Earlier this year, Maria Carmona Gutierez from the beautiful city of Puebla in Mexico came to City Language School because she wanted to study at an English Language School in Dublin. At the end of her course last month, we sat down to talk about her experiences in Ireland, her life in its capital and her time at Oscars.
When did you get here?
I started my course on May 1st so I have been here almost six months
What level were you when you started?
When I started here I was a pre-intermediate and I’m now Intermediate as it says here on my certificate.
Did you enjoy the classes?
It was really nice. The teachers were really helpful and the classmates as well. We had lots of games and stuff to improve our English. But it also helps when the class is nice and we were all friends really.
How many different nationalities were there in your class?
There was Mexican, a girl from Uruguay, some students form South Korea, French, Italian. There was a guy from Russia and some Brazilians too.
Why did you decide to come to Ireland and not go somewhere else like the USA or London?
In my country I always heard good things about this country and I wanted to have this nice experience with the culture of the country and the history also with the Vikings, you know. I wanted to find a country in Europe and there aren’t that many options for countries in Europe that speak English.
Also I found out that when you apply here for a visa you can also the get the visa to work.
And are you working here?
Yes. I work as an au pair. I look after three boys under eight. They are full of energy.
Do you live with the family?
Yes and they are a really lovely family. They live in Dublin 16 in Rathfarnham. It’s a little far but it’s a really nice area.
What’s the best thing about Dublin?
It has lots of life. It’s not like a big city but you can find everything you need without too many people. You can find all the services you need and hang out with your friends and it’s very safe and I like that.