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All English schools in Galway
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Galway Cultural InstituteGalway, Ireland

5.0

Rating: 5.0/5.0

1 students - overall rating
GCI House - H91CDW4 Galway - see on map
Pay less than booking at the school
What we like about the school
  • A stunning location overlooking the Atlantic Ocean
  • Café restaurant offering hot food and drinks.
  • E-learning platform.
  • Electronic whiteboards in all classrooms.
What we dislike about the school
  • Lessons are 45 minutes long, which is shorter than in other schools.
Age of students
  Percentage of students
1-18 years 5%
18-24 years 10%
25-34 years 30%
35-50 years 30%
>50 years 25%
The average age outside summer is 7 years higher than in summer.

Location: Galway Cultural Institute (GCI) is an educational institution located in the Irish city of Galway, on the Republic of Ireland's west coast. Housed within 50m of the beach and the Atlantic Ocean, GCI has excellent views of the surrounding coastline. The school is within walking distance of several restaurants, eateries, a bank, a casino, and attractions such as the Seaport Leisure Amusement Park, the National Aquarium of Ireland and the Omniplex Cinema.

School facilities: Galway Cultural Insitute has modern, bright and spacious classrooms, many of which have ocean views. They also have a library, an on-site cafe, a computer lab, free WIFI and a Student Support Desk (Reception).

Course selection: The school provides English programmes for students of all ages and various necessities. In addition to General English, Galway Cultural Institute also provides courses in Exam Preparation (PET, FCE, CAE, IELTS), English for Professionals, Teacher Training and Professional Business Certificates.

Getting around: The school is housed in central Salthill, around a 10-minute train or 30-minute walk from central Galway. Surrounding the school is an expansive beach, the Galway Atlantaquaria, Grattan Beach and several eateries. Dublin International Airport (DUB) is around a 3-hour bus journey or a 140-minute drive from the school.

Accommodation: Accommodation can be booked through the school in homestays with local families and in residential. The residential accommodation is generally around Galway City and within a 30-minute journey of the school via public transport.

English Courses

General Language
Online
Private
Work & Study
Business
Exam PreparationWhy exam preparation courses are excellent for optimum progress
Specialty Courses

Our prices for Galway Cultural Institute include

  • INCLUDED Internet access and use of school computers
  • INCLUDED Free certificate of course attendance
  • INCLUDED Language level placement test at first day of classes
  • INCLUDED Language level placement test before arrival
  • INCLUDED Elearning platform

Videos & Photos

  • 1/5
  • School exterior
    School exterior2/5
  • 3/5
  • 4/5
  • 5/5

Student opinions about Galway Cultural Institute, Galway

5.0

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Overall school rating of
Galway Cultural Institute, Galway
1 authentic ratings from students who reserved with us
School
Location of the school
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Facilities
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Social activities
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Organisation
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Course
Quality of teaching
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Value for money
4.0 

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Accommodation
Homestay
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Verified reviews only, uncensored. All student opinions from students who booked a course at the school with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
The school is well organised as per the course level, the teachers were very competent and the staff all very friendly.
Disliked
If I had to find a fault the school is a bit far from the centre but otherwise I have no further complaints.
Review details
Course: General English 30 - 2 weeks
Review date: 26. Aug. 2024 by Andrea Tenuta
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.

Galway Cultural Institute

Accreditations and Quality seals
ACELSALTOEAQUALSIALCQQI, ELE-Ireland
English teacher qualifications
100% hold a university degree
100% hold a recognised language teaching qualification
Languages spoken by school staff (cannot be guaranteed by school)
First day of course
Students should arrive at 8:15
Student gender mix
50% male / 50% female
Offer for returning students
You will be refunded/waived the school's administration fee if you already attended previously a course at Galway Cultural Institute and you book here.
Payment methods accepted for payments made directly to the school
Visa - logoMastercard - logoVisa Debit - logoBank Transfer - logo
Year of school foundation
1989
Legal name/parent company
Tax registration ID: Registration Number 142062

General school facilities

  • Cafeteria

  • Computer lab

  • Library

  • Free after-class access to language learning software

  • Games room

  • Lounge

  • Garden

  • Balcony / terrace

  • Student support desk

  • Copy machine

  • Printer for student use

  • Table tennis

  • Self-study areas

  • Free WIFI

  • Free parking

  • Free water dispenser

  • Non-smoking (all indoor and all outdoor areas of school)

  • Tourist information

  • Assistance with entrance ticket purchases

  • Assistance with organizing transportation

  • Career guidance service (free)

  • Guidance for further higher education (free)

  • Internship placement guidance service (free)

  • Job placement guidance service (free)

  • Classroom equipment

    • Electronic whiteboard in all classrooms

    • Air conditioning in most classrooms

    • Heating in all classrooms

    • Ample natural light in all classrooms

    • Number of classrooms: 25
    • Number of public PC workstations: 10

    Facilities for disabled students

    • Accessible Toilet

    • Wheelchair access to reception

    • Wheelchair access to cafeteria

Additional comment about facilities of school
5 minutes away from the beach

Student Age / Nationality

Average number of students
In summer: 350
Throughout the year: 200
Junior courses - Throughout the year: 25
Minimum age of students
16 years
16 years for specific Junior courses
Average number of levels
Adult courses In summer: 7
Adult courses Throughout the year: 6
Average age of students
In summer: 20 years
Throughout the year: 27 years

Top student nationalities

Student Nationality Percentage of students
Italy 15%
Spain 13%
Germany 13%
Brazil 12%
Switzerland 7%
France 6%
Chile 3%
Japan 2%
Korea 2%
Turkey 2%
Saudi Arabia 1%
Venezuela 1%
Other nationalities 23%

Information for all courses offered by Galway Cultural Institute

Lesson duration
45 minutes
School's administrative fee
65.00 €
Course material
Generally course material has to be purchased by the student. The costs of course material will be approximately 75 € per course level.
Comments about courses

Changes to booking administration fee: EUR 35.

Individual classes
Single individual lessons of tuition can be reserved at 70 €. The combination of group and individual lessons is highly recommended. Individual lessons will encourage you to actively speak the foreign language and will offer you the opportunity to discuss individual problems and weaknesses.
Days without class
In 2024 (including national and regional bank holidays):
01 Jan 2024, 18 Mar 2024, 01 Apr 2024, 06 May 2024, 03 Jun 2024, 05 Aug 2024, 28 Oct 2024, 23 Dec 2024 - 31 Dec 2024.
In 2025 (including national and regional bank holidays):
01 Jan 2025 - 03 Jan 2025, 03 Feb 2025, 17 Mar 2025, 21 Apr 2025, 05 May 2025, 02 Jun 2025, 04 Aug 2025, 27 Oct 2025, 22 Dec 2025 - 31 Dec 2025.
If a bank holiday falls on a weekday there is no refund nor are missed lessons recuperated. This is the case for the majority of language schools.
Level test
A test to assess your exact language level takes place before the start of the course via an online form.
Lessons needed per English language level
Level (CEFR) LESSONS needed per level WEEKS needed
(20 lessons per week)
A1 Beginner A1 to A2 80 4
A2 Elementary A2 to B1 160 8
B1 Intermediate B1 to B2 180 9
B2 Higher Intermediate B2 to C1 200 10
C1 Advanced C1 to C2 220 11
C2 Proficiency
Data above gives some guidance. For more details consult our page How long does it take to learn a language or reach a specific level.

Visa Documents

Nationals from Ireland do not require a visa for travelling to Ireland and attending a language course.
Check visa requirements for nationals from other countries.
Nationals from countries that require a visa will receive documents from the school, related to booking confirmation, which is required for the visa application.
Full payment of all fees required before school dispatches documents required for visa application
Yes
Express shipment fee (via courier)
100 €

Leisure activities

activity possibledistance from school
Dancing2 km
Football (soccer)2 km
Golf5 km
Horse riding15 km
Mountainbiking25 km
Sailing15 km
Swimming5 km
Table Tennis-
Tennis5 km
Windsurfing10 km
Yoga10 km

Examples of leisure activities organized by the school

Adults - Free activities

Teacher guided walking tours of Galway city
Irish culture class – Irish language, music, history, Gaelic games
Pub night with a teacher

Adults - Paid activities

Job skills – CV preparation, interview skills
Sunday meet-Ups
Escape rooms
Laser Tag
American bowling
Sports – Football, Badminton, Handball
Boat trips
Irish dancing lessons
Student party – St Patrick’s Day Party, Halloween Party, Christmas Party
Student-driven cultural showcase

Accommodation

Student Testimonial Videos

Note: The video testimonials of students from Galway Cultural Institute have been provided by the school and schools do not usually publish negative testimonials.

Map  

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Other language schools in Galway offering English courses: 

Questions and answers about Galway Cultural Institute

  • Yes, Galway Cultural Institute participates in the Erasmus+ programme.
    Cosmina Talos, Marketing Manager from Galway Cultural Institute - Aug 24, 2023
  • Under 18 years old students should book a Meet & Greet service. The service includes the following:

    - Meet and greet at Dublin airport by GCI representative.
    - Bus ticket from Dublin airport to Galway Coach station.
    - Meet and greet on arrival to Galway Coach Station by a GCI taxi driver representative and drop off at accommodation.
    Cosmina, from Galway Cultural Institute - Oct 31, 2024

FAQ about Galway Cultural Institute, Galway

  • English courses at Galway Cultural Institute start at 114 € for Study Abroad Year: English + Exam Preparation - Afternoons course with 20 lessons per week. When booking here you benefit from an exclusive discount.
  • The accommodation Residence is the most popular among all our clients of Galway Cultural Institute
  • Yes. The following courses can be attended as an absolute beginner: PET Exam Preparation 20 - PM
  • Depending on the chosen course, the maximum number of students at Galway Cultural Institute varies from 1 students (Private Lessons 20) to 50 students (Study Abroad Year: Business English)
  • 100% of teachers at Galway Cultural Institute hold a university degree. 100% hold a recognized language teaching certificate.
  • The highest Nationality percentage at Galway Cultural Institute comes from Italy with a 15% representation, followed by students from Germany (13%) and Spain (13%).
  • Yes, there is an exclusive discount that only applies when booking online here.
  • Galway Cultural Institute offers courses from 16 years to 99. Average age is 20 during the summer and 27 for the rest of the year.

PDF brochure / price list of Galway Cultural Institute

GCI Brochure
GCI Brochure
 Prices (PDF)
Prices (PDF)
Galway Cultural Institute Prices 2025
Galway Cultural Institute Prices 2025
Galway Cultural Institute Prices 2025
Galway Cultural Institute Prices 2025
30+ Programme Brochure
30+ Programme Brochure
50+ Programme Brochure
50+ Programme Brochure
Summer Certificates Brochure
Summer Certificates Brochure
Teacher Training Programmes Brochure
Teacher Training Programmes Brochure
30+ with Executive Skills
30+ with Executive Skills
Summer Certificates Brochure 2025
Summer Certificates Brochure 2025
Teacher Training Programmes Brochure 2025
Teacher Training Programmes Brochure 2025
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4.6 

Rating: 4.6/5.0

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