Study English Abroad Programme

The programme

The Study English Abroad Year course is aimed at students from outside the EEA area who need to improve their General English.  All students on the Study English Abroad Year programme complete their course by taking an internationally recognised English exam such as Cambridge PET, FCE or CAE or IELTS. 

Who is the course for?

The Study English Abroad (SAY) programme is specifically designed for students from outside the EEA who wish to develop their skills and fluency in English with the option of working part-time in Galway.  You will enjoy a unique experience of living, working and studying on the West coast of Ireland. You can have 25 weeks tuition of 20, 26 or 30 lessons per week and 8 weeks holidays.  It's a great choice if you love to travel and would like to explore Ireland.

One great  advantage of the SAY programme is that you will be here long enough to really enjoy your time - study, work a little, and of course travel around Ireland or as many of our students do take short trips to other wonderful places around Europe.

Classes run in the mornings during the low season and in the afternoons during the high season which brings variety to your study year.

By far the biggest advantage of the SAY programme is that it is an extended course and you will be able to dedicate lots of time to really improving and enjoying life in a new city, Galway, and in a new country, Ireland.  

If you decide to enroll on the Study Abroad programme, you can get a part-time job (20 hours per week)  if you wish to work while you study or a full-time job (40 hours per week) during your holidays in the months of June, July, August and September. This means that you can experience Galway like a local and be involved in real life learning situations in the workplace.  

Course objectives

When enrolling in this course, you will embark on a long-term learning journey and become completely immersed in the Irish and European way of life. The objectives of these courses are:

1. To learn real English in a multicultural environment using the latest technologies
2. To improve your English language skills and your accuracy and fluency
3. To learn everyday communication during your Galway experience
4. To provide you with feedback on your progress and help you to address any areas of specific difficulty.  
5. To improve your confidence in using English

Course content

Students enrolled in the Study English Abroad courses will avail of our intensive course plans in order to gain a firm grounding in General English skills. During their stay, students have the option to change to one of our examination preparation courses such as Cambridge or IELTS, as non-EEA students are required to take one of the internationally recognised English language examinations. 

GCI students take a review test every Friday morning to ensure you are making good progress and to see if you need more help in any particular areas. You receive regular feedback from your teachers who will discuss and analyse your study pathway with you. 

We choose our coursebooks, materials and digital resources that are the best, and are based on the  latest research into English language as it is used in the modern world as well as in everyday situations.

The classes in our Study English Abroad 26 lessons courses has lots of student interaction and varied lesson materials which help you build up useful vocabulary and grammar, all with a focus on real-life communication. 

The Study English Abroad 30 lessons will provide you with a balanced programme of skills work, vocabulary building, grammatical study lessons, maintaining a strong communication focus by using a combination of individual work, pair and group work.  During the 30 lessons, there is more emphasis on debates, presentations, discussions, and developing writing skills.  These classes really help to improve your fluency and confidence outside the classroom.

The classes in our Study Abroad 30 course have a focus on communication and student interaction using a combination of individual work, pair work & group work.

Visa Process

Our Study Abroad Programme is only available to students who are outside of the European Economic Area. If your home country is outside of the EEA, you have to apply for a visa while here. Getting a visa to Ireland shouldn't be difficult as it is an easy country to gain access to.

To get your visa successfully, and in advance of arrival you must:

• Book and pay for the full course before departure for Ireland
• Must have a minimum of 4 weeks accommodation organised in advance.  We can help you with accommodation
• Must have medical insurance organised in advance. You can book your medical insurance with us
• Book and pay for your preferred international English language exam and exam books
• When you arrive at the airport, Immigration usually stamp your passport with a visa for one month.

To validate your visa after arrival in Ireland, you need to:

• Open a bank account and deposit €3,000 in that bank account (we help you with the procedures)
• Schedule your eight weeks holidays
• Decide which exam your are going to take and ensure that you are at the correct level
• Get letters from the bank, the school and proof of medical insurance
• Go to Immigration (GNIB) with your passport and all the necessary documents (we help you with the procedures)
• The visa / Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card costs €300

By enrolling on a Study English Abroad programme you are committing to following the rules and regulations of the visa policy which includes rules around attendance (minimum 85% of all classes) and taking an international English language examination during or at the end of your 25 week programme.

See visa process for more information on the visa process in Ireland!

Important Information

Study Abroad Year Programmes may be subject to change as a result of updates to the current Immigration Guidelines and Procedures.