General English + IELTS

The Linguaviva Centre

Q&A
Price
school-reference
detail

Course description

IELTS is the most well recognised exam for those who want to study through English at university or college (or pursue a career path using English). This course combines General English in the morning (at B2 level or higher) with 5 hours per week of IELTS preparation. The skills used in this class are comparable to the linguistic, academic and cultural skills needed in Further or Higher Education. The IELTS module can be taken either in combination with General English or as a stand-alone course over two afternoons per week. Students on this course will have a structured syllabus to bring them from a 5.5 to a 6.5 or a 6.5 to a 7.5 in IELTS. Students follow the Mindset for IELTS series and additionally have access to a dedicated IELTS preparation online platform which will allow them easy access to study many additional hours leading up to their exams. The student and their tutor will use informative data which will indicate how the student is performing in each of the four sub skills of IELTS. The student will know exactly what they need to do in order to achieve their target score. Added to that, our academic team (who are experienced examiners) offer tutorials to maximise students performance in the IELTS exam and offer help with booking and taking the test. Over 12 weeks this course represents an excellent means of achieving your target IELTS score.

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
1-11 weeks
Start dates
Every Monday
Classes per week
20 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 60 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday
School holidays
23 Dec 2024 - 05 Jan 2025

The Linguaviva Centre does not hold classes on the holiday dates above. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.

Class times

Morning session
09:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Afternoon session
01:00 PM - 03:30 PM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

Elementary
Pre-intermediate
Intermediate
High intermediate
Advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level. You may also take this test before your arrival in Dublin.

Class size

Average 7 students
Maximum 12 students

Student age

Age range 17 years old and older
Average 28 years old
(22 in the summer)

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
Read more...
school
photos

Photos

  • Cafe Viva 1/23
  • Classroom at The Linguaviva Centre 2/23
  • Reception of The Linguaviva Centre 3/23
  • Student residence offered by The Linguaviva Centre 4/23
  • Activities offered at The Linguaviva Centre 5/23
  • Reception of The Linguaviva Centre 6/23
  • Classes at The Linguaviva Centre 7/23
  • Teachers and Staff at The Linguaviva Centre 8/23
  • Classes at The Linguaviva Centre 9/23
  • Students of The Linguaviva Centre 10/23
  • Teachers and Staff at The Linguaviva Centre 11/23
  • Students of The Linguaviva Centre 12/23
  • Students of The Linguaviva Centre 13/23
  • Reception of The Linguaviva Centre 14/23
  • Students of The Linguaviva Centre 15/23
  • 1-on-1 classes at The Linguaviva Centre 16/23
  • Students of The Linguaviva Centre 17/23
  • Activities offered at The Linguaviva Centre 18/23
  • Student residence offered by The Linguaviva Centre 19/23
  • Entrance to The Linguaviva Centre 20/23
  • Student residence offered by The Linguaviva Centre 21/23
  • Student residence offered by The Linguaviva Centre 22/23
  • Student residence offered by The Linguaviva Centre 23/23
reviews

Reviews

89% recommend

based on 9 reviews
5 stars
5
4 stars
3
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
1
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Funny"

Marta Maccioni, student from Ireland

As a first experience of studying abroad I found it fantastic.
From the Welcome, to the attentive and fun teaching of the teacher Patricia..my classmates simply magnificient!
In these 6 weeks I have improved the basics of my English even if the road is still long!
Sin I go away!
Great area near of the centre!
Dublin overwhelming!

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
6 Jan 2020 - 31 Jan 2020
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Excellent quallity of the teaching and patient teachers."

Bjarni Valur Guðmundsson, student from Iceland

I liked the the teachers very much. They were excellent teachers and understanding and friendly. My English is much better now.

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
28 Oct 2019 - 1 Nov 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Nice and helpful"

MARC COSCOLLOLA LLORETA

I think it was a great experience for me, it was my first time abroad to study English in an academy. I liked it all! Share and meet people like me, it was interesting and fun .
Classes were good, the schedule or time table and classes were well planned and the teachers were nice.

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
3 Jul 2016 - 15 Jul 2016
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Good experience at linguaviva"

Deivy

I spent two weeks at Linguaviva. I was really satisfied. The teachers were great , I learned a lot from them.
The activities were good, each week we would have an activity to do which were interesting .
I highly recommend this school. I hope to come back again.

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
8 Jan 2017 - 20 Jan 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"The Linguaviva Centre is the best language school I've ever attended. It was a great and unforgettable experience."

Katharina König

It is a great school with an excellent location in the city centre of Dublin. There are many shops, restaurants and beautiful parks very close to the school. I really loved my classes and the way of teaching. All the staff was always friendly and very helpful.
I stayed with a super nice host family on a direct bus route to the school! I would always go back to Linguaviva!
I can really recommend the school to everybody interested in high quality English classes and a great school atmosphere!

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
16 Mar 2015 - 27 Mar 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Best experience in my life :)"

Sloane Nicod

I was an at par in Dublin for 9 months and I had the best support from the staff. Also a big thanks to my teachers Stuart and Mary who helped me prepare and pass my First Certificate
I love the school and all the people who work there. Other students said to me it's like a family and it really is!

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
34 weeks
Date of study
21 Sep 2015 - 20 May 2016
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"A wonderful few weeks in Dublin"

Silvia Fornaro

All the staff made me feel like I was part of a family. The teachers were amazing! Thank you Colm and Noelle!
I want to return as soon as possible for another course!

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
4 weeks
Date of study
9 Jan 2017 - 10 Feb 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Waste of time and money: I was placed in a class which was below my level."

Ahamed Matsumoto, student from Saudi Arabia

Waste of time and money: I was placed in a class which was below my level. When I brought this issue to the school's officials, they informed me that I had to stay in the same level for 3 weeks (???); and that they will change my class during the last week of my course... and as if this was not bad enough, the level of my new class in the last week was not even any better.

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
8 Jun 2015 - 3 Jul 2015
Would you recommend this school?
No
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Paul Barton, Director at The Linguaviva Centre responded to this review.
29 July 2015

Many thanks for your sending through the above comments.

In Linguaviva we pride ourselves on quality that is second to none. We have a long history teaching English in Dublin dating back to 1977 when the school first opened and we continue to receive excellence awards within the industry. It is imperative for us that students are placed in the correct class. This is done by a written test combined with an oral interview on the first day of school. Learning of English often includes repetition of each of the four main skill sets, this is a tried and trusted way of teaching English and one operated in every school.

Once a student can successfully demonstrate the new skills learned they progress through the various levels. No student is ever 'held' back and students do not stay with a group, each student is always assessed independently of one another. This is done through a detailed assessment programme which is conducted daily with more formal weekly assessment in the form of a test each Friday. There is a meeting with teachers and the Director of Studies each week where each student is discussed and moved when ready.

We are very sorry to read the above review and we also feel it is very different to the review which you left us directly where your overall comments were very good.
We also spoke to you during your stay regarding your concerns of the level and similar to every student, we always ask that you keep communicating to us if you ever have a problem or continued concerns during your stay. This is communicated during the first day interview and during the orientation. Linguaviva operates an 'open doors' policy and we always want students to talk to us if they need any help or have any issues what so ever so we can try and resolve them.

I hope that your overall experience was that which you indicated to us on your end of course form "Very Good" and that perhaps you would consider re joining our school at some point where I am sure you will be very satisfied.

Kindest regards,

Paul

"It was nice."

Adriana González, student from Spain

During the three weeks I had an excellent teacher, we worked a lot and we did many different things. Last week, unfortunately, he went on holidays, so we had to change our teacher and it wasn't for the good. We spent a lot of time with basic things because our class and another with a lower level were joined. I think I could have learnt more... I didn't like the break times (40 minutes); it's too much! I had lessons in the afternoon, so it was impossible for me to go to the activities from school or if I wanted to go to a museum by myself there wasn't a way. I would like to cut the break time to be able to exit from school earlier. I lived in the suburbs, 30 minutes away from school and had dinner at 18:15, so it wasn't easy to come back to the city. And it was also very expensive and on the weekends if I wanted to go on a trip and I needed to be in Dublin at 7 or 7:30 there's no way to go, just by taxi.

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
5 Aug 2014 - 1 Sep 2014
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
housing

Housing

The Linguaviva Centre offers the following housing types:
homestay

Host Family Half Board

NZ$ 486
weekly
Age range: 17 years old and older
Location: Outside the city center of Dublin
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner on weekdays, 3 meals on weekends
Facilities: Laundry, wireless internet, free internet, and heating
Distance to school: 35 - 60 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, after 02:00 PM
Check-out: Saturday, before 10:00 AM
NZ$ 486
In a host family you will be guaranteed:

- a single room
- breakfast, evening meal and all weekend meals
- study facilities in your host family with adequate heat during winter months
- that students with the same mother tongue will not be placed with the same family

Host Family Full Board

NZ$ 525
weekly
Age range: 17 years old and older
Location: Outside the city center of Dublin
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance to school: 40 - 60 minutes
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, after 02:00 PM
Check-out: Saturday, before 10:00 AM
NZ$ 525
In a host family you will be guaranteed:

- a single room
- breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
- study facilities in your host family with adequate heat during winter months
- that students with the same mother tongue will not be placed with the same family
student-residence

Viva Residence - Twin room

NZ$ 506
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Address: 11 Pembroke Street Upper, Dublin, Dublin 2 D02 KX96, Ireland
Location: In the city center of Dublin
Housing type: Student residence
Room type: 2-person shared room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, wireless internet, free internet, tV room, carpet, heating, 24/7 supervision, and garden
Distance to school: 3 - 5 minutes by walk
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Saturday, after 03:00 PM
Check-out: Saturday, before 10:00 AM
NZ$ 506
Located 3 minutes walk from our school, the Viva Residence is situated in the heart of Dublin. Two, three, and four bed rooms with shared kitchen and living room offers the best location to explore the city.

The Point Residence - Single room

NZ$ 642
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Address: Mayor Street Upper, Point Village, Dublin , Dublin 1 D01W2R1, Ireland
Location: In the city center of Dublin
Housing type: Student residence
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, computers, wireless internet, free internet, tV room, hardwood, air conditioning, heating, 24/7 supervision, garden, and sports facilities
Distance to school: 30 - 45 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Saturday, after 03:00 PM
Check-out: Saturday, before 10:00 AM
NZ$ 642
Stylish, newly built student residence, with excellent facilities, in Point Village, in the heart of Dublin’s bustling Docklands area about 30 minutes’ walk to Linguaviva Centre. The LUAS line and several bus routes are also nearby.
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you. If you wish to receive your paperwork by express mail, you will be charged 10 € when you register.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Dublin based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

Read more...
questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from The Linguaviva Centre staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

Ask a question

"It seems that she took to online test and got a 24/50 which marks her at Pre-Intermediate. I guess then she cannot take the IELTS course. I'll see what she'd like to do."

Кристина Перчеклий, student from Ukraine

I would say pre-intermediate is quite low for IELTS classes, we would recommend to her to build up a bit her level taken General English classes in order to be able to take an IELTS course in the future.

Was this helpful? Yes

"I'm not sure if she herself can determine the difference between pre-intermediate and high pre-intermediate. She has paid already and is willing to enroll already today. Let me know if there is some way to determine this or if we should just send her enrollment already to you."

Кристина Перчеклий, student from Ukraine
Paul Barton, The Linguaviva Centre school representative

I would suggest that she completes the online placement test. I can then determine if the IELTS class is suitable for her.

Was this helpful? Yes

"Thank you for your email. She actually specified that she'd like to take them simultaneously because she doesn't have another vacation break. Likely she will not go on any trip then this year."

Кристина Перчеклий, student from Ukraine

I wrote to our academic manager to ask his opinion on that. I would say it is possible for her to take the IELTS classes in the afternoon but not ideal.

Was this helpful? Yes
Show prices