Kelly Milford – USA – MA TESOL

Hey folks, my name is Kelly Milford and I’m a postgraduate student here at the University of Limerick.  I’m originally from St. Louis, Missouri, smack dab in the middle of the USA.  I spent last year teaching English in Jakarta, Indonesia, after doing the same thing at home for about 3 years.  After Indonesia, I decided I wanted to expand my knowledge about education theory and second language acquisition, and thankfully was accepted to UL’s one year MA in TESOL program (that stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

I’ve been in Ireland just a few short months, but felt like it was home the minute I stepped off the plane.  I’ve been dreaming of coming here since I was a young girl, and it doesn’t disappoint!  From the greenery to the accents (and there are MANY Irish accents) to the food to the weather, everything is exactly as I imagined.  But one of the best parts of moving to Ireland is being part of the international community.  As a “mature” student, I could have easily chosen to live in private accommodations.  Instead, I opted to live in off-campus student housing, to give myself more of an opportunity to mingle with other international students.  I’m glad I followed my gut on that decision, because I’ve met students from all over the world – Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Tunisia, Morocco, Brazil, Martinique, Norway, Finland and many more!  Making new friends and exposing yourself to other cultures is a huge part of any move abroad and helps ease the transition when you’re feeling lonely and far away from familiar people and things.

If you’re interested in experiencing Irish culture (and learning about others), studying abroad might be a good option for you.  I’m happy to answer any questions or address any concerns about what a move like that entails.  Feel free to contact me at 13099876@studentmail.ul.ie.  I look forward to helping you plan your adventure!