Your Future Starts Here
Galway Cultural Institute is an English language school located in one of the most exciting coastal cities in Ireland. Galway is a booming student city as well as a technological hub and will be the European Capital of Culture in 2020. Choose to study at GCI and prepare for an unforgettable experience. This is a place you will call home, where you will make lifelong friends and achieve the results in English language fluency that you need for your future success.
Galway is the perfect place to learn English with its cobblestone streets filled with music, theatre, laughter and language. GCI is located in a stunning contemporary building overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It is the ideal place to prepare for a Cambridge exam or simply study General English for your career or just for fun. Our facilities are excellent and our teachers are the best.
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Galway Cultural Institute is a quality English language school managed and run by an expert team of educational professionals.
Our expert staff have the knowledge and skills to ensure that each student achieves their maximum potential. With your dedication and our expert help, your English language learning journey will be an unforgettable experience. Our programmes are flexible and students can supplement their course choice with modules in business or with individual lessons.
GCI offers you a wide range of comprehensive English language programmes year round from A1 Beginner to C2 Advanced at very affordable prices. General English programmes can be for 20, 26 and 30 lessons and start every Monday.
Our Study Abroad Programme is a long stay General English course specifically designed for students from outside the EEA giving them the opportunity to combine English language study with living and working in Galway.
International exams are essential when it comes to learning English. GCI is a Cambridge, IELTS and Trinity exam testing centre and runs many exam preparation courses throughout the year on different dates with a choice of 4, 6 or 12 week programmes. We are specialist in guiding you through the right programme for the right exam.
We have a choice of English for Business and Professionals programmes to improve your language skills for your career and to give you a competitive advantage in the workplace, such as English for Professionals or Combination courses.
We have a range of Specialist Programmes in Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Marketing during the summer specifically designed to learn English while studying business related subjects.
We also run tailored programmes such as Teacher Training (CLIL) and 50+ Programmes. We offer closed group programmes for school groups and these can be tailored for specific language study or work needs.
Our University Foundation and Pre-Masters Programme provide the full study pathway and allow you to progress onto university and college education either at Bachelors or Masters level in Galway Business School (GBS) or at other colleges and universities in Ireland and the UK.
"Galway and studying English in GCI has been one of the most memorable times of my life. I was afraid that I would not like the city or the school, now I do not want the journey to end."
Galway Cultural Institute offers a range of different affordable accommodation options to suit different preferences and budgets. When you come to GCI to study, we understand that you're not just looking for a language school; you're also looking for a place to call home when you’re away from family and friends.
Our own accommodation department ensures that our accommodation is safe, modern, bright and comfortable. Our families are welcoming and want to make you part of their family. Our residential accommodation is situated within a walking distance (5 to 20 minutes) while the host family accommodation is situated a short bus ride away (10 to 25 minutes).
Galway is located on the Atlantic West Coast and is mid-point on the Wild Atlantic Way, a 2,500km of an unforgettable coastal route with breath-taking scenery attracting thousands of international visitors every year.
Galway city has been voted the World’s Friendliest City by US Travel & Leisure Magazine in 2015, and is ranked by the Financial Times as the No 1 Micro city of the future. It is an environmental city and won the EU’s Green Environmental Award in 2016 as well as being the European Capital of Culture in 2020.
Situated on the Wild Atlantic Way, on the west coast of Ireland, this vibrant city — like its people — is warm, friendly and welcoming. As a university city, 25,000 of its 100,000 inhabitants are students - it is simply the only place to be if you are a student!
In recent years, Galway has become a booming technological centre with many high-profile companies choosing this location as their base. Galway offers a highly-skilled and educated workforce. The primary industries in Galway are the medical device sector, software development, gaming and many other technology sectors. Hewlett Packard, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, SAP, EA Games, Cisco, Avaya and Merit Medical are some of the bigger companies that are located in Galway City. Galway’s big appeal is the highly educated and skilled workforce, quality of life here, the number of cultural events and festivals (there are more than 30 per year) and affordable living costs.
The city is a joy to explore with its labyrinthine cobbled streets, colourful shops and cosy cafes. Galway's bustling nightlife is second to none and, with all the international festivals, there's always something exciting happening, be it a live gig at an intimate music venue or traditional music in one of its many excellent pubs there’s always plenty to see and do. It is also the ideal location for sports enthusiasts with golf, fishing, horse-riding, windsurfing, sailing, hiking and falconry all on its doorstep, as well as those who enjoy food and gastronomy – it is the Distinguished European city of Gastronomy in 2018.
If you are interested in taking an exam course, Galway Cultural Institute is simply the best option - with our many years of experience and our highly-trained teachers this is the place for you. We know all the best techniques and tips to ensure greater exam success. Among the many exam preparation courses on offer are:
As an exam testing centre for all of these exams, we have a proven track record of past students’ excellent results. Many of our students, who take IELTS for example, go on to study in international universities or work for multinational companies. Some exams have fixed dates and some take place on a monthly (IELTS) or weekly basis (BULATS).
There are exam preparation courses to suit everyone – we have options with 20, 26, 30, 36 lessons per week. There are longer and shorter course – 12, 6 or 4 weeks – it all depends what you want. Check our website for more details on all our exam courses & study options.
GCI’s varied social programme takes full advantage of all the wonderful sports, cultural, and musical events happening in the city and surroundings.
As we are not only a language school (GCI), but also a business school (GBS) we have very close links with the business communities offering opportunities for volunteer experiences, particularly for our long-stay students.
During your stay you can enjoy world-renowned events such as the Galway Arts Festival, the Oyster Festival, the Galway Races, the Macnas Parade, the Cuirt Festival – there are more than 30 festivals per year. As a GCI student you can be more than just an observer – you can actively take part in many of these festivals. We have volunteer arrangements with a number of local festivals and we encourage our students to get involved and have fun.
To find out more about this school or to book a course, contact the School today.