StudyWorld Fair - Berlin 2017

We've just completed our first every StudyWorld fair as a company, in Berlin!

The event was over two days, in a superb convention centre in down town Berlin. We were very happy to have been joined by some professional colleagues as well as past students at the event, with remarkable levels of interest shown by industry leaders in our particular business model: Choice, Commitment & Transparency.

With almost 7000 visitors seeking various study abroad options, we've come away with over 30 strong leads for 2017 & 2018, not to mention while in Berlin signing up three new secondary schools are partners for immersion, meeting 4 new agents preparing to work with us and finally putting a face to many people we have been emailing with in recent months.

We also managed to get unique insight to developments regarding our competitors, particularly how they use such events to give away quite literally tens of thousands of euro of merchandise to secure names & email addresses. While this isn't a route we'll ever go down, nor will we ever copy the tactics of others, it certainly explains a LOT in terms of where their exorbitant fees go, particularly when we know it isn't to the host families or student welfare.

http://www.studyworld.de/en/media.php#

High School Year in Ireland - French Article

Une société possédée et gérée par des Irlandais est apparue comme un leader agressif du marché, accueillant des étudiants allemands participant à un programme d'échange après des années de déclin dans le secteur. LingooSchool s'est formé suite à de longues négociations et planification par un certain nombre de familles d'accueil irlandaises anciennement affiliées à d'autres entreprises et a émergé comme le plus grand réseau de familles d'accueil pour les étudiants participant à un programme d'échange en Irlande pour la saison 2017-2018.

 

À la suite des foires commerciales en Allemagne, ce printemps, co-directeur basé à County Tipperary, en Irlande, Sharon Cornally a déclaré : "Notre entreprise est axée, non seulement sur les normes d'hébergement des étudiants, mais aussi sur la rémunération versée aux familles d'accueil. Certaines entreprises paient aux familles d'accueil, moins de 25% de ce qu'elles facturent aux étudiants pour l'expérience, notre entreprise paie les accueillants 75% et +, avec une direction et des administrateurs irlandais dédiés".

 

Le secteur, qui était auparavant dominé par EF, STS et Interstudies, s'est révélé dans le flux, car de nombreuses familles d'accueil ont quitté les anciens leaders du marché suite à de nouvelles coupures dans les structures de paiement et de gestion.

 

Director Rainey déclare, "Le marché trouve un nouveau niveau dans lequel il peut fonctionner, et ce niveau indique clairement que les familles d'accueil ont besoin d'être mieux rémunérés, les étudiants exigent des normes plus élevées et plus d'efforts doivent être alloués à la transparence et la simplicité de la réservation – qui est effectuée sur le Web. LingooNinja & LingooSchool travaille dans 41 marchés à travers le monde, avec des agents physiques et des représentants qui alimentent les étudiants dans notre réseau. Nous mettons l'accent sur les étudiants, leurs besoins et leurs attentes".

 

Une caractéristique unique de l'entreprise est que 20% des actions LingooSchool sont détenues par les familles d'accueil qui composent le réseau de la famille LingooNinja. L'entreprise dispose actuellement de 133 hébergeurs approuvés.

 

En ce qui concerne le réseau des familles d'accueil, la directrice générale de LingooSchool, Catriona Harpin basée à County Monaghan, souligne que "chaque famille d'accueil dans notre réseau nous est connue personnellement, par une visite à domicile, une entrevue ou une longue période de coopération avec nous dans d'anciennes entreprises. Nous nous efforçons pour mettre en œuvre les plus hautes normes et le meilleur service, et vu que 20% des actions de l'entreprise sont détenues par les hébergeurs, chacun a un intérêt dans le succès et les normes établis par la société".

 

"Cette année, nous avons visité des événements en Espagne, en Allemagne, en Pologne, aux Pays-Bas, en Belgique et en France jusqu'à maintenant, avec beaucoup plus à venir » déclare Catriona Harpin. « Il est clair que l'Irlande est maintenant la destination privilégiée pour les étudiants qui souhaitent participer à un programme de logement d'été ou faire une année d'échange dans une High School".

www.LingooSchool.com | www.LingooNinja.com | www.Facebook.com/LingooNinja

Trade Fairs & Networking

This will be our first year attending the StudyWorld Trade events, ST Alphe and ICEF events in Europe.

As most followers know, our host families own 20% of the shares in our company, and we work hard to ensure the highest standards for students, hosts and partners. 

We've come to realise, this industry has become one BIG closed shop, and getting our foot in the door has been painful in terms of hours emailing, networking, phone calls and Skype calls.  However, on a positive note, a few weeks ago, our persistence really started to pay off.  It turns out we're being closely watched ... not by CIA, FBI, MOSSAD, MI5 or FSB, but by the market leaders and influencers.

We've built this company around quality.  Around decency.  Around standards for students and hosts.  The ethics never had to be discussed because the three Directors were in tune from day one and focused on what mattered - the best experience possible for students, and good pay & expenses for host families. Everything was a by the by.

The 5 trade events we're doing this month and next are sure to set us apart in many ways from our competitors.  We know no single company is the best, or does everything right (Lord only knows as hosts we've had our fair share of bad students and issues too over the years), but eyes are upon us because we have the single largest independent network of host families, the nest selection of Irish schools and the fighting spirit of Ninjas (yeah, you were wondering what they were about!).

We're forging links and partnerships across the World.  Germany, Bolivia, Egypt, France, Korea (the good part), Russia, Spain, Chile and more.  Bookings in Ireland for exchange students is up 11% according to MEI, and it remains the global number one destination for learning English.

We have more to do however! We are pushing hard on our accessibility policy to host more students with disabilities.  We're in contact with schools, agents, brokers and trade specialists daily to ensure we grow as fast as possible.  We need to maintain the traction we have to catapult us beyond 2017 and into 2018, 2019 and Brexit.  It is Brexit that will bring us into our own.  Imagine the UK needing Visas.  Currency fluctuations. EU Health card being invalid. Ireland will then surely be the jewel in the crown of English language immersion. 

Keep up to date with us on www.Facebook.com/LingooNinja

Share our posts and RT our tweets.  It's a busy time.  It's a fun time.  All great things have a beginning. 

Discover County Tipperary on an immersive English language experience

With thanks to Mary O'Donnell for this superb contribution! Mary & Derry are LingooNinja & LingooSchool hosts, and their profile can be viewed here: http://odonnell.tipperary.lingooninja.com 

County Tipperary :)

County Tipperary is a real gem when it comes to exchange visits for students who want to learn and improve their English in Ireland. There is an abundance of visitor experiences that Tipperary has to offer, from ancient sites to historic landmarks, vibrant activities, authentic cultural trips, fun-filled family adventures and gourmet treats to name but a few. Visitors have an abundance to enjoy within the county, and its central location makes it the ideal hub for touring around Ireland.

Worth remembering for any visiting students is that popular sites run by the Office of Public Works (OPW) have free admission on the first Wednesday of every month. The primary visitor attractions in Co. Tipperary are the Rock of Cashel (300,749 visitors), Holy Cross Abbey (210,000 visitors) and Cahir Castle (78, 000 visitors). Other places well worth visiting include the historic towns of Fethard, Carrick on Suir, Clonmel, Cashel, Templemore, Cahir, Roscrea, Thurles, and Nenagh, mountains and uplands, rivers and a vast array of looped walks and long distance trails. 

 Those who prefer a visit packed full of adventure will enjoy kayaking, water-skiing, river swimming and cycle trails along the River Suir and the world-renowned Lough Derg, Ireland's largest inland lake. Hikers and climbers will be challenged by the rugged slopes of the Galtees, Upperchurch, Slieve Felim, Devil's Bit and Knockmealdown Mountains. Saddle up for a mesmerising pony trek through valleys and hills. Grab a bike and enjoy some great cycling routes around the various cycling trails. Your host family in Tipperary will be able to guide you to local amenities and clubs that cater for your preferences. 

All towns and villages have the Irish sports of hurling and football as their most popular activities. County Tipperary prides itself on it's success in these sports at a local and county level. Students staying in Tipperary can get to experience the celebrations when the local team win. Tipperary prides itself as being 'The home of hurling'. Students staying with host families in Borrisoleigh shared in the ultimate of celebrations in 2016 as the Captain of the All Ireland winning Tipperary team came from Borrisoleigh and brought the team home for a week of celebrations.

Tipperary is an unspoilt destination, undiscovered by many yet easily accessible to all with its links to the motorways ,rail lines and bus routes. Its unrivalled central location means that Tipperary is the ideal base for touring a multitude of Irish destinations, from the Cliff of Moher in Clare, to the old-time seaside resort of Tramore in Waterford. Head to the buzzing city of Cork for a day or visit the enchanting Birr Castle Gardens in Offaly for a few hours. The historic Limerick city is just a short distance, while Kilkenny Castle is a stone's throw from Tipperary. 

In towns and villages throughout the county there's a happening, a gathering, a festival, a session, no special occasion needed, where arriving visitors leave as locals.

From gentle strolls through the county's lowlands, to pottering about local Farmer's Markets, visiting craft workshops or enjoying relaxing outdoor painting courses, taking time to take it all in is at the heart of the Tipperary experience. 

 

County Tipperary is a horse lovers paradise. There are numerous equestrian centres around the county catering for all levels of ability. If you are lucky enough you could get to stay with a family who have their own horses and ponies that you can ride.  Recognised internationally for producing some of the world's best equine stock, Tipperary is now home to the Fethard Horse Country Visitor Experience, due to open soon. A paradise for horse enthusiasts, this brand new immersive experience will bring to life the 5000-year relationship between man and horse in the Golden Vale.

Tipperary people, as with all Irish people, love to talk and tell stories. If you stop someone to ask for directions be prepared to listen to a story or two or get the weather forecast for the next week! With that in mind, what better way to finish than with a little tale from when St. Patrick chased the Devil out of Ireland through Tipperary.

Once upon a time, in a mystical land called Ireland, the Devil decided to come to the Premier County and sample the local cuisine of Bacon and Cabbage, and a few pints of Guinness.  The weather was mild and everything was fine, until who should he bump into, but St. Patrick and his donkey.  Now, St. Patrick did not like the Devil and told him to be on his way and leave the country immediately.  The Devil was not impressed at being ordered around and decided to show St. Patrick what he thought of the command to leave.  He felt if he had to leave, he would take along a souvenir with him.  So, running away from St. Patrick near Templemore, he took a bite out of the nearby mountain and rushed off, heading for Cork.  St. Patrick jumped up on his donkey and gave chase.  They were flying through the county when they came to a place called Cooneen, near Templederry.  Here there were two hills and a deep valley in between.  The devil, with his bite of mountain still with him, jumped straight over the valley from one hill to the other and continued on.  St. Patrick's donkey, who was of course, merely mortal and not supernatural in any way, found the distance between the two hills a bit far, and had to come down into the valley, to make another leap onto the next hill.  On landing on a rock in the valley, a deep impression of his hoofprint was left in the rock before leaping off the rock to continue on after the Devil.  By now, the Devil was beginning to get tired, lugging half a mountain top with him and on reaching Cashel, dropped the rocky crop next to the town and continued on to Cork.  After making sure that the Devil had left the country, St. Patrick went back to Cashel and on top of the rock, placed an abbey and a cathedral.  The rock became the Rock of Cashel, the mountain in Templemore with the bite taken out of it became the Devil's Bit, and as for the Devil, well, we know he caught a boat from Cobh and legend has it that is was unsinkable!

BREXIT Challenges

March 29th was BREXIT day, when the UK government triggered Article 50, starting a 24 month process to disengage from the European Union.  The uncertainty this causes for any EU national living, working, studying or wishing to visit the UK is is immense, impacting hugely on Language Schools, Host Families and Secondary Schools right across the UK.

While the phrase may be over 100 years old, 'England's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity' seems apt today, albeit slightly modified to be 'UK's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity'.  Schools, Agents, Companies and Individuals historically inclined to head for the UK on English language Development courses are now eyeing up Ireland as the sole nation inside the EU as native English speaking.

To this end, our business development continues with potential partners right across the EU, and each and every one of them realises Visas, currency fluctuation, economic and political uncertainty can cause huge difficulties while trying to plan ahead, because simply put, in terms of the UK relationship with the EU, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

Ireland can hold it's head up high now as the sole English speaking country in the EU, Visa free for EU citizens and more, and capable of offering a high standard, the highest in student hosting and language development. 

Trade Fairs & Corporate Development

No doubt the development of any new business is demanding on the sleep pattern and finances. Luckily for us at LingooNinja & LingooSchool we have a superb team of people constantly promoting and rooting for the cause! 

Quarter one has seen some superb business development and progress. Our portal now has 130 or so vetted and verified host families, of whom we are very proud and can offer to students with absolute confidence of a wonderful Homestay or School Year experience.  We have also attend a number of Trade Fairs and Corporate Events in Ireland, Germany, Poland and Ukraine, enabling us to work with great people, and great companies. 

The hard work continues though.  Daily we need to refine our marketing & PR, as primarily we are a web based company.  However, we are also reaching out to our growing database of past students, their families, their schools and communities. It all takes time and patience :)

It has been sad to see some well established competitors change their business models in a manner we feel is detrimental to student hosting.  EF decided to "do away" with their local coordinators, meaning a huge leap in line management from student & host family up to regional management. EF have already been fending off a decline in hosts due to the low remuneration they pay, and this kicking away of the stool from local coordinators is sure to accelerate their decline in the Irish market.  Interstudies have also been struggling with host families, and several smaller companies have closed their doors altogether.  The market is changing, and fast, and we hope we are a positive influence on the improvement of student hosting in Ireland.

There is a still a lot happening next quarter. We've representatives at no less than 4 trade events, as well as substantial marketing efforts underway in our 41 identified markets.  We're fine tuning the profiles of host families as well as putting in place the schedules for day trips and school enrolement.

Because our host families are integral to the success of our company, we have put considerable effort into their development.  That development will continue with some web training on profile development, and some assistance in student PR and handling. There is no time for sleep! 

As always, our focus remains on driving up standards in Ireland for any student visiting.  We will never become the kind of "sign up and dump on doorstep" company others have turned into.  Our students get to pick the host family they wish to go to, we don't force them into families.  Our students get to decide their package and experience, it's never going to be a one size fits all. That's what makes LingooSchool & LingooNinja different, and better! 

Host Family - Quality First

When we launched LingooNinja & LingooSchool we decided it wasn't going to be a vehicle just anyone could jump on. There are other student exchange companies for that!

Our aim is tripartite - Transparent Pricing, Quality Hosts, Local Support. To that end, we're operating effectively and meeting targets. 

While most business comes from referrals, our best advertisement is how our host families are presented. That means good quality host family profiles which we can promote and justify the program we're selling and "wow" students by the prices we're charging.

It's great to see so many profiles looking so well.  Weekly we'll check and encourage updates and improvements. An updated profile is visited more frequently and attracts longer stays. Longer stays mean greater retention rates and more bookings.

March is a busy month. Trade Fairs in Germany, school visits in Poland and events elsewhere.  It's all happening. So stay tuned in and in contact!

Team LingooNinja & LingooSchool

JC has experienced 3 Lingoo Ninja stays in 3 Years to improve his English.

JC is 16 and has been enjoying an Academic Year in Ireland  2016/2017. Here is his story :) 

Bonjour (ou bonsoir),

Je m'appelle JC, j'ai 161/2ans, j'habite à Bordeaux et je viens de passer une année sabatique en Irlande afin d'améliorer mon anglais. Le lycée où j'allais se nomme Virginia College et comprend environ 750 élèves.
Comme pour chaque lycée en Irlande, il y a un uniforme que tout élève est obligé de porter. N'ayant jamais porté d'uniforme avant, je dois avouer que ça m'embêtait un peu de ne pas choisir mes propres vêtements mais on s'y fait petit à petit. Contrairement aux écoles en France, il n'y a pas de cantine en Irlande, vous devez donc apporter votre déjeuner (il y a néanmoins une cafétéria dans le lycée où vous pouvez acheter à manger). 
Par rapport aux horaires, les cours commencent à 9h et finissent à 16h (sauf le mercredi où les cours finissent à 13h40). Il y a deux pauses, une de 20 minutes à 11h et une autre de 40 minutes à 13h. Chaque leçon dure 40 minutes (donc 9 en une journée).
Les matières obligatoires sont l'anglais, les mathématiques, sport et « Extra English » à la place de l'irlandais (pour les étudiants étrangers). Vous devez ensuite choisir 4 matières parmi la chimie, la biologie, la physique, l'espagnol, l'histoire, la géographie, la musique, etc...
Je pense que c'est à peu près tout pour la présentation de l'école... 

J'étais en 5th year (ce qui correspond à la 1ère) et je préfère vous prévenir en avance, le niveau scolaire en Irlande est beaucoup plus bas qu'en France. Ce que l'on voit par exemple en maths correspond au programme de 2nde  - début 1ère. Étant donné que je venais de finir mon année de 1èreS, les matières scientifiques ne m'ont pas posé beaucoup de problèmes. Mais le but de mon année sabatique étant d'améliorer mon anglais (et surtout de faire une pause avant d'attaquer la terminale), cela ne m'a pas beaucoup gêné.
Durant mon année scolaire, il y avait également plusieurs étudiants étrangers (italiens, allemands, espagnols, etc...). Contrairement à ce que certains pourraient penser, c'est une bonne chose étant donné qu'en début de année, ils sont dans la même situation que vous et ne connaissent personne. Ils sont vite devenus de très bons amis avec qui je suis encore en contact.
Pour ceux qui aiment sortir, Virginia est une belle ville avec pas mal de pubs (si vous avez une autorisation parentale évidemment ^^) et le cinéma le plus proche se situe à Cavan (à 20 minutes de Virginia en bus) qui est une assez grande ville où vous trouverez plusieurs magasins et restaurants. Si vous aimez le shopping (ce qui n'est pas mon cas), il est néanmoins préférable de vous rendre à Dublin (15€ environ aller-retour en bus, et si vous faites plus jeune que votre âge, vous pouvez essayer le tarif enfant) où vous trouverez toutes sortes de magasins de vêtements (Dunes, euh... etc... ^^' ).

Bref. Si vous hésitez encore à venir en Irlande n'hésitez plus ! Mon séjour là-bas m'a apporté bien de plus de bénéfices que je ne l'aurais pensé. À la fin de l'année, je n'avais plus d'accent et mon vocabulaire s'était grandement amélioré (je n'avais pas forcément appris de très jolis mots mais ils restent très utiles si vous prévoyez un jour de travailler à l'étranger ^^). J'ai également fait la connaissance d'amis formidables et j'ai pu voir de très beaux paysages en Irlande. Si je devais malgré tout trouver un point négatif, ce serait la connexion internet qui n'est pas forcément incroyable. Mais bon, ça vous force à discuter avec votre famille d'accueil au lieu de rester tout le temps sur votre téléphone et ça ne peut pas vous faire de mal !

Short Term Homestays: www.Lingoo.Ninja 

School Year Program: www.Lingoo.School

Skype:  LingooNinjaUA

Blog: www.Lingoo.Blog 

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/LingooNinja

YouTube: www.YouTube.com/c/LingooNinjaEnglish

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LingooNinja

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lingooninja

Xavi - My School Year in Ireland

El día en que mis padres me propusieron irme un año a estudiar cuarto de ESO en el extranjero, dije que si sin dudar ni un segundo. Supongo que me fue así de fácil ya que después de que mis hermanos hubiesen hecho lo mismo en su momento, llevaba años esperando la pregunta y dándole vueltas a la respuesta. Después de encontrar la agencia, llegó el momento de elegir mi destino.

Después de unos cuantos días de reflexión elegí Irlanda, probablemente por la proximidad del lugar, porqué mis hermanos también habían ido allí i nunca tuvieron ninguna queja i porqué sabía que allí me esperaba un cuarto de eso muy muy fácil.

El siguiente paso fue llenar un montón de papeleo con información detallada sobre mi persona y enviar-la a la agencia que con ello, me buscaría una escuela y después, una familia cerca del instituto. Así pues un día recibí una carta donde se me comunicaba mi emplazamiento para el curso 2013-2014, Monaghan, un pequeño pueblo situado al Norte de la República de Irlanda, a tres millas de la frontera con Irlanda del Norte. La escuela, el St. Macartan's College. Para ser sincero, al principio me asusté bastante cuando entre en su web y descubrí que se trataba de un antiguo seminario convertido en instituto solo para chicos, católico y con el lema "fortis et fidelis", fuertes y fieles. Todo estaba a punto para empezar y cada vez quedaba menos para empezar la aventura.

El 22 de agosto, dos días después de que se acabasen las fiestas de mi pueblo, y después de las angustiosas despedidas, cogí el avión que me llevaría al aeropuerto de Dublín. Allí me recibieron empleados de la empresa que organizaba mi estancia en Irlanda y después de una noche en Maynooth, a la mañana siguiente cogimos un bus destino Monaghan. La primera cosa que me sorprendió fue la cantidad de estudiantes extranjeros llegados de todo el mundo que estábamos destinados allí. Al llegar por fin conocimos nuestras familias y nuestra coordinadora, la encargada de velar por nuestro bienestar durante todo el curso. Cuando ya estuve instalado en la que sería mi habitación durante el curso y en tan solo unas horas en el país verde había tenido que pedir que me repitiesen lo que me acababan de decir cientos de veces y en numerosas ocasiones había dicho que sí sin entender absolutamente nada, por miedo a parecer un idiota, entonces, por primera vez, fui consciente de lo que verdaderamente me esperaba.

Pero sin tiempo mara maldecirme por haber elegido marcharme un año en vez de escoger la comodidad y el buen tiempo de Castellbisbal, mi pueblo, me espabilé i empecé a interesarme y moverme. Aún faltaba una semana para empezar el curso y la escuela convocó a los estudiantes de intercambio una mañana para enseñarnos la escuela y para que escogiésemos el curso y las asignaturas. Me apunté a cuarto, un año al que llaman "Transition Year", año de transición, un año entre el primero y segundo ciclo que el sistema educativo irlandés tiene para dar un pequeño descanso a los estudiantes y para trabajar la parte menos académica de su formación: la oportunidad perfecta para un estudiante extranjero que quiere aprender inglés, integrarse y disfrutar del año sin preocuparse de deberes o exámenes ya que durante este año, de clases que entendemos como normales, no hay muchas.

Y la verdad es que no me arrepiento de haber escogido este curso. Seguramente tendré que trabajar más que mis compañeros el año que viene porqué estaré atrasado en ciertas materias pero este Transition Year en el Saint Macartan's ha valido la pena. En el Instituto he tenido la oportunidad de hacer muchas cosas diferentes que nunca habría podido hacer en un sistema como el vigente en nuestro país. Durante los nueve meses que ha durado hemos hecho un musical y una obra de teatro, hemos hecho también un montón de actividades de todo tipo, des de jornadas de seguridad vial hasta excursiones a Dublin para ver una obra de teatro o visitar las universidades pasando por un curso de primeros auxilios, competiciones de emprendedores o clases de baile irlandés. También he disfrutado de la especial facilidad de la que dispuesto para practicar deporte en la escuela, donde había equipos de todos los deportes que se pueda uno imaginar y muchos de los alumnos están involucrados en ellos, que se consideran una parte muy importante de la escuela y la vida del estudiante. En mi caso he jugado a básquet, a rugbi y también a hurling, un deporte irlandés que alguien definió en algún momento como una mezcla de hockey y asesinato. En definitiva, un curso lleno de oportunidades para todos de hacer uso y demostrar sus habilidades y un curso también para disfrutar de una muy buena escuela, muy diferente a lo que me imaginaba cuando entré por primera vez en su web. Una escuela llena de actividad, con buenos profesores, respetados, a los que les gusta su trabajo y trabajan con la convicción de que lo que hacen es muy importante y se implican en la vida de la escuela al máximo. Una escuela donde la parte académica es la más importante pero donde también se valora y se facilita la implicación de los estudiantes en actividades artísticas, deportivas o científicas entre muchas otras. Una muy buena escuela donde he disfrutado de un año excelente, lleno de experiencias muy enriquecedoras y de donde lo mejor que me llevo por supuesto es el recuerdo y la amistad de su gente.

Fuera del instituto, como no me tenía que preocupar de la escuela, me he podido dedicar a disfrutar plenamente del año. He empezado a jugar a rugbi, muy popular en Irlanda y más duro de lo que me pensaba especialmente porqué se juega en invierno para no interferir en la temporada de deportes gaélicos que va des de abril a noviembre y que aquí es lo más importante, y en Irlanda en invierno hace mucho frío, i llueve mucho, mucho. Aún que aquí el básquet no es ni de lejos tan practicado como en el sur, he seguido practicándolo en un equipo de la zona que juntamente con el equipo de rugbi, han sido muy importantes para poder integrarme ya que hacer deporte es una manera muy buena de conocer gente y hacer amigos. Sin duda creo, eso sí, que la mejor manera de integrarse en Irlanda es jugando a deportes gaélicos ya que aquí es lo que absolutamente todo el mundo practica y recomiendo mucho a cualquier persona que pase una época en este país que se interese en la GAA ya que es una de las cosas que se vive con más pasión en este país. En mi caso escogí jugar a hurling, un deporte jugado con sticks de madera i con una pelota muy similar a las de beisbol i que está considerado el deporte más rápido del mundo jugado en exteriores. Y aunque no he tenido tiempo de aprender ni jugar mucho ya que la temporada empieza en abril, ha sido una muy Buena experiencia que siempre recordaré.

También he tenido la oportunidad de conocer diferentes partes de Irlanda e incluso Escocia en diferentes excursiones i viajes que las agencias que organizan las estadas coordinan. En estos viajes he podido conocer las ciudades más importantes del país como Dublín, Derry, Belfast o Galway y otros magníficos parajes como los Cliffs de Moher y el New Grange entre otros. Y ahora que ya me he acostumbrado, ahora que ya no me resulta raro ponerme el uniforme cada día y coger el bus para ir al colegio, ahora que he entendido el futbol gaélico y disfruto animando los Sean's, el equipo de mi zona, ahora que la lluvia ya no es un impedimento para hacer vida normal, ahora que mantener una conversa normal i fluida en inglés ya no me supone un esfuerzo mental descomunal, ahora que cenar a las seis de la tarde me parece lo más normal del mundo y las tostadas con mantequilla también, ahora que odio un poco más los ingleses y me alegro cuando Irlanda gana el Six Nations, ahora que una vaca en medio de la carretera es parte de mi rutina, ahora, justo ahora me toca volver, y en menos de dos semanas cogeré el avión que me volverá a Barcelona. Y ahora es cuando esa mezcla de felicidad por volver y la tristeza de dejar atrás tantas cosas me hacen un nudo en la garganta mientras escribo este parágrafo (y mientras lo traduzco al castellano unos años después también), porque sé que cuando vuelva a lo mejor no, pero acabaré echando de menos todo lo que he conocido en este año y que nunca hubiese imaginado añoraría.

Momentum

The directors have had a discussion about sharing data with our hosts.  But we've decided to take that a step further, and actually detail where our marketing is penetrating.

As every man and his Dog knows, we decided to promote the brand across 41 markets - EU non English 26, Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Israel, Ukraine, Tunisia, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Norway, Iceland, Moldova, parts of India, parts of China and Morocco.

Since BREXIT, the International English Immersion industry has been thrown into chaos. Since TRUMP and his travel ban and Visa restrictions, there has been greater global uncertainty.  We see places like Bournemouth and Hastings in UK where English Language Schools are closing, or Graves End and Southampton where hosting hostels are closed due to low bookings.

In the past few weeks we've had a surge in enquiries from right across Europe and beyond - Russia (Group of 30 kids), Poland (8 kids), Israel (A school anxiously looking for a stable partner for Immersion) as well as the usual flutter of emails from Spain, Italy, Germany and France. Ireland is now the number ONE destination in the Northern hemisphere for English Immersion based on search engine statistics and traffic.

Since Christmas, our Portal (www.LingooNinja.com) and School Year site (www.LingooSchool.com) has had over 37,100 unique visitors from 51 countries. We've secured an advertising reach of 412,985 people as of noon yesterday since Christmas, and over 8,320 interactions on Social Media with a "reach" of 981,720 - yip, just under 1 million people have seen a Lingoo Ninja & Lingoo School advertisement.

But here's the thing, this partnership is a NEW BUSINESS.  New between the directors, new between the hosts and new between our schools.  As a result, we not only have something NEW to offer, but something UNIQUE!

Many of our hosts have worked with competitors such as STS, Interstudies, Midland, EF or StudyWorld. Thanks to your many years of service, you have provided us with so much information and advice, that we have tailored everything we do to ensure OUR SERVICE and YOUR SERVICE is simply the BEST in the industry.

So our marketing and PR is reaching out.  We're making sounds and securing orders.  We're getting hits on social media, portal and information site, and our brand awareness is growing.  However, there is more to come! 

By the end of February, each and every profile on our portal will be propagating throughout social search engines - so it is vitally important when you complete your profile you use exciting and relevant keywords - like hosting, or fun hosting, or caring host family, or host family close to town .... mention your location, describe your family - or even write about a typical day in your home!   Students love to see pets, or gardens and of course what their bedroom might be like!  (They're less interested in toilets, washing machines and photos of flights of stairs lol lol)

We are on the brink of a wonderful adventure together.  Three years from now we will look back and remember the long nights liking and sharing, the country roads doing home visits, the hours of emails with wrist cramps and the not sleeping because your mind wont let you stop thinking!!  February, March, April & May is when 80% of students book for their next High School Year, April, May & June is when Summer short stay bookings peak.  The team will keep you up to date with all progress, but just remember, that's what makes us unique best of all - TEAMWORK! 

~~~~~~~~~

Short Term Homestays: www.Lingoo.Ninja

School Year Program: www.Lingoo.School

Skype:  LingooNinjaUA

Blog: www.Lingoo.Blog 

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/LingooNinja

YouTube: www.YouTube.com/c/LingooNinjaEnglish

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LingooNinja

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lingooninja

First Regional Meeting

As promised, we had our first regional meeting of hosts this past weekend. It covered our hosts from Monaghan & East Cavan.

We were thrilled to have over 60 people in attendance, many existing hosts registered with us, and several newbies wanting to sign up.

Our meeting covered many aspects of our company: Ownership, ethos, procedures, marketing, student allocation and 3-year plan.   We took time to mingle with our hosts, demonstrating that even though Cat, Jon & Sharon run the day-to-day show, the most important ingredient in hosting is a stable, loyal and dedicated host family network.

Getting to meet so many hosts (in my case for the first time) enables us to share experiences. Reiterating that this project is a team effort seems to have resonated well, as today so many of our hosts are engaging again with our marketing campaign online and behind the scenes. Team effort will ensure team rewards.

We were able to spend time advising in when and how best to activate profiles on our Portal, the importance of good photographs and the need for clear and concise profile descriptions. By the end of next week we should have 100 of our 241 registered hosts up online.

We've concluded deals with some big hitter student agencies in EU and beyond. Our marketing is well under way and we have a definite line of attack now bookings and queries are coming in faster. We will continue to work this side of the business hard.

Our next meeting will be announced soon. As will our progress at Trade Shows and Events. In the meantime, thanks again to all who support us, encourage us and work with us.

Team Lingoo Ninja

Www.LingooNinja.com
Www.LingooSchool.com

Our Company Structure - Lingoo School Ltd - And Why It Matters

When we incorporated our company, we not only wanted a successful co-operative business to grow, we wanted to build a brand, with stakeholders which spans multiple sectors and services in this industry.

Lingoo School Limited has been set up to facilitate the organization of School Year Programs for students coming to Ireland or UK who wish to participate in an academic year (or term) abroad.

Unlike our competitors, our network of host families get the highest hosting fee in the industry, not only in monetary terms but also percentage terms. They receive €225 per week per student, representing 72.2% of what our program costs.

The remaining 27.8% splinters between tax, uniform costs, school book costs, school fees costs, school transport costs, our commission fee (less than 10%), marketing costs, administrative costs etc.

Our business is also structured differently, 80% is owned by the three Directors (who do everything you see happening), while 20% remains firmly in control year to year of host family members who are hosting that particular year. Our structure means our host families have a REAL say, and financial stake in how this business is run. The business is 100% Irish owned, with Irish bankers, tax advisors and legal advisors. We want Lingoo School to be an Irish success story!

We could have been greedy. We could have said EF, STS, InterStudies etc remunerate X, Y and Z so we'll budget for €100 a week which tops them all, or €135, or €150. But we didn't. We understand there are REAL COSTS associated with hosting a student, and when a student pays €12,775 for a Program, as much of that money as possible should be invested in support, services and sustenance for the benefit of the students; it is their money after all.  The so-called industry leaders in some cases don't pay enough stipend to even cover food for a week, meaning students pay multiple thousands of euro for a year away, only to find life is somewhat of a struggle when the experience begins.

Our company is not about glossy brochures, 20,000 staff across 80 countries or having a representative in every school.  It's about a small, professional yet dedicated team of enthusiastic entrepreneurs backed up free of charge by friends or family to launch a business where our business model is integrated with our hosts interests too. Unashamedly unique in every way.

This week we've had tremendous support online and in terms of bookings. The ball is rolling faster, gathering momentum. But you'll see some light footed tactics in marketing in coming weeks. We will be provoking debate in the industry, we will be unveiling industry partners, and we will be explaining further the ethos and ambitions of Lingoo Ninja group, which nestles Lingoo School, Lingoo Camps, Lingoo Academy & Lingoo Corporate.

Our ambition is only exceeded by our desire for our students to remember the best possible language immersion experience. Together we can make it happen.

Team Lingoo School,
Catriona, Sharon & Jon

Getting Out There

The temptation is enormous to try run, develop and expand this business purely from a keyboard or phone locked away in an office somewhere. Sure isn't that the way 'business' is going, say experts. Work remotely, adopt IT and automation, flexible hours then abandon old ways.

Easier said than done, undoubtedly factually incorrect most likely!!

Recently Jon has been in Poland and Ukraine continuing to build relationships with schools, agents and businesses interested in potential English Immersion in Ireland & UK. Next Monday Veronika visits Amsterdam to visit colleagues in English Language Schools while Director Catriona heads to warmer climbs of Spain to participate in a Study Abroad conference and show. 

In growing a business like this, where the brand and service promotion team leads marketing, but retains just a fraction of potential turnover there has to be a multi-faceted approach to marketing & PR. Hence why we've adopted strategies around Schools or Agents, Social Media, Database Development, Referrals and much, much more.

Getting out there is important. Not just to meet and greet, but for our sanity too! So here's a BIG call out to any events or possibilities YOU might know where we can promote the Lingoo Ninja & Lingoo School brands - let us know about them.

Hopefully next week Veronika & Catriona will utilize Instagram on their trips. All Jon took photos of was desserts, coffee and back of peoples heads 😜

Www.LingooNinja.com
Www.LingooSchool.com

© 2017 Lingoo Ninja LLC

2017 A Flying Start!

We trust everyone had a restful seasonal period, and the arrival of 2017 has been enjoyable.

As predicted, 2017 has started busy, with new Host Families being activated on our co-operative portal www.LingooNinja.com as people start to turn their attention towards Summer 2017 and the subsequent Academic Year Programmes.  We've also seen a spike in visits to www.LingooSchool.com as families begin the process of firming up decisions ahead of academic year 2017-2018.

Where the real activity is happening though is on social media - Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, and to a lesser degree Youtube.    Our re-engagement campaign on Facebook & Google is well under way with positive results.  For a new brand, this will always be our most difficult year - making an impact in year one and sticking with it into year two, but thus far, we are overwhelmed by your support!

Lingoo Academy continues to get strong bookings for 2017 and beyond. Repeat business and direct referrals once again making up more than 80% of the business anticipated.

Our group has also incorporated a new Lingoo Camps division to specifically look after Summer Camps in Ireland - with an independent management structure, but under the marketing & PR umbrella of Lingoo Ninja.  This is an exciting project we are sure will thrive! 

As we reach into 2017, we are also minded to consider the changing world around us - not only the positives like better communication or accessibility to travel, but also the continued threat of economic downturn and of course terrorism.  We firmly believe a safer world is a world where we share cultures, languages and experiences and are extremely pleased to have teamed up with schools and brokers in Turkey, Syria, Chad, Ukraine, Israel and Tunisia in recent months to complement the growing network of organisations we work with inside the EU.

We hope 2017 will be as busy for you as it will be for us.  But rest assured, not matter how busy we are, our students, their welfare and linguistic development will always come first.

TEAM LINGOO NINJA

Short Term Homestays: www.Lingoo.Ninja 

School Year Program: www.Lingoo.School

Skype:  LingooNinjaUA

Blog: www.Lingoo.Blog 

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/LingooNinja

YouTube: www.YouTube.com/c/LingooNinjaEnglish

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LingooNinja

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lingooninja