Sebastian Jose Sgoifo comes from La Plata in Argentina. He has been studying English in Dublin since early September 2019 and plans on staying for another two months. Last week, we sat down with Sebastian and had a chat about his experiences of studying English in Dublin so far.
Hi Sebastian. That surname, where is it from?
It’s an Italian name from Udine in the north of Italy. That’s where my grandfather came from. I’m from La Plata in Argentina about sixty kilometres north of Buenos Aires.
Why did you decide to come to Dublin to study English?
I work as a freelance geologist so I need English for that work. I came to Ireland because I was very interested in Irish culture and I looked at other places but I thought Ireland was a good choice. I arrived a month ago and I’m staying for another two months.
Dublin is like a small town but in a good sense. Buenos Aires has more than five million people but even more just outside. It’s crazy with a lot of people and when I came here, I realised it was absolutely different. It’s small and quiet. I love Dublin. I even like the weather.
I live with a host family here near the Phoenix Park. Accommodation here can be a bit of a challenge but the experience here is very nice. I share with a host family but I have my own room so it means I can work. I need to be able to work in my own space where I live so it’s great.
How would you describe City Language School?
The classes are perfect. I’m studying Business English and really the classes are very nice. They are small. There are only six people in the class and they are from different places – Turkey, Mexico, Brazil and then me from Argentina. The teachers are great and we talk alot and integrate what we learn into the class. There is a lot of energy. I feel this kind of class is what I needed.
The guys at City Language School, at the reception, are very helpful. When I arrived on my first day, everything was new but they helped me with any problems I had.