Learning English With Profile: 29 years old Karla Gordobil Blanco comes from Vitoria Gasteiz and lives in Dublin since November. She works as a New business Account Manager for EMEA at Twitter.

• How did you learn English? Did you go to an Official School of Languages? Did you go to a Private Academy? By yourself?

I learnt English at high school and at the University as I have my Bachelor´s Degree in Tourism and Masters in Hotel management, I had also lived in London for 1 year and a half and 1 year in Amsterdam.

I went to Deusto University and we had one hour of English lesson per day with native teachers from the US and UK. I also practiced English at work on my daily basis when I lived abroad.

 

• What would you recommend somebody who´s learning English?

“Practise, practise and practise even if you make mistakes, it’s the best way to learn, I also highly recommend watching movies and series in original version with English subtitles.”

 

• How was the first time you talked in English with a foreign? Was it difficult or easy?

It was in London, I went there with my family for a weekend break, it was so difficult to understand the British accent in the beginning!

 

• Which other languages can you speak?

I can also speak Italian, Basque and French.

 

• Which other languages would you like to speak?

I would like to learn German and improve my French 🙂

 

• Is the Irish accent very difficult to understand?

It’s kind of difficult in the beginning, then you get used to, they pronounce some words in a different way but you can understand the context.

 

• If I travel to Dublin, What would you recommend me to visit?

There are too many great places to visit, I recommend to do the free walking tour around the city and go to Temple bar to have a pint of Guinness. There are small towns 30 minutes far from Dublin by train as Bray, Greystone and Howth where the fish is amazing! Then in Ireland the west seaside is amazing.

 

• Is Dublin an expensive city comparing to Vitoria?

Yes it’s, salaries are also higher, renting a room is very expensive as there is a high demand and not too many rooms to be rented out, food costs more or less the same as in Spain and public transportation is also more expensive, between 2-3 euros per ticket. Drinks at the bar are much more expensive, specially wine, we are from Rioja Alavesa, where wine is the best one and cheap, however here, a glass of wine  doesn’t cost less than 5 euros and to be honest it is not even a good wine!

 

• Are Irish people open-minded or shy?

They are open minded, very helpful and open to help, very nice people.

 

• Was it difficult adapting yourself to the Irish way of life? For example: They usually have lunch or dinner earlier than in Spain.

This is maybe the only thing, they have different dining and going out times, they have lunch around 12 and dinner at 7, all the clubs and bars usually close around 3pm.

 

• What do you miss from Vitoria? The family, the food?

Basically I miss the food, pintxos specially, my family and friends, Alavés matches and wine!

 

• Would you like to live in another country? Why?

I am very happy in Dublin, not planning to go back to Spain soon. If I left Dublin I would move back to Amsterdam or Italy most probably.

 

• Do you know somebody that we should interview for this section?

I have met really nice Spanish people living in Dublin, I can pass you their contact if you wish.

 

• Anything else you’d like to add…

It’s been a pleasure having done this interview, I encourage people to travel, meet new cultures and open their mind, these experiences cannot be paid with money.

 

Thank you very much Karla Gordobil Blanco!

Etiquetas:Karla Gordobil Blanco, Learning English With, twitter

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