St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and St. Patrick, as much as the Irish flag is, is identified with the country. St. Patrick, or St. Paddy as he is sometimes referred to, enjoys the fierce devotion of the Irish around the globe. St. Patrick was an Englishman, however. When he was a young man, he was captured by Irish raiders and was brought to Ireland as a slave. After six years of captivity, he was able to escape back home. He entered the priesthood, became a bishop and returned to Ireland.

A famous story about St. Patrick is about him driving away all the snakes from Ireland. This is a quite famous story, a story further fueled by the fact that there really are no snakes in Ireland today.

There are several versions to this story. There is the dramatic version with him standing atop a hill, holding his cane, ordering all the snakes in the island to leave Ireland and never to return again. The snakes all rushed into the sea and never came back.

Another version states that an old snake refused to leave the island. St. Patrick had to use cunning and wit to drive away this wise, old snake. St. Patrick brought a box and asked the snake to get in the box. The old snake would not and insisted that the box was too small. Patrick said it was the right size. To prove that the box really is small, the snake got into the box. The moment the snake got in the box, St. Patrick sealed the box and threw it into the sea.

There are a lot of stories linking St. Patrick and Ireland, but this snake-driving story is the best-known. If you ask any Irish why there are no snakes in Ireland, you’ll probably hear about how St. Patrick drove the snakes away many years ago.

Today, Ireland is one of the most requested locations for the learning of English language, many students coming from different parts of the globe go there every year to experience a learning holiday abroad. Being English the second most diffused language in the world nowadays, to learn English as a second language represents the key for young people to enter the labour market and to open the doors for their future. To have a good knowledge of the English language is very important and useful to work and study, to establish relationships, to travel: it is with no doubt, an essential mean to feel oneself part of the world.

To learn English in Ireland is an exciting and special experience. The isle collects lots of prestigious schools of English, offering courses for people of any age, adapted following students language starting level. In addition, Ireland offers to its students the opportunity to get in touch with its popular traditions, its history and its warm inhabitants.

Generally speaking, after attending lessons in a language school abroad, it is very important to keep a direct contact with the hosting country’s culture, mainly for a better learning and understanding of the language and its use. Ireland is a perfect location to this aim: it is a cozy country with a unique and varied natural landscape and people there, perfectly reflect the qualities of their country.

In fact, Irish people are very nice, friendly and special people, affectioned towards their traditions and culture, and eager for conveying all this to the students in visit to their country. Each host family in Ireland is accurately selected following specific standards of reliability, liking and politeness, with the aim to make students stay the most pleasant as possible. Irish host families are happy to exchange ideas with people belonging to different cultures, and stimulate students to make the best of their English learning experience by conveying to them the best of Irish culture, in order to turn their English language holidays into a unique chance of cultural and personal exchange.

To learn English in Ireland is a fantastic experience, the ideal for people who want to travel and discover a new country, learn a foreign language and enrich their cultural experience. Once you choose Ireland for your language travel vacation, you will go back to your country bringing with you a good knowledge of the English language and the memory of a funny and formative experience.