IALC are delighted to announce that English language School International House Belfast has joined the organisation!

Established in 2007, International House Belfast aims to provide English language students from all over the world with a comfortable, friendly and technologically advanced environment in which they can develop their language skills.

Located in Belfast’s University Street, just south of the city centre in the bustling University Quarter, IH Belfast is a 5 minute walk from Queens University in a beautiful historical Victorian terrace. The school features 12 spacious classrooms as well as a study room; a student lounge; a wellness room; a self-service kitchen and dining area; a snack area and a small terrace with a hosting bar.

In this interview with IALC, IH Belfast School Director Duane Santos speaks of his school, Belfast, special offers and joining IALC! Here's the Q&A IALC had with Duane Santos.

What's special about Belfast?

A relatively new English learning destination with a lot of history, Belfast has been described as a flower that has managed to grow in difficult soil and is about to emerge into full bloom! A compact city, it is very easy to get around with the countryside, mountains and beaches within easy reach, so there is something to suit every type of traveller. There is a vibrant musical and arts culture in the city, with traditional music and Irish dancing to be found in one of our many pubs every night of the week. Belfast locals are renowned for their friendly and embracing welcome – you can’t help but make new friends even if you don’t plan to! The city boasts a vibrant culinary scene, with plenty of amazing restaurants, cafés, street food outlets as well as St. George’s market, the UK’s best large indoor market, making it a true food lover’s paradise. Belfast has recently become a hub for the TV/film production industry with blockbusters such as Game of Thrones and Derry Girls filmed entirely here! National Geographic has recently listed it in its “Cool List 2024” (number 2 on the list of their 30 most exciting destinations to visit in the world in 2024).

What are your most popular courses?

Our General English (20h/week) and Intensive English (25h/week) courses are our most popular – as a small school we can keep a keen eye on all students’ progress and can easily tailor our syllabus to suit individual students’ needs.

Why did you decide to join IALC and how do you feel about it?

We are so proud to be able to announce that we have joined IALC! Our commitment to the student experience is reflected in IALC’s own high standards.  As a growing language school situated in Northern Ireland, we understand the need to be connected to a global community of other quality language centres. Membership of this association is a veritable stamp of excellence for our centre and we truly value the association’s breadth and depth of knowledge

What do your students love most about your schools / what is special about IH Belfast?

We will let the students speak for themselves! Here are some quotations:

“Staff are genuinely kind and helpful at all times… you will find the best teachers who have the patience and knowledge to help you achieve your goals and more importantly, to believe in yourself. Joining IH Belfast is easily the best decision I ever made.” – Elena

“I have been to many language schools and International House Belfast is the best! The classes and teachers are amazing!” – Andrea

“The whole atmosphere at the school is wonderful. The classes are small so the students got to know each other pretty well and the teachers could focus on us all individually.” – Salomé

“The teachers I had at IH Belfast are the best I’ve ever had!” – Marta

“The admin team is very friendly, always smiling and happy to help. They also make sure that every day after class you have activities to do, so you can enjoy Belfast and its surroundings as much as possible” – Lola

“This a small to medium sized school with a family atmosphere.” – Stefan

“I would recommend IH Belfast to my friends, because the teachers and staff look out for you, help with questions or make activities a lot more funny. Belfast a nice city and the culture is friendly and pleasant.” – Danja

“I recommend IH Belfast for multiple reasons. First of all the school is located in the same area as the Queen's university so it's like you are a student of the university, you are also very close to Botanic Avenue with a lot of coffee shops and restaurants, the staff of the school is very kind and always very helpful. Furthermore, Belfast is an incredible city with a lot of things to do, I was there for 6 months and I was never bored. The people are very kind and open. Overall, my experience at IH House Belfast was absolutely incredible, I made friends from all around the world and I will come back for sure to Belfast one day.” - Romain

And do you have any special offers for the start of 2024?

We do! For courses taking place in January/February 2024:

4 weeks General English (20h/week)

4 weeks shared city centre studio

Offer price: £1500

Saving: £530