireland?

Well I wanted to improve my English but I wasn’t attracted by England and English people, so why not try Ireland? It’s cheaper and it’s full of nature!

Why did you choose Travelling Languages?

Travelling Languages is a little school and I was looking for a school that really takes care of my needs: to improve my English I think it’s better to have a direct relationship with my teachers and not be just a “number”.  Then the school is also in the city centre…

What are the main differences that you noticed between your country and Ireland?

When I arrived in Dublin and I took the taxi, I realized that they were driving on the other side. I knew it before but the first time I was a little scared…but now no problems anymore. The weather is funny: in Ireland you can see 4 seasons in a day, but it rains less than I expected. I noticed also that people are very kind and polite, even if sometimes communication is a problem.

What do you like about Dublin and what do you dislike?

I like Dublin because it’s a small city and for me it’s easy to walk around and I don’t get lost! As I said before, people don’t get angry or stressed like in the north of Italy and I love this feeling…and I also like that here lots of people use a bike and every bike has its own lights…

What’s your goal for the future?

I’m improving my English in order to get back to Italy and grow professionally but for me this would be a sort of sabbatical year: I was tired and I needed a radical change. Now I just want to enjoy myself and live for today.

So…Marta good luck and enjoy yourself!

 Travelling Languages…Your language school on the road.