Languagetrip to Ireland
From the 12th to the 20th of April, the 7a and 7b classes went on a language trip to Ireland. We first travelled to the west coast and spent two days at a hostel in Galway before moving to host families in Dublin.
We visited a lot of interesting places: On the first day we took the ferry to Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands, where we cycled around the island enjoying the great views and the (mostly) sunny weather. We saw wild seals and puffins, hundreds of sheep and cattle and a lot of different kinds of birds. The next day, we visited the Cliffs of Moher, which for most of us was a highlight of our trip. On the way from Galway to Dublin, we stopped at Clonmacnoise to visit the Medieval monastery with its attractive round towers and high crosses. The landscapes in Ireland are breathtakingly beautiful and fortunately the weather was really nice.
After settling in with our host families in Dublin, we went on a guided tour through the city. We saw the famous Molly Malone statue, Temple Bar, Trinity College, the Spire of Dublin, UCD campus and other famous sights like the Ha’penny Bridge, another of Dublin’s landmarks. We also had a tour on the replica of the 176-year-old ship called Jeanie Johnston, which played a big role during the Irish Famine.
Although we got to see a lot of attractions, we still had plenty of free time that we used for going to the cinema, shopping, taking a walk in the park or on the beach or other fun activities. On our free Sunday, a small group of students and teachers went to Dun Laoghaire, where we spent the whole day by the sea. Another highlight was the pub singalong at the Ha’penny Bridge Inn, where we got to sing traditional Irish folksongs.
Of course, we did not only expand our cultural knowledge but also our language skills. At the Babel Academy of English, we improved our vocabulary and practised speaking. On the last day, we paired up in teams of two and did street surveys on various topics to test our communication skills in practice.
Looking back at this trip, I must say that all of us enjoyed the experience. It was great! Anna Greiner 7a