If you are a fan of live music, then Dublin is never boring. Dublin is full of music venues, large and small.

Traditional Irish music is big in Ireland and all over the world. Some of Ireland’s best-known ‘trad’ artists include world famous acts like The Dubliners, The Chieftans and Christy Moore as well as more contemporary acts like Kila. These acts have played huge concerts all over the world and have influenced musicians from all genres of art and music. Watch the might Dubliners in full swing here:

Their concerts are usually sold out and the tickets can be pricey, but there are plenty of other options in pubs and the quality of music is just as good. The Cobblestone in Smithfield, Dublin 7 guarantees live traditional music every day, but it’s best to get there in the evening time. There is a ‘listening corner’ as you enter the front, so if you’re not there to listen, don’t stand there chatting or the locals are sure to give a dirty look or two! O’ Donoghues Bar on Merrion Row is another great Dublin pub for music. Many famous musicians have passed through this old place and again, if you’re not there for the music..try Diceys!

The Sweeney Mongrel (or just Sweeneys) to regulars is one of the busiest pubs in the city. There are three floors in total  to this young venue and you will be treated to all sorts of music around the clock. On any given night you might find Punk in the basement, Electro upstairs and Reggae on the top floor. It’s always FREE and packed with Irish people and International visitors. Whelan’s on Wexford street once held the crown as the music venue of the city, and while it does have bands every night of the week, you will usually pay anything from €5-10 for local bands and up to €30 for travelling bands.

Right in the centre of the city lies the legendary Foggy Dew. This bar, situated beside Central Bank on Dame Street, really comes alive at the weekend. Sundays will never be boring again. Every Sunday night you can watch live Reggae and Ska sets from house band The Bionic Rats. But get in early as they usually kick off at 7.30pm! The Grand Social on Liffey Street is another goood venue with a brand new live music room. Sundays host Jazz and the venue itself hosts rock, alternative and DJ nights. Just across the Ha’penny Bridge and you will find the Ha’Penny Inn, a safe house for Blues, Roots and Bluegrass as well as Tuesday night open-mic comedy!

So there you have it. Just a lucky dip of what Dublin has to offer. Now get out and meet some people for God’s sake!!

Hello again!

A student asked me today, ‘ Barry, last weekend I saw lots of people with Welsh jerseys in a pub in the city center singing the Irish National Anthem. Why?’

My answer was, ‘The Six Nations’. Yes, it’s that time again. Every spring, Ireland, England, Wales, Italy, France and Scotland take part in this annual rugby competition.

Each country must play each other once. If a country wins all five games this means they win the Grand Slam. Ireland succeeded in doing this in 2009. It was an amazing final game between Ireland and Wales, and as you will see from this video.

Look at Prince William, the Prince of Wales, pretending to be happy! For such a small country, we are currently seeded Number 8 in the world! Although we were number 3 for a long time. So far this year we have lost our opening game against Wales and had our game against France postponed because of the snow! The fans were not happy as this was announce just 1 minute before the game!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqZwXvD79JA

If you would like to watch any of the games they will be show live on RTE – Irish television. If you miss the games you can watch them on the RTE Player. Alternatively, and if you don’t mind spending your euros, tickets for the Aviva Stadium games can be purchased from ticketmaster.

The Aviva Stadium, Dublin 4

Of course, another exciting place to watch a game and enjoy the atmosphere is…THE PUB! On any given match day you’ll find most pubs packed with Irish and visiting fans, cheering on their teams, laughing and crying together. COME ON IRELAND!!!!

Hello again!

Just a quick heads up on Ulearn’s cultural activities this week, which involve Food Science and History.

If you haven’t visited the Science Gallery yet, then you really should! The gallery, which is part of Trinity College, has various exhibitions during the year. For the next 2 months you can enter the world of food with their new Edible exhibition. This looks at the food we currently eat, the food we used to eat and, more importantly, the future of food.

What you see in the picture above is part of a display which asks you – How prepared are you for a total economic collapse or a major natural disaster? Have you got your canned goods ready and waiting?

No, that’s not a snake. It’s just a human tongue, where all your taste comes from. Without it, food would mean nothing. The exhibition looks at how our taste might develop in the future. You can sample some free seaweed, or pay 3 euros to try the chef’s special. Vegans and vegetarians will also get a surprise. You are probably eating more pig than you could ever imagine. Find out why at the Science Gallery.

Also on the culture menu this week is The Little Museum of Dublin. Situated just a few minutes from Ulearn on St. Stephen’s Green, this newly-opened museum gives you a look into the history of Dublin city. Well-known travel guide, Rough Guide, has called it an ‘excellent museum’. You will be able to see a collection of photographs and memorabilia with everything from U2 to JFK, as well as old household goods that people though they might never see again! The tour costs 3euro including a tour guide. Come and get a feel for old Dublin.

Hello!

If you are a movie fan, then Dublin is the place to be this month. The Jameson International Film Festival 2012 begins on Thursday the 16th of February and promises the best films from around the world.

The festival, celebrating it’s 10th anniversary this year, promises the best films from Ireland and around the world. Celebrities will be coming to town, including Hollywood veteran Al Pacino to promote his  film - Looking for Richard.

Documentaries, short films and feature films are all on show during the event. Dubliners are delighted to hear that the newly re-opened and excellent Lighthouse Cinema is one of the venues for the festival. Cineworld and the Savoy cinema will also be showing films.

Feeling Lucky? To celebrate their 10th anniversary, the festival are giving away tickets to see Quentin Tarantino‘s 1992 classic, Reservoir Dogs on February 21st. Also in attendance will be Hollywood actor, Michael Madsen, who played Mr Blonde in the movie. The prize also includes overnight accommodation at the exclusive 5 star Merrion Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in the city!  Click on this link to enter.

WATCH MR. BLONDE!!

Don’t forget to download the Film Festival app to your smart phone to keep updated on all news and to book tickets too. Good Luck and ENJOY!!

Hi Everyone!

This Thursday Ulearn students get a chance to visit Saint Michans Church in the heart of Dublin’s inner city.

So, what is so special about an old church? Everything! For 500 years it was the only parish church north of the River Liffey. It also contains a huge organ that is believed to have been used by George Frideric Handel when he was writing the very famous ‘Messiah’.

Listen to ‘The Mesiah’  here on YouTube!

The real reason for visiting this unusual church is NOT the church itself. Underneath the church lies an old crypt, where the dead bodies and coffins of an old family are kept, as well as some executed Irish rebellion heroes such as Wolfe Tone. All of this, deep down in a dark tunnel!

But the most exciting part of the tour has to be…the MUMMIES! Forget about Egypt! Where else only Dublin will you be allowed to see 4 exposed mummies and touch them. For those who dare, touching the mummies is believed to bring good wealth and fortune.

Our tour guide, Peter, is a very strange and interesting character who will teach you everything you need to know about the crpyt and the mummies. Some people say he has spent far too much time with our friends in the picture, but you are guaranteed an exciting tour.

Ulearn is booked in for a tour at 2.45pm, so we will be leaving from reception at 2pm and walking to the church. It costs €2.50 and is worth every cent. See you there!!!

Hi All,

We just want to remind you to check in with us here from time to time to learn about our weekly social activities, new academic programs, special offers, new school videos, and, well, interesting stuff! From next week the ULearn social calendar is going to get even busier! The following is a sample of a ULearn social week:

• Monday: We announce the social plans for the week
• Tuesday Afternoon:* Cultural trip
• Tuesday Evening: We reserve a table at Diceys!!!!!
• Wednesday: We announce Thursday’s trip
• Thursday Afternoon: Cultural trip
• Thursday Evening: Free Music Class (note: every second Thursday)
• Friday Evening: Football

If you have any suggestions for more ULearn social events – please let us know. We are always happy to hear from you! Here’s a short video to remind you why Dublin is such a cool place to visit! CLICK ME

Thanks guys! See you all soon.

*Examples of cultural trips so far:

• National Gallery of Art
• Chester Beatty Museum
• Science Gallery
• National History Museum
• IMMA
• The Hugh Lane Gallery
• Christchurch & Dublinia
• The Guinness Storehouse

What’s wrong with this picture? If you want to get in a draw to win a FREE week of English classes at ULearn then become a Fan on Facebook and tell me the answer! You can start the week after and do 15 Hours General English in the morning or the afternoon!  I look forward to hearing from all of you and I will publish the winner on this and on Facebook in the coming week!

This image and many more is available on the English Fail Blog.  It has a ton of interesting English grammar and spelling errors which are great for students who want to try and spot what’s wrong and for teachers looking for warmers, coolers, and lesson breaks.  Enjoy winning (and failing).

Click HERE to go to our Facebook Page.  Just become a Fan and post the answer.  Et voila! You can win a FREE week of English Classes.

Hi everybody!  If you have been learning English for any length of time you will probably know that pronunciation is one of the language’s biggest challenges.  Mainly because you need consistent feedback to track your progress.  This great online pronunciation tool made by howjsay ] (pronounced ‘how d’you’ say i suppose..) can make self-teaching students a little less isolated when it comes to learning without a teacher.
Even the most determined of students / teachers can feel a little frustrated.   Watch the video of the great Inspector Cluseau has problems grappling with the phrase “I would like to buy a hamburger” to get an idea of what i mean. Unfortunately the embedding has been disabled but its still available on YouTube – and it’s pretty funny.

You can check a more useful pronunciation guide (and games) here.  Outside the classroom the BBC have fantastic resources for learners.  Their English language learning blog is well laid out and structure for students and teachers too.

By building up your study of sounds in context (phonemes, syllables, words, then words in sentences) you have a better chance of being able to fluently use those sounds in conversation with the correct pronunciation.

In my own experience the building blocks of the sounds are not the most important point.  I usually try to express whole sentences and have my students parrot the sounds in their natural lexical position.  Rythm and sentence stress are key features of the English language – people will find it hard to understand you without them.  So, keep it in context and try to study whole sentences and have fun with the new sounds.

I came across this post and thought it summed up exactly how I feel about good teaching practices.  All your students are individuals with individual needs.   By getting to know them you will eliminate potential problems, have better classes, and understand the communication and teaching process a whole lot better.

The Final Exam

It was the final examination for an introductory English course at the local university. The examination was two hours long. The professor was very strict and told the class that any exam that was not on his desk in exactly two hours would not be accepted and the student would fail. A half hour into the exam, a student came rushing in and asked the professor for an exam booklet.

“You’re not going to have time to finish this,” the professor stated sarcastically as he handed the student a booklet.

“Yes I will,” replied the student. He then took a seat and began writing.

After two hours thirty minutes all students execept one had finished. Of course if was the student asked for another booklet to complete. He stood up and walked up to the teachers desk and attempted to put his exam on the stack of exam booklets already there.

“No you don’t, I’m not going to accept that. It’s 30 minutes late.” The student looked incredulous and angry.

“Do you know who I am?”

“No, as a matter of fact, I don’t,” replied the professor.

“DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?” the student asked again.

“No, and I don’t care,” replied the professor with an air of superiority.

“Good,” replied the student, who quickly lifted the stack of completed exams, stuffed his in the middle, and walked out of the room.

Thanks to the English Teacher Blog for that great insight.   Know thyself sure.  But know thy students even better.

The Cambridge exams come in various categories and the most popular ones for adult learners are the Cambridge First Certificate and the Cambridge Advanced Certificate. and the IELTS Exam Online you can find some great tips from the University of Cambridge for the Cambridge Exams.

Thanks to First Certificate in English Weblog where I found this video.  It’s a well laid out blog specifically outlining the major points in the exam.

1) Written Section

2) Reading

3) Use of English

4) Listening

5) Speaking

In Ireland the exams take place in December, March, and June.  The dates are set now for the june exam and you can see University College Dublin or Dublin City University for registration details.  Here at U-Learn you join our FCE, CAE, and IELTS exam courses to help you prepare for these official external exams.  The First Certificate is set at an Upper Intermediate level and the Advanced Certificate is at an Advanced Level.   If you’re interested in finding out which exam might be more suitable you can sit our Online Level Test and we will send you your level.