International House Belfast - Belfast

Anna G.

I've been studying at International House Belfast during 5 weeks for preparing the OET exam and I passed it with a B in every sub-test. Many thanks to the teachers and the staff who were friendly and they helped me if I needed.

Justyna M.

I studied there for 6 weeks. It was great time.
Teachers are amaizing, they explain new material clearly and they care about your progress. When the weather was sunny, we went to the park and had classes there. For me it is perfect place to improve English. On my last week they gave me advice about learning English in my country.
I really miss IH.

Petite F.

So, I have just finished 3 months at the International House Belfast school.

My grade is really bad but I'll explain why.

First of all, 70% of my experience in learning English was wasted for several reasons. The school accepted around twenty students from the same country. The new people spoke a lot in their Spanish language, and the teachers mostly said nothing. There was even a teacher who asked vocabulary questions in Spanish for these students and the others were left aside. There are several of us who were not happy with the situation, students from class A2 to B2.

My last two months were difficult to continue because of this situation, I no longer even enjoyed continuing my classes and several times I wanted to stop everything because my motivation had dropped. A woman in this group from Colombia monopolized the class for herself, we couldn't even ask questions without being cut off, and the teachers once again said nothing. In my last month, I just wasn't motivated anymore and I just wanted to finish my language journey, and I wanted only one thing: to go home.

Several students have already gone to the Directors to complain, we had even asked twice to separate this group and put us apart but they did not agree. Fortunately we were able to enjoy a few weeks of being at left for intensive courses, but it was only two afternoons a week.

It was sometimes very difficult to follow the course, because there was a lot of noise, and some did not play the games in English. There were times when there were 14 students in the same class.

To talk about the school, it's a very old building, and it's very cold. It was unbearable, some students even kept their gloves and jackets on during class. Almost all of us were very cold. Very old equipment. For the price, I don't find it normal to be in discomfort.

And even if the Director was “listening”, the problems were postponed 1 to 2 weeks later. On a language stay this can quickly represent a large part of the trip.

In the end, there were several of us in the school who were really unhappy with the situation.

Finally I received my damaged certificate, it's just a detail, but it leaves me feeling disgusted by it all.

Here is my opinion and why a star. And this one star I give to the two teachers following Noelle and Shane. Superb teachers who know how to teach well, I thank them again for their kindness.

It was my first language travel experience. I spent three months in Belfast. I might want to repeat a trip to a school in the future, but I don't think I want to go through the same experience again.

Salomse

I enjoyed every single minute that I spent in Belfast, and especially the school! I was preparing for the Cambridge Proficiency Exam and my teachers were able to teach me a lot of really interesting things. They made sure that I was able to pass my exam! The whole atmosphere at the school is wonderful too. 🙂 We weren’t that many students in our class and because of that we were really able to get to know each other pretty well. The teachers were also able to really focus on the students individually!
Overall it was just a wonderful experience studying at International House Belfast!

Stefan

This summer I took lessons at the international house in Belfast for 4 weeks. This was in preparation for my CAE, which I passed thanks to the good preparation.

This is a small to medium-sized school with a family atmosphere.
I had lessons with Ryan and Theresa, both very good teachers who offered exciting lessons.

Good atmosphere in the school. Besides the numerous leisure activities offered by the school, the international house students (young to old) were often out together for pub visits and weekend trips.

I stayed with a host family, very pleasant, my wishes were taken into account, my host was located in walking distance to the school. Belfast is an interesting city with friendly people.

I highly recommend taking lessons at International House to improve your English.

Lola F.

This is the first time that I opt to take a general English course, since I starting teaching English. I have experience at studying at IH schools and when I read the variety of classes and the after class activities they offer I didn't think it twice, and of course it didn't disappoint me a bit.
The teachers are excellent professionals who provide the students with a variety of resources to make the classes enjoyable, interesting and motivating. I can guarantee that you’ll learn English and you won't be bored in class. I took note of a lot of teaching ideas ;-).
The admin team is very friendly, always with a smile in their face and happy to help you, giving you advice about anything that you might need. They also make sure that every single day you have after class activities to do, thus you can enjoy Belfast and its surroundings as much as you can.
The accommodation they provided me was spot on, high quality apartment, very well located, just 5’ from the city centre, not expensive and if you have a special requirement as it was my case, they didn’t hesitate in providing it. We also have an issue with the accommodation during my last day of staying and it really amazed me how quick they solved it and how easy they made it for us.
If you want to learn English and have fun, this is the school you’re looking for. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Elena B.

My experience at Belfast International House has been the most enjoyable and memorable. I decided to take the C1 Cambridge exam and I can see a big improvement in every single aspect of my English. Staff are genuinely kind and helpful at all times. Either when it's about to recommend you places to go to in Belfast and surroundings or to change the milk of the coffee machine (and more), they're always there.
There also are the best teacher you could ever have. They have the patience and knowledge to help you achieve your goals and, what's even more important, to believe in yourself. Of course, by pushing yourself is how you'll see improvements. No one else but you know how far you can get!
Finally, the students I found throughout my 8 weeks will never be forgotten. I made friends I never expected to have.
I couldn't really summarise my experience in a couple of lines, but joining this academy is the best decision I've ever made.

P.S.: they always love to see old students around. So if you're in the city, don't forget to go for a quick visit!

susanna F.

My experience in Belfast was fantastic. But, above all, International House gave me the best way to enjoy this city. They advised me a lot of social activities in order to have beautiful memories of my time in Belfast. The receptionists are so available and kind, they try to help you in everything, like how book your exam…
Moreover, the teachers are very professional and the lessons are very interesting. Surely, if you chose International House, you shouldn’t get bored, because there is the perfect balance between grammar concept and learning activities.
I really suggest to everyone to start this experience in International House.