English Courses / Cambridge Exam Prep in Cork, Ireland

Atlantic School of English & Active Leisure, Cork:
Atlantic School of English & Active Leisure is a fully accredited school operating year-round since 1999. Private, personal, and family-run, our English school is located in the picturesque village of Schull in West Cork, directly beside the Atlantic ocean on the magical Mizen Peninsula in South-West Ireland. As well as English language learning for adults, juniors and teenagers, our students can combine their studies with activities such as scuba diving, sailing, horse-riding, golf, art & craft, Irish music, dance and cookery classes. Schull is located 100km south-west of Cork City (which has an international airport and ferry terminals), and approximately 360km from Dublin.

English Courses in Cork - for Adults 18+ and Children ages 3-17
Adult students can choose from flexible options and create their own programme 'a la carte', or choose an all-inclusive package. 

•  General English Course for Adults
Our General English courses (20 hours per week) are held in "micro-groups" that have an average of 4, and rarely more than 6 students per class.

All key English language skills are covered - reading, writing and listening with special emphasis on speaking and pronunciation.

Each course includes:
- An assessment test on arrival to ensure that you are placed at the level that best suits your needs
- Leisure programme optional after lessons 
- Free tea/coffee and snacks each day between lessons
- Weekly Friday progress test assessment
- End of Course Certificate and progress report from your tutor
- Free email support from your tutor for one academic year following your course attendance


•  General English course combined with private English lessons (26 hours per week)
This course consists of the General English course (20 hours per week) combined with 6 hours of private English lessons. The 'one to one' lessons focus on your personal / professional language needs.


•  Cambridge FCE, CAE & CPE Exam Preparation - 12 weeks
We offer 12 week Cambridge Exam preparation courses for the following exams:

- FCE - First Certificate in English
- CAE - Certificate in Advanced English
- CPE - Certificate of Proficiency in English

We offer two programmes depending on which suits your goals, time & budget best:

- The 'Classic' offers 20 micro-group lessons per week and plenty of opportunities for self study outside the lesson time
- The 'Gold' option which offers 20 micro-group lessons PLUS 5 hours per week of 'one to one' lessons with your own private tutor


•  IELTS Test Preparation Course 
Course Duration: 25 weeks. Study hours per week: 15 or 25 

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an internationally-recognised and standardised test of the English language proficiency of a non-native English speaker.  It tests your listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

Our comprehensive 25-week IELTS exam preparation course is designed to help you to achieve a high score on this test, which is a prerequisite for entry to many universities and colleges in the UK, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand.

IELTS is recognised by a wide range of professional organisations worldwide. 


•  Long-Term (25 weeks+) English Courses:
The following courses are available for Non-EEA (European Economic Area) students enrolled in long term programmes of 25 weeks or more at Atlantic S.E.A.L.:

- Cambridge First Certificate Exam Course (FCE)
- Cambridge Advanced English Exam Course (CAE)
- IELTS Preparation Exam Course

These are the only courses that will be considered in visa applications for students from Non-EEA countries by the Department of Justice and Immigration in Ireland.


•  Private English lessons / Semi-private English lessons - 10 or more classes per week
With a student-teacher ratio of one-to-one or two-to-one, private or semi-private English lessons allow you to pay special attention to your individual linguistic needs and topics of particular interest to you. You will focus on all of the key English language skills - speaking, listening, reading, writing, and pronunciation.

In addition, your tutor can design a programme of study which meets your specific needs and learning goals (for example: Professional English Language Needs, Business English, or simply extra practice with speaking/listening etc.).

Our General and Specialist leisure programme timetables can be included to fit in perfectly with the 'one to one' tuition programme timetable. You can also enjoy special free workshops and trips relating to Irish Culture and History on Wednesdays with all of the other adult students in the school.


•  Special One-Week English Course
This course has been specially designed for students who cannot stay longer than a week. It includes:

- 20 hours of English language tuition in micro-group of 4-6 adult students of English. Students will receive full level assessment on arrival and expert tuition in English by our highly qualified and experienced tutors.

- Three afternoons of leisure activity of your choice: sailing, kayaking, horse-riding, golf, discover Scuba diving (beginners) or diving trips (qualified divers), cultural activities (Irish history / archaeology tours / Irish dance and music / Anglo-Irish literature, Art (painting), Crafts (sculpture, stone engraving..), jewellery making.

- One full day excursion: Examples include a whale and dolphin watching boat trip, coach trip to the Lakes of Killarney, boat trip to explore the off shore islands of Sherkin or Cape Clear, trip to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone, or a boat trip around the famous Fastnet Lighthouse.

- Half board accommodation: Full Irish breakfast and delicious evening meal at Executive Host's Home


Online English Courses:
Learn English online using Skype! We can create a customized course for to meet your specific needs.

Whether you want to improve your Business English skills, Academic English, preparation for an English language exam or focus on particular English language skills, we can help you.

During our English Conversation Lessons, you will be speaking with and listening to one of our experienced and highly-qualified native-speaking English teachers, so your pronunciation will improve greatly.

There is no need to commit long term, you can choose to do 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 + lessons. 


English Homestay Programmes:

•  HELP (Home English Language Programme) - live with your English teacher
Live with your English language teacher in his or her own home and enjoy the "full immersion" experience!

All of our English tutors are highly experienced and qualified teachers, so you can be confident that your lessons will be well-planning and professionally conducted.

Your General English or Specialist English lessons will cover the key skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. 

You can have 'One to One' tuition, or come with a friend, family member or colleague for our 'Two to One' experience. Micro-Groups of maximum 4 can also be catered for by special arrangement. Our teachers' homes are very comfortable and usually located in a place of scenic beauty in magical West Cork.

Each day, Monday to Friday, you will have four hours of English classes with your English teacher. You will have a minimum of one evening of entertainment, and on two afternoons you will participate in leisure activities of interest to you. You will also have a full day excursion at the weekends.


•  Homestay with a Local Host Family
Homestay accommodation is a very reasonably priced option for both adults and juniors and a great way to immerse yourself in the lifestyle of the local people and practise all your English language skills after school, especially listening and speaking.

Our families are well known for their friendliness and the warm hospitality that they extend to our students.


Summer ESL Camps for Children:

•  Summer English Courses for Juniors & Teenagers (ages 9-12 and 13-17)
Course Duration: 2 weeks +

Our English summer courses are ideal for primary and secondary school students from around the world.

Our junior teachers will ensure that the lesson content is stimulating, the activities fun and effective and that you will be very relaxed communicating in English with your new classmates.

You will live with an Irish host family, giving you the opportunity to practice your English in a relaxed and safe environment.

You'll be amazed at how interesting learning English can be, especially when you really need it to communicate with your classmates, host family and teachers.

If you are learning English at school in your own country, you won't believe how much better you will succeed and how much more you will understand when you go back home! 

With courses running from the end of June to the end of August, you can choose to study for as many weeks as you like.

The following features are included in the fees:
- 20 English Lessons per week. We keep our class sizes small (average of 8 students) to ensure individual attention
- A full and varied leisure programme, including transport by coach or boat to and from afternoon excursions
- On all excursions, students are accompanied by teachers / guides / leaders
- Ferryboat or coach fares for full day excursions
- Entrance fees to all leisure/entertainment venues
- All equipment hire for sporting leisure activities
- End of course Graded Certificate
- Teachers Detailed Report and recommendations for further study to continue progress made
- After course Support: Students can email their English Language questions to Atlantic tutors from their own country for help during their next academic year.


•  Young Kids' English Summer Camp (ages 3-8)
Research has shown that the earlier a child is introduced to a second language, the greater the chances are that they will become truly proficient in the language.

Give your young child a head-start by enrolling them in this summer camp, where they have the opportunity to mix with Irish children and make new friends, while learning and playing through the medium of the English language. This camp runs from 9am to 2pm each day.

- English Camp Activities:
Arts & Crafts; Picture books and storytelling; Action Rhymes (acting out songs); Active games – ‘Moths & Bats’ ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’ etc; Language Art; Nature Art; Beach walks; Scavenger Hunts with prizes; Free Play. 

Your child will also learn essential functional language to use with their new friends (‘Pass me the scissors, please’, ‘Could I have a marker, please?, ‘May I go to the toilet?’

- Convenient for Families:
Because our English summer camp for young kids is located only a few minutes walk from our Adult English school, Mum & Dad are always nearby. We synchronise timetables so parents, younger kids and also their older siblings attend one of our 3 separate, but closeby centres.

This allows them to easily enjoy a unique ‘whole family’ learning experience, but with the needs of each family member carefully attended to, according to their age and level.


•  Year-Round English Courses for Juniors:
Closed group or 'one to one'  or 'two to one' Junior courses are available at any time throughout the year. In addition, we provide Junior English courses at Easter or other weeks by special arrangement.


Business English Courses:


•  Business English Skills Training (B.E.S.T.) - 1-week course
This one-week course offers 30 hours of 'one to one' tuition that focuses exclusively on your Business English needs. You tell us what areas you wish to focus on and we will customize the course to suit your specific requirements.

Popular themes include: Giving Presentations, Telephoning / Email / Writing letters, The language of Meetings, Negotiating, Describing your Product or Project, Financial Matters, Sales / Marketing, Trends.

This course also includes: 3 Leisure Activities (from a range of watersports, land sports, cultural activities, sightseeing trips with your teacher); a full-day weekend excursion, and one year’s continued correspondence & help from your tutor. In addition, you receive a personalised CD-ROM of your classroom activities to take home for review.


•  Bildungsurlaub General & Business English
This course allows employees in Germany to apply for up to an extra 5 days of educational leave so that they can undergo specialist, professional and advanced training. Study options include:

- 30 Hour General  English Language Skills Programme for Bildungsurlaub (mini-group 4-6)

- 30 Hour Business English Skills Programme for Bildungsurlaub (micro-group 2-4) 


•  General English or Business English Plus Golf
Combine your English course with an unforgettable golfing experience!

These courses allow you to attend your English lessons in the mornings & continue to practise your spoken English & golf with your tutor in the afternoons.


•  Mind, Body & Spirit Plan for Business English students
Course Duration: 1, 2 or 3 weeks

In this exclusive programme, our expert & friendly English language tutors will offer you a stress-free way to maximise your stay with us here in beautiful West Cork.

With 20 hours of ‘one to one’ business or Specialist/Professional English lessons per week, you will focus on your personal and professional English language needs, and progress quickly in all your English language skills.

You will also enjoy sessions with a personal fitness trainer, as well as sessions with a holistic therapist who specialises in stress management and relaxation techniques. You will also have the opportunity to enjoy a range of therapeutic massages by a qualified practitioner.


TEFL / TESOL English Teacher Training Courses:
For both native English speakers and non-native English speakers

•  Accredited 4-week TESOL Certificate Course:
Held at Easter, summer & in the autumn

This accredited TESOL certificate course is designed for the trainee with little or no experience of teaching English in the contemporary ESOL classroom, but with a high level of competence in spoken and written English.

It will equip you with the most basic skills and knowledge needed to take up a post as a TESOL teacher and give you a firm foundation for self-evaluation and further professional development. 

Includes: 130 hours tuition; input, tutorial time and teaching preparation, 6 hours teaching practice and a minimum of 6 hours of guided observation.

Other TESOL / TEFL Courses:
•  2 week TESOL Foundation Course
•  Short courses / Refresher courses for English language teachers (1 week or 2 weeks). We welcome those who are eligible for ERASMUS+ funding.

For further information on our English courses, including dates and rates, please email us below.