Local language school seeks host families

Lakeland Language Centre has recently expanded to Tullamore and is looking for families to host Spanish students. The centre collaborates with 17 schools across the midlands, bringing over 1,000 students to the area every year, and has branches in Athlone and Mullingar, as well as Tullamore. The centres are run by two siblings from Madrid, Agustín and Angela Del Rio.

Ireland has always been a popular destination for Spanish students hoping to improve their English, and Brexit has made it even more attractive. “Ever since Brexit happened, the number of students in Ireland has increased a lot and the number of host families is not increasing accordingly. So there is a shortage for places like ourselves to find the right number of host families to match our students,” explained Agustín. It’s important to Agustin and Angela to give back to the communities where their students are based. They make an effort to sponsor local schools and support the host families through a variety of initiatives.

Agustín and Angela are seeking Offaly families who might have empty rooms to fill now that their children have gone to college, or who are looking to earn some extra money while enjoying a cultural exchange. Families can earn around €900 a month by hosting students. “In the timetable they follow, the host family just need to drop them at 9am and collect them at 5pm, give them breakfast, a packed lunch and dinner, and that's it. The rest of the time, they are with us, apart from the evening time. After five o'clock, they are just experiencing what it's like to be a part of the extended family,” said Agustín.

There are two ways to host students. They are either accommodated for an entire academic year or on a weekly basis. Augustín says the weekly option suits those who don’t want a long-term commitment: “They can decide not to take them maybe one week and to carry on the following week.”

It's simple for those interested to get involved in the scheme. “They fill out a form, we go and do a house check, and then we do the garda vetting to make sure everything is ok, and that's how we start,” explained Agustín. If you’d like to learn more about hosting Spanish students with Lakeland Language Centre, contact Tracy on on 090 647 0364; contact@lakelandlanguagecentre.com; lakelandlanguagecentre.com; and on Instagram: @lakelandlanguagecentre; and Facebook: Lakeland Language Centre Ireland.