How this language school boosts the midlands economy

Every year Lakeland Language Centre arranges host families and school places for Spanish students practising their English in Ireland. Collaborating with 17 schools across the midlands, the language centre brings more than 1,000 students to the region annually. This generates an extra €500,000 in the area, which is spread throughout the community, among host families and local businesses.

Established by Agustín del Rio and his mother Ángela from Madrid, the language centre has branches in Mullingar and Athlone, and has recently expanded to Tullamore. Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Agustín outlined how he and Ángela developed the company from their family business, in response to the high demand for host families here.

"My family had a small English school back in Madrid and they sent me [to Ireland] as a student because they believed how important it was to speak English. So I came to Athlone and so did my sister (also Ángela).

"Once I graduated college, I started to work alongside my mom and I would come to Athlone with the students myself. And then I realised that there was a lack of English schools here in Ireland for non-English speaking people. So we started a small business, changing the business model. So instead of bringing students from Spain to Ireland… hosting the students here," said Agustín.

Increased demand post-Brexit

Ireland has always been a popular destination for Spanish students hoping to improve their English. The short flight distance and Catholic ethos appeal to Spanish families, and Brexit has made this country 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," said Agustín.

Community-minded

Agustín sees similarities between Irish and Spanish people. "There’s a huge sense of community within the Irish culture… it’s like the people in the north of Spain… They might be hard at the beginning, but once they open their hearts, you know you have a friend there."

It’s important to Agustín and Ángela to create a sense of community among host families and schools. They strive to make a positive impact everywhere their centres are based. "We really care about community. I am aware of the number of students that we might bring, and for small towns, that might be disruptive. So we also work very hard to keep everything regulated.

"We want to have everything under control. And that’s, for example, for host families, we have different schemes and different programmes to teach them what is the best approach," said Agustín.

In areas like Elphin, where some schools may have low numbers, Agustín says the Spanish students have boosted the numbers of pupils, making more resources available. "We like schools to feel that it’s not just them doing a job by accepting students, but that it’s kind of a win-win thing. They take our students and in exchange, we always offer to help the school community.

"So I go to talk to the principals, and for example, this year in Ferbane, there’s a soccer team for girls… so we’ve sponsored the jerseys. We have put money towards the Bower for a running track. We put money also in Ballymahon Vocational School for basketball jerseys. So we’re open always to contribute and to help the community in any way we can in order to make everybody happy and to create balance in all this."

Win-win for hosts and students

The time spent abroad is extremely rewarding for students. "It’s hard enough for a kid to move schools, but to move country, school, family. So when they come back, it’s not that they are [necessarily] fluent in English, but they have been able to adapt to a different culture, so they have tools for the rest of their lives," said Agustín.

And while it’s a great way for Irish families to generate extra income, the benefits to hosts are not just financial. Greta and Hans Widmann, originally from Germany and now living in Collinstown, regularly host students. Hans told our reporter that "it’s nice to have" an "intercultural exchange".

"I think especially for our kids, it’s very enriching," said Hans. Greta feels "it broadens the horizons" for their children as well as for the visiting students. "Whoever comes into the house is very welcome, because they bring good energy," added Hans.

Lakeland Language Centre regularly organises parties, raffles and other events and initiatives to help host families feel connected and gain even more from the experience. In Mullingar they hosted a Christmas party and raffle for host families; and in Athlone, they are offering free Spanish lessons to the children of host families.

How to get involved

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. Agustín 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 090 647 0364; contact@lakelandlanguagecentre.com; lakelandlanguagecentre.com; and on Instagram: @lakelandlanguagecentre; and Facebook: Lakeland Language Centre Ireland.