Language Learning InternationalDublin, Ireland

Overview
Language Learning International offer students the unique opportunity to spend a term or a full academic year in and Irish secondary school. Attending an Irish secondary school is a wonderful opportunity for highly motivated and ambitious students to improve their English skills in a country renowned for its friendliness and hospitality.

LLI work with the best secondary schools all over Ireland, including private, boarding, and excellent state schools, to provide a tailored programme for young, motivated learners. Students stay with individually selected host families, who are fully vetted and inspected, and known personally by LLI. Students are welcomed as members of the family and your host family will be your home away from home.

School system in Ireland
The secondary school system in Ireland is split into two cycles, the junior and the senior cycle. The junior cycle encompasses first, second, and third year of secondary school. Students enter first year at the age of twelve, following the completion of eight years of primary school. The junior cycle concludes in third year, following the completion of the state examination known as the Junior Certificate.

In between the junior and the senior cycle, students generally take part in Transition Year. Transition year students are between 15 and 17 years old. While it varies between schools, Transition Year is usually less academic and more self-motivated than other years, focusing on personal growth and education. Students often take electives and skill-building modules (self-defense, first aid training, a new language, work experience etc.). Transition year helps students expand their personal interests and boost their maturity ahead of beginning the senior cycle.

The senior cycle comprises of 5th and 6th year, and leads to the final secondary school state examination known as the Leaving Certificate. Students are usually around 18 years old when they sit their Leaving Certificate, and their exam results are important as they lead to university acceptance and graduation from secondary school.