Study English Abroad: One-Year Programmes in Ireland

The programme

The Study English Abroad course is one of the most popular English courses abroad for adults. This is an immersive study English abroad program program aimed at students from outside the EEA area who want to learn English abroad and improve their General English on a long stay course.  All students on the Study English Abroad 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.  This is a great English immersion program if you want to learn English abroad while enjoying a unique experience of living, working and studying on the West coast of Ireland. 

If you are looking for English schools abroad, look no further. At Galway Cultural Institute, you can study for 25 weeks with 20 lessons per week either in the mornings or afternoon and have 8 weeks holidays.  The work & study abroad programme is a great choice to learn English abroad if you love to travel and would like to explore Ireland and other European capitals. It's the best study abroad programme!

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

Depending on your budget, lifestyle or habits, you may be an early-bird person and prefer a more relaxed class timetable, you have the option of choosing between morning and afternoon classes.

By far the biggest advantage of the Study English Abroad programme is that it is an extended course and you'll 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 study English abroad and chose one of our Study Abroad programmes, 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 the Study English Abroad programme are:

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

These English courses abroad for adults 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 lessons, there is emphasis on debates, presentations, discussions, and developing writing skills. The classes really help to improve your fluency and confidence outside the classroom.

Is Ireland good to study abroad? 

Ireland provides unique and dynamic educational programmes for anyone looking to study abroad in Ireland. One of the main reasons that international students chose to study abroad in Ireland is that it is a perfect destination for anyone who wants a world-class education. Ireland is a an innovative country with a world-class education and offers many employment opportunities in a variety of industries. 

If you want to study abroad in Ireland why don't you start with an English course? You can improve your English on a study and work course both in the classroom and in your job and you might even consider continuing your studies to a university degree once you feel confident enough in your academic English. Ireland is home to many world- renowned universities that offer a variety of undergraduate courses, masters and doctorate programmes. Our sister school, Galway Business School, offers undergraduate business degrees for international students at ordinary and honours levels. 

Visa Process

If you are looking to study English abroad in Ireland, then our English courses abroad for adults are the best choice. Our Study Abroad English Programme is 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 €4,200 in that bank account (as of 1st July 2023)
• Schedule your eight weeks holidays at the beginning of the course
• 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 currently 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.

Read more about immigration guidelines and 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.