 St Aidan's CBS, Whitehall, Dublin, Ireland |
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| St Aidan's CBS, Whitehall, Dublin, Ireland |
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Being from another country is not easy, because when you move abroad, you leave everything behind like friends. Also going to a new secondary school, where everything is different, can be gruesome. But over time you get used to the new things and they soon become old and very familiar to you.
I was like that when I came here. Ireland to me was completely different, and over time I got used to the difference and made new friends. And now I consider Dublin like my hometown.
St. Aidan's C.B.S. is a secondary school with many facilities, from sport fields to guidance counselling. The sport facilities can make you feel like home because when it comes right down to it, playing sport is like anywhere else in the world. The school also provides help to students with language difficulties, like in English. This facility has helped many foreign and irish pupils over the years to improve their English dramatically.
Cristian
My name is Jeril. I am 12 years old. I live in Beaumont with my family. I am studying in St. Aidans C.B.S. It is the best school I ever studied in. I came to Ireland in September 2005.
When I first came to Ireland, I felt very lonely and sad because my grandparents and friends were in India. I really missed them. I thought of going back also. Even when I started in St. Fiachra's primary school, I felt lonely as there was a language problem. Gradually I picked up my English and started making friends. My teacher and classmates were very kind and gave me solid support. Now I have lots of friends here and I really enjoy living here.
Jeril
When I came from Peru the biggest challenge was to learn English. I came to Ireland with a bit of English. It looked easy at first but when I started to learn grammar and other things it got harder. One day, when I was walking down the street I heard people talking and I didn't know what they were saying. It made me eager to learn English.
The thing that helped me most was the playground and my school, Sacred Heart. I started to learn English more easily. And while my writing was not that good, I started to improve over time. Now it's ok, and I am learning more new languages - French and Irish. My Irish is ok, but at French I am better because it is like Spanish.
Victor
Many people believe that moving to a foreign country and learning a foreign language is unimaginable. For me, who has been living here for six years now, it didn't seem very difficult. But when I think back to when I first arrived here from Bangladesh, I was scared and upset to leave my family and friends behind, and come to a completely different country.
Before coming to Ireland, I did have a basic knowledge of the English language. I studied the language in school as students study French in schools here. But learning the language in school is one things and living among people who use it in every day life is completely different. I adjusted to my new lifesytle very quickly and grasped the language incredibly quickly as well according to my family and friends.
My parents were a big help to me and so were the teachers in my new school, who were very patient and understanding about my situation. It also helped to have a close group of friends who helped me understand the different slang and accents in Dublin. Of course many parents think that too much T.V. is bad, but I learned a lot of my English from watching the English cartoons, shows, etc. In short I would like to say to any new-comers to this school or this country: don't be afraid and talk to your friends and teachers as much as you can. And of course talk to your parents and respect them and enjoy your time here together, because without them you would not be here right now.
Sadiqur
India is a country in South Asia. It is the 7th largest country by geographical area, the second most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Like Ireland, India was colonised by Britain. India achieved independence on August 15th, 1947.
New Delhi is the capital of India. The national language of India is Hindi. There are many regional languages as well. They include Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. There are 24 languages in India that are spoken by a million or more people.
Festival in India vary from religion to religion, and region to region. The festival of lights, Divali is an ancient festival celebrated throughout India. The legend behind it is the triumph of good over evil. The major religion in India is Hinduism. Other religions include Sikh, Buddism, Jainism, Islam and Christianity. The word Hindu originally meant 'people living on the banks of the river Sindhu.
Karthik