HANDBOOK GALWAY 2017 - Ireland English Atlantic - Atlantic Language Galway
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STUDENT
HANDBOOK
GALWAY 2017
L I V E Ireland
L E A R N English
L O V E Atlantic
STUDENT HANDBOOK 2017 | ADULTS GALWAY
CONTENTS YOUR FIRST DAY
Page 2 Location and Contact | Your First Day | 08:00 to 08:20 Arrive and Register at Student Services:
School Holidays 2017 | Opening Hours see the Important Notes below for more
Page 3 Course Regulations information
08:20 to 08:50 Taking your speaking test if required
Page 4 Course Regulations | Host Families 09:00 to 10:30 First morning class period
Page 5 Host Families | School Apartments 10:30 to 11:00 Orientation
11:00 to 12:30 Second morning class period
Page 6 School Information | Useful Information
12:30 to 13:30 Lunch break
Page 7 Useful Information | Important Information 13:30 to 15:00 Afternoon class period: for students who
for Non-EU/Non-EEA Nationals have booked any of these classes: GE2,
GE1B, GE1+5P, CEP04F, CEP04A, IELTSi
15:15 to 16:30 Walking tour
LOCATION AND CONTACT
Important Notes:
Atlantic Language Galway
1. Your Arrival Confirmation document tells you the time
Fairgreen House, Fairgreen Road
you should arrive at the school: we strongly recommend
Galway, H91 AXK8, Ireland
that you arrive at the time given so you can complete
+353-91-566 053
any registration or tests;
contact@atlantic.ac
2. To allow us to place students correctly in classes it is
School Emergency +353-87-412 7456
necessary to do a Placement Test and a Speaking Test;
3. If you are invited to take an Online Placement Test before
arrival, please do this as soon as you can. When you
arrive at Atlantic you will only have to take the Speaking
Test. This speeds up your class placement;
4. If you do not complete the Online Placement Test it will
be necessary to do a Placement Test when you arrive in
addition to the Speaking Test. You will need a minimum
of 50 minutes to complete tests before classes begin;
5. Atlantic attempts to place students in classes by 09:00
on their start day: it is not possible to guarantee this.
The school will have all students classed for the second
morning class period at 11:00.
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 2017
The school is open Monday to Public Holidays 2017
Friday from 9 January to 22 - Friday 17 March
December with the exception of - Friday 14 April
the Public Holidays listed right. - Monday 17 April
- Monday 1 May
Furthermore, the school closes
- Monday 5 June
for Christmas Holidays on
- Monday 7 August
22 December 2017 and reopens
- Monday 30 October
on 8 January 2018.
Note that lessons missed due to Public Holidays and/or
exams will not be made up; no refund or credit will be given.
OPENING HOURS
08:00 to 17:00 Monday (Tuesday if Monday is a Public
Holiday) The school opens early for new
starting students
08:30 to 17:00 Tuesday to Friday
02
ADULTS GALWAY
COURSE REGULATIONS
ŶŶ Morning classes begin at 09:00, classes after morning where a student takes a holiday of 2 weeks then 2 weeks
break begin at 11:00 and afternoon classes at 13:30; will be added to the end date of the course.
ŶŶ To minimise disruption to classes, students will not be
Holidays | Academic Year Programme Students
allowed to enter classes more than 15 minutes after
There are specific arrangements for students during the
class start time;
Academic Year Programme. Academic Year Programme course
ŶŶ Please follow classroom rules regarding mobile phones,
duration is 25 weeks with an entitlement to specific holidays.
which are not allowed for personal use during class time;
ŶŶ Students absent from class for more than two weeks Students on this programme are eligible to work 40 hours
without a medical certificate or prior arrangement will be per week from 1 June to 30 September. Students are also
removed from the class lists. eligible to work 40 hours per week from the period 15
Attendance and Absence December to 15 January. Outside of these dates students
Students are expected to attend all classes and participate are eligible to work for up to 20 hours per week. Academic
actively. Atlantic Language maintains a record of all student Year Programme students are required to submit holiday
attendance and absence for inspection by immigration dates on a Holiday Request Form on arrival at the school.
and other state regulators. The minimum acceptable
Course Completed Holidays Allowed
level of attendance is 85 percent. Absence from class for
3 weeks 1 week
15 minutes or more is recorded as absence for the class
period. Students who are absent in any week may receive a 12 weeks 4 weeks
notification by email from the school. 15 | 18 | 21 weeks 5 | 6 | 7 weeks (respectively)
25 weeks 8 weeks
Certificate
All students will be given a certificate on completion of their Students with a visa require a letter from the school if they
course. This certificate will show the course taken, dates intend to leave Ireland for any holidays.
attended and the student’s final class level.
Illness and Sick Leave
Course Upgrade It is important to inform the school if you are ill and unable
Students who wish to upgrade from a standard course to to attend classes. If you are absent from school for longer
an intensive, examination or combination course may do than three days you must present a doctor’s certificate.
so by speaking to a member of staff at Student Services No credit will be given for individual days missed. Students
Department. Additional fees will apply. are recorded as absent if no medical certificate is provided.
Early Course Termination If you need to see a doctor, please speak to a member of
Students who wish to terminate a course early are asked staff at Student Services Department who can make an
to inform the school at the earliest possible opportunity. appointment for you.
Normal booking terms and conditions will apply. Level Change Test
Holidays | Non-Academic Year Programme Students Level Change tests give students the opportunity to review
Holidays must be booked at least 14 days in advance by their achievement at a level and, if successful, to move to
emailing holidays.gwy@atlantic.ac. School holidays can the next level.
only be taken on a Monday to Friday basis and changes
The tests are designed to review a range of areas that a
to holiday dates are not permitted once the dates are
student should be able to deal with successfully at the level
confirmed. Holiday entitlements for Non-Academic Year
that they want to move from. All tests include grammar,
Programme students are as follows:
vocabulary, writing and reading tasks. Teachers also
Course Duration Holidays Allowed contribute to each test by providing part of the marks for
such things as speaking and pronunciation during classroom
0 to 12 weeks No holidays
activities. Tests take 40 minutes to complete.
13 to 24 weeks 1 week holiday
25 to 35 weeks 2 weeks holiday The Level Change tests are different from the weekly
36 to 47 weeks 3 weeks holiday Progress Tests that teachers give. The weekly Progress
48+ weeks 4 weeks holiday Tests review the work that has been done in a class in one
week only. A high score on a class test is good but it does
The duration of holidays taken by a student will be added to not say that a student is strong across all the parts of a
the end of the course from which they have taken holidays: level. This is why a different test is used for level changes.
www.atlantic.ac 03
STUDENT HANDBOOK 2017 | ADULTS GALWAY
Level Change tests are taken on Tuesdays at 08:10. Late ^^ Provides their original book receipt;
arrivals and unregistered candidates will not be admitted. A ^^ Attends the Thursday Return Shop in the Library at 1230
student, once they feel ready to move from one level to the on the last Thursday of their course.
next, should first get their teacher’s advice about taking a test.
Keeping Books in Good Condition
ŶŶ To qualify for a Level Test students must have both: ŶŶ Do not write on the book
^^ Achieved 90 percent or more in their last four weekly ŶŶ Do not write student names on the cover or in the book
class Progress Tests, and ŶŶ No missing or damaged pages
^^ An attendance rate of minimum 80 percent in the ŶŶ No missing or damaged CDs
previous three weeks.
ŶŶ Level Change Tests cannot be taken in the first four Books in Use - 2017
weeks of a student’s course, or in the final week; A Syllabus English File, 3rd edition. Oxford University Press
ŶŶ Students must register for a test at latest by 15:00 on B Syllabus Speakout, 2nd edition, Pearson
the Friday before the test. Monday morning requests to School Regulations
change level are not facilitated; Atlantic reserves the right to expel students from the school
ŶŶ The minimum pass result to change level is 80 percent; for any of the following reasons:
ŶŶ Students who receive:
^^ Less than 80 percent - will not change level; ŶŶ Visa Infraction for the holder of an Irish student visa;
^^ Between 60 and 79 percent - may take another test ŶŶ Disregard for Atlantic’s guidelines in the school, host
after two weeks’ study from the previous test; family or school apartments;
^^ 59 percent or below must wait a minimum of four ŶŶ Malicious damage of property;
class weeks before taking another test. ŶŶ Unruly, rude or disturbing behaviour;
ŶŶ Bullying, threatening behaviour or violence towards
Level Change tests are graded by the Academic Office and another student, teacher or member of staff;
are independent of class teachers. It is possible for students ŶŶ Non-payment of fees;
to receive personal feedback showing areas of strength ŶŶ Use of any banned or illegal substances either on the
and weakness and recommending areas for attention and school’s premises or in accommodation;
improvement by making a Test Review Appointment. ŶŶ Non-disclosure of prior medical or psychological conditions;
ŶŶ Bringing overnight guests into the host family’s residence
Further information about Level Change Tests is posted in
or school apartment without expressed permission;
classrooms and on the Academic Office Noticeboard.
ŶŶ Theft or any violation of the law while attending the school;
Text Books ŶŶ There is no refund once you have started your course.
For New Enrolments Smoking
ŶŶ Students pay a €50 materials fee on each unique Smoking in public buildings or schools is not permitted in Ireland.
enrolment. This fee includes: School Policies
^^ All materials provided by teachers for the duration of In addition to the information provided in this Handbook,
the enrolled course students’ attention is drawn to the full set of School Policies
^^ The current level course book, issued Mondays during which may be accessed at http://www.atlantic.ac/policies.
the 11:00 class period (Tuesdays in high season)
ŶŶ Students may, at any time, buy a new course book for
€30 from Student Services HOST FAMILIES
Atlantic Language places our students with selected host
Change of Book
families in Galway. If you have anything you need to discuss
ŶŶ The textbook used in class will change for two reasons:
with us about your accommodation please speak to a Student
^^ A Syllabus change (this occurs every 12-13 weeks); Services staff member and we will be happy to help you.
^^ A student progresses to another level (subject to
Atlantic Level Change Policy, above). Location
ŶŶ The school runs a Tuesday Book Shop as follows: Irish families generally live in the suburbs of Galway. You will
^^ Library, Fairgreen House: 12:30–13:00, every Tuesday; need to take a bus to the city centre and you will be advised
^^ Students pay a €20 returnable deposit to receive how/where to take a bus by your host family on your first day.
their next course book if necessary; If you wish to purchase a weekly or monthly commuter bus
ŶŶ Deposits are returned at the end of a course if the student: ticket or receive a timetable you can do so at the Bus Éireann
^^ Returns their additional course book in good condition; office which is near the school.
04
ADULTS GALWAY
Keys SCHOOL APARTMENTS
Your host family will provide you with a door key of their If you have any questions or problems with your apartment
house. All keys must be kept safely and be returned to the during your stay, please contact a member of staff at
family on the last day of your stay. Student Services Department. All students must leave their
Laundry apartments by 10:00 (am) on their last day (Saturday).
Students will be able to wash their clothes once a week. If you are interested in moving from your host family to a
If you need more access to the facilities you may ask your school apartment, 2 weeks’ notice must be given to the host
family or alternatively use a laundrette service. family. Please discuss this with the school in advance.
Smoking Damage or Loss Agreement
All of our families operate a policy of no smoking in their Apartment residents must complete and sign an Apartment
homes. Please check with your family if they have an Damage or Loss Liability Agreement before arrival, agreeing
area where you may smoke in the house. Smoking in the to reimburse Atlantic Language for the cost of any damage
bedrooms is never permitted. to the apartment or its fittings, the cost of any repairs,
Meals additional cleaning or any replacements necessary to return
Host family accommodation is on a half-board basis the apartment to its proper condition as a result of the
(breakfast and evening meal) from Monday to Friday and resident’s stay. In addition, the resident is responsible for
full board (breakfast, lunch and evening meal) at weekends. the replacement cost of keys, key cards or fobs or other
Please check meal times with your family and inform them access devices lost or damaged during their stay. This cost
if you have made other plans and will not be returning home is €50.
for a meal.
School Apartment Regulations
Using Facilities in The Home ŶŶ Apartments are booked on a Saturday (Sunday) to
Students are not allowed to use the family’s telephone or Saturday basis. Check-out time is before 10.00 am on
internet without permission. If you do use the telephone the Saturday.
call must be paid for. ŶŶ On your departure, please make sure that you return the
keys of the apartment. The procedure for returning your
Students may purchase an Irish SIM card and call credit
keys will be advised in the arrival pack, which you will
(top-up) for their mobile phone. Along with SIM cards,
receive on your arrival. If your keys are not returned in
international calling cards are available at many mobile
the proper manner you may be charged up to €50.
phone shops, newsagents and supermarkets.
ŶŶ Please make sure that your apartment is clean when you
WiFi arrangements differ in host families and students must depart.
be aware of this. It is important to check WiFi arrangements ŶŶ It is forbidden to allow anybody stay overnight in the
with hosts. A Fair and Reasonable Use of Internet policy apartment. If you fail to comply with this rule, you will be
applies to all families: students who use an excessive asked to leave the apartment immediately.
amount of internet may be asked to make a payment to School Apartment House Rules
cover the extra cost. ŶŶ All stereo, radio and TV appliances should be kept at a
Please respect the privacy of the host family: some volume that will not interfere with your neighbours’ quiet
families may not want to have their photographs or enjoyment of their homes. This includes the playing of
other information taken or used for social media or other musical instruments, loudspeakers, mechanical noise,
purposes. singing and other noise that might cause annoyance
to the owners and occupiers of the development. Most
Remember that the security of the host family home is
especially, no noise should be audible outside your
important to those living there: you should do nothing to put
apartment between the hours of 23:00 and 09:00.
the family’s safety or security at risk.
ŶŶ To protect the security of the complex, residents are
Host Families requested not to allow entry to anybody except your
own personally invited guests and visitors.
Living in a host family in Ireland is an interesting and ŶŶ No obstruction (e.g. bicycles, rubbish, luggage) of any
different cultural experience. Please speak with your host kind should be placed in the common areas such as the
family about their ways and respect your host family and stairways, car park or gardens. Bicycles must not be
the house. There is a reference document ‘Staying with a locked to lampposts, trees, railings or balconies.
Host Family’ available at Student Services if required. ŶŶ Washing must not be hung out to dry on any balconies or
www.atlantic.ac 05STUDENT HANDBOOK 2017 | ADULTS GALWAY
be visible from the windows. ŶŶ Olã Café in Fairgreen House is open from 08:30 to 15:00
ŶŶ Every effort should be made to keep the common areas Monday to Friday
and your apartment clean and tidy. ŶŶ Roof-top garden
ŶŶ Smoking is prohibited inside apartments. ŶŶ Library service available for books and DVDs. This service
is available between 12:30 and 13:00 on Monday,
SCHOOL INFORMATION Wednesday and Friday. The library service requires a
deposit of €5 which will be returned to you. The DVD
Academic Office Service Hours
rental service requires a €10 members fee (€5 one-off
Students with queries or issues regarding teaching,
payment and €5 deposit which will be returned to you)
assessment, classes and class materials should go directly
to the Academic Office, which is open to students at the School Letters
following times each day: If you require a letter for Immigration, a letter for joining a
gym or opening an Irish bank account please ask a member
Mornings 08:30 to 09:00
of staff at Student Services Department.
10:30 to 11:00
Afternoons 12:30 to 13:30
15:00 to 15:30 USEFUL INFORMATION
Activities and Excursions* Emergency Services (Police, Fire, Ambulance)
ŶŶ Guided Walking tour of Galway City (Free) � 999 (fixed phone) or 112 (mobile phone)
ŶŶ Book Club (Free) School Emergency Contact Number
ŶŶ Irish Culture Class / Vocabulary Class (Free) +353-87-412 7456
ŶŶ Film of the Week in English with subtitles (Free)
ŶŶ Job Club (Free) Police - An Garda Siochána
ŶŶ Pub Night (Free) Mill Street Garda Station, Mill Street, Galway
ŶŶ Song Class (Free) � +353-91-538 000
ŶŶ Be a Teacher (Free) Hospital
ŶŶ Pronunciation class (Free) University Hospital Galway (UHG), Newcastle Road,
ŶŶ Irish Dancing Lessons Galway
ŶŶ Aran Islands—Inis Mór largest Island with Dún Aengus � +353-91-580 580
ŶŶ The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher Doctor
ŶŶ Connemara Tour Galway Bay Medical Centre, Dock Road, Galway
* There are limited spaces on some of activities and � +353-91-530 054
excursions. You are advised to register as early as possible info@galwaybaymedicalcentre.ie
at the Student Services desk to avoid disappointment. Dentist
Dr. Mary Colbert
Fire Safety
Forster Court Dental Care, Forster Court, Galway
If you hear the alarm please follow your teacher’s or
� +353-91-562 223
another staff member’s instructions and:
ŶŶ Leave the building immediately Weather and more...
ŶŶ Go directly, in a calm manner, to the nearest fire exit; ŶŶ Ireland has a temperate climate with summer
ŶŶ Do not take anything with you; temperatures ranging from 16° to 24° Celsius. In winter
ŶŶ Do not run; the temperature rarely drops below freezing point, but
ŶŶ Do not return to your classroom or into the school until because of wind and rain and the ensuing dampness, the
you are told it is safe to do so; climate can seem cold. The weather varies a lot so you
ŶŶ Go to the Assembly Point and report to your teacher. can have sun and showers in one day.
ŶŶ The official currency of Ireland since January 2002 is euro
Read the Fire Action notice in your classroom and be familiar (€). One euro is divided into 100 cent and coins come in
with the location of your fire exit. 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, €1 and €2 values. Notes are €5,
€10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500.
School Facilities
ŶŶ All major debit and credit cards are accepted in Ireland.
ŶŶ Free WiFi, called aWiFi, available from 08:30 to 17:00,
Monday to Friday; Most transactions require Chip and Pin. Contactless
ŶŶ The Library in Fairgreen House is available for study Monday payment cards are becoming more popular for smaller
to Friday 12:30 to 17:00. payments.
06ADULTS GALWAY
ŶŶ ATMs (cash machines) are widely available in major IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR
towns and cities.
ŶŶ Be aware that many shops operate ‘Rounding’ when NON-EU/NON-EEA NATIONALS
giving change when you pay: they calculate your change This is very important information: it should be read
to the nearest 5 cent amount, so 1 or 2c round down carefully and be understood. If you do not understand your
to 0c while 3 or 4c round up to 5c. This is in line with obligations, you should ask for advice at Student Services.
national policy since 2015. For details see https://www. People who come to Ireland from Non-EU or Non-EEA
centralbank.ie/paycurr/Pages/rounding.aspx countries who wish to stay more than 90 days must
ŶŶ All shops in Ireland charge a government levy of 22c for register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau
a single-use plastic bag. Reusable bags can be bought (GNIB) by the date stamped in the person’s passport by
for approximately €1.30. To cut down on costs when you immigration officers at the airport of arrival in the Republic
go grocery shopping, remember to bring your own bags of Ireland.
with you.
On registration at the local GNIB office (see map below),
ŶŶ The electrical current in Ireland is 220
the GNIB issue a registration card (GNIB card). Cards must
volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC).
ŶŶ Electrical wall sockets take plugs with
3 flat-pins, as in the United Kingdom,
and are similar in design to the
example on the right. An Irish electrical plug
ŶŶ Electrical adapters may be bought in many shops,
supermarkets and pharmacies to allow international
power plugs to connect to the Irish electrical system.
Location of and route to the Galway office of
the Garda National Immigration Bureau
www.atlantic.ac 07be collected after 10 working days from Information required to register
the day they presented their documents. with the GNIB
STUDENT
Immigration Rules
ŶŶ Passport
ŶŶ Proof of medical insurance for the
HANDBOOK
The rules that apply to students and
immigration visas can be found on the
duration of your stay in Ireland.
The certificate, in English must also
GALWAY
website of the Irish Naturalisation and
Immigration Service (INIS)
confirm that your medical insurance
covers all medical expenses, in-
2017
INIS Website patient and out-patient hospital
http://www.inis.gov.ie/ treatment, visits to general
Language Students should read practitioners, consultants’ fees,
http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/ MRI and x-ray costs, medicines,
Pages/Students physiotherapy and the cost of
and follow the link ‘I want to study an hospital accommodation, to a limit of
English language course’ €250,000. Travel insurance will not
To go to the GNIB Office by Bus be accepted.
Take the 405 (Ballybane) bus from Eyre ŶŶ A letter from your school showing
Square (stop 2). Buses start at 06:55 and your name, date of birth, course
Ireland West
run every 20 minutes through the day. dates, holidays, hours per week (and, (Knock)
Ask the bus driver for the stop nearest for extensions, your attendance rate
to the Ulster Bank on the Tuam Road. which must be at least 85 percent) Galway Dublin
Take the entrance road by the Ulster Ŷ Ŷ A statement from an Irish bank
Shannon
Bank into the Liosbán Industrial Estate. showing that you have a balance of
Walk past Centrepoint Apartments. at least €3,000, or a statement of
The GNIB office is on the right hand account that satisfies the GNIB
Cork
side at the end of the road, between Ŷ Ŷ Proof of address from your landlord
O’Brien’s Sandwich Bar and Jaycee or school (if you are staying in a host
Printers. family or apartment, the school can
issue this to you)
Garda National Immigration ŶŶ A registration fee of €300 which must
Bureau Galway Local Office
be paid to the GNIB. This can be paid
Unit 2, Liosbán Industrial Estate,
by credit card. If this is not possible,
Tuam Road, Galway.
the Immigration Office can give you
� +353-91-768 002
a bank form for the payment. Take
Public Hours:
this form to the bank to pay the fee
Monday to Thursday 07:30 to 14:00
and return the completed receipt to
Friday 07.30 to 12.30
the GNIB officer to confirm that the
gaillimh.immigration@garda.ie
payment has been made.
NOTE: These details are provided for information purposes and relates in part to the requirements of
the Irish Immigration Act (2004). You may have responsibilities under other Irish law. This information
is not an interpretation of Irish law nor is it to be considered as legal advice. Questions about your
legal obligations under the Immigration Acts or other Irish law should be addressed to the GNIB or to a
suitably qualified legal professional.
Atlantic Language Galway and
Atlantic Language Dublin are
recognised by ACELS, a service of
Quality and Qualifications Ireland,
for English language teaching (ELT)
Atlantic Language Dublin and Galway
Dublin Galway www.atlantic.ac
Magennis Place, Pearse Street Fairgreen House, Fairgreen Road
GA-P1701
Dublin, D02 FK76 Galway, H91 AXK8 contact@atlantic.ac
Ireland Ireland
T | +353-1-677 8898 T | +353-91-566 053You can also read
