Teenager Courses (13-17)

Teenagers are taught in  Lisivigeen National School, a newly refurbished premises on the outskirts of Killarney, equipped with the most modern facilities. Classrooms are big, airy and spacious and there is a large sports hall for activities and end-of-week performances. The teachers are all fully-qualified to teach English to teenagers and have had many years of teaching experience both in Ireland and abroad. They are therefore sensitive to the cultural, pedagogical and social needs of individual students.

Our teenage coordinator is responsible for the overall smooth-running of the teenage programme by looking after the general needs of teachers  and students and organising all afternoon activities. This should reassure parents that although their child/children are separate from them, they are being looked after and supervised at all times by professionals. There is also a bus that operates daily transporting students between the two schools which means that it is possible for parents to meet up with their children at the Muckross school for lunch and at 5pm.

Class sizes are small with on average 10 students per class (maximum 15) and there is a mix of nationalities, giving teenagers a greater chance to make friends and practice their English.

 We are able to offer two courses:

As with the parents & children, teenagers will be asked to complete a short written test before their arrival at the school. This will enable us to put them in the appropriate level. Again the teacher will assess their level through spoken interaction during the first morning and if they feel that the child is in the wrong level, a decision can be  made in conjunction with the teenager coordinator, director of the school and parents to move them up or down a level.

During the summer we run 5 levels for teenagers from Beginner to Advanced

The curriculum tends to follow a communicative approach with teachers using a methodology that emphasizes the use of role-play, situational dialogues, discussion and games to increase confidence and improve fluency. Reading and writing skills also play a part in helping the speaking as they generate and consolidate new vocabulary and grammar.

In order to reinforce the communicative and fun aspect of the course, there is a performance at the end of the week during which each class sings a song or performs a role play or sketch and awards are given for the best performance. Teenagers love this chance to compete with each other and show off their dancing, singing and/or acting skills.

Fees also include: