Chinese pupils' visit a first for Irish schools

THE first group of second-level Chinese students to study English in Ireland will arrive in Cork later this year.

The visit by students from schools in Shanghai, which was twinned with Cork last year, is being arranged by the Marketing English in Ireland (MEI) group - the national representative body for the country's English language teaching schools.

Valerie Cullen, MEI spokesperson and managing director of the Cork English College, said she hoped the twinning relationship would result in many more such visits. She was speaking after a major MEI showcase of Ireland's English language teaching education system to almost 80 international education agents in Cork last week.

The agents, from Europe, the Far East and South America, spent the week touring Ireland before visiting individual language schools in Cork.

MEI members have been promoting the English language teaching industry for nearly 11 years. The industry is worth almost €300 million to the Irish economy annually and accounts for almost 13% of our tourism revenue.

Ms Cullen said MEI members have in the past taught English to businessmen, third-level students and soldiers in the Italian and Czech armies as part of their preparation for roles with the UN. They also specialise in aviation English for foreign pilots.

But the visit next September of second-level students will be the first such visit of its kind in Ireland. The students will stay with host families across the city.