Student Testimonials

More than 3,000 students from all over the world study with us every year. Read below testimonials from our students. 

If you studied with us and wish to share your experience with other students, get in touch. 

Noelle Nansoz

Genral Englsih

Galway. What should I say....it was love at first sight. Thinking about the city now, makes me feel sad, because I really miss it. This town lives!!! Every day you meet artists and very talented musicians on the streets and every second wall is decorated with a colourful painting. If you go in pubs on your own you feel very welcomed and comfortable. In GCI I met great people from all over the world. From the school window you can see and smell the sea...awesome!!! The humor of the local teachers is the best.

Yosu Abeytua

Genral Englsih

At almost 50 years of age, one can also continue studying English! Yes, that has been my resounding conclusion about my incredible experience at GCI. At first I was afraid of seeing myself alone surrounded by young people and not fitting in well. But my experience has been fantastic! Galway is a wonderful place to live. It has beaches, beautiful walks along the coast, a centre full of life, pubs and shops. The atmosphere in the school is very very good. Next to the sea with great views. The teachers were the best. Friendly, funny they made all our lessons good times to learn in a fun way. If life permits me, I will return!

Gabrielle Bueno Rodrigues

Study Abroad Year

During unstable times like these which we are facing with COVID-19, GCI proved as an efficient and supportive school. Further the helpful staff and teacher’s excellence, GCI showed a high-level structure to manage the online classes in a well-organized and effective way. Whilst the few days which we were able to attend face-to-face classes, the school were careful with the rules and sanitation. My English has improved dramatically, and I couldn’t be more satisfied about it. Above all the classes, the one that I would like to highlight is the IELTS preparation course. I highly recommend it since all the classes and materials were essential to me to achieve my aimed score. I would like to thank all the GCI team for the time we spent together. I wish the best for all.

Sedef Buse Kurt

General English 20

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. The staff here are very welcoming and are never too busy to help. The classes are interactive, the teachers are great and rotate regularly. I like this as each teacher has their own style. It keeps us engaged. GCI organise lots of activities to taste what Galway has to offer. I would recommend GCI to anyone who would like to improve their English. I love how the weather is full of surprises!

Ulisses Costa Da Silva

Study Abroad Year, Work & Study 25 weeks

Without a doubt, Galway is the most beautiful city in Ireland, and GCI is the best school to study English there. A perfect match. I had a great time there and I could learn a lot from their amazing teachers and always helpful staff. I really recommend this wonderful school.

Iole Dantas de Omena

Study Abroad Year, IELTS

I lived in Ireland for about one year and three months, during this time I studied at GCI and attended two different courses. Due to the pandemic most of my time there I had online classes, but even in this situation I could really improve my English. There, I had such great teachers who were essential for the boost I had and also my work as a caregiver helped a lot. I recall that on my last day there I was absolutely amazed by the fact that how I feel much more comfortable with English than when I arrived. In addition, I would like to say that Galway is a small and lovely diverse city, with great nature, people and music. An exchange is much more than an educational experience, it also contributes to your personal growth. So, if you have the chance, do it!

Leyre De Pablo Molinero

General English & IELTS

Moving to Galway has been one of the best decisions I have made, the second one was choosing CGI to study English. At the beginning, this experience was going to be only for two months, however it turned into a five months period. The two main reasons of this were owed to the atmosphere I found in GCI and the wonderful people I have met here. One of the things that impressed me the most was that all the teachers and the staff members were charming, also they were always with a smile, willing to help you as much as they can. The quality of the school is exceptional. I utterly recommend this experience to everyone; it is not about learning English it is about how do you want to feel doing it.

Luca Fischlin

C1 Cambridge Advanced

For me Galway was more than just school and learning. At the beginning, I was scared because I had to spend the whole summer in Galway: without friends, family and sunny weather… However, it turned out to be one of the best summer holidays I have ever had. New friends, great school and teachers and the best parties you can imagine every day!!! I have passed the C1 test.... Thank you soooo much for the constant support and the perfect preparation!

Alfonso Garcia Rivas

Study Abroad Year

Studying at Galway Cultural Institute was wonderful. The teachers are very experienced and the class is very active. I have improved my English in all the various aspects. Also, the secretaries are always friendly and helpful, they helped me a lot. There are many activities there, very interesting and creative. I am so grateful to be part of Galway Cultural Institute which prepared me for the next stage in my life. I loved studying there! Realmente recomiendo estudiar en GCI fue una experiencia inolvidable altamente recomendada.

Louise Girardeau

Study Abroad Year - SAY20

GCI have an "English-only" policy and I would recommend you stick to it to improve your fluency!

Burak Koc

General English 20

Galway was my first experience abroad and I had hesitations before I came. Now when I look back I know I made the right decision. GCI is really good in terms of hospitality for the students. If you have a problem, they are quick and responsive. The teachers are very good. Social events are coordinated every week and are really fun. The location of the school is really good on the edge of the ocean and the city centre is within walking distance. There isn't a better place to learn English!

Chin-Feng Lin

Study Abroad Year

I’m thankful that I’ve studied at GCI, it’s my first experience of living abroad. I took part in two different types of courses and enjoyed life in Galway, I took normal daily classes with Irish life “pub! Bar! Unpredictable weather!” and also took online classes with lockdown life due to COVID-19. “Life is like a cup of tea, it's all in how you make it!” - Irish saying. There is the most beautiful scenery here, friendly people, stunning view, professional teachers and staff, uncrowded city, and you are very close to Galway bay where many people having fun. The most important thing, I improved my English level a lot and became more confident to communicate with foreign people, make friends and socialise with people from all over the world. I highly recommend the unforgettable experience to all of you - to come here to learn English or try a new life. 這是我第一次出國遊學。第一感我選擇了沒有很多亞洲人而且就在海邊的城市-高威,在一年多的時間裡面我體驗了兩種不同類型的課程和生活,後半年因為新冠肺炎疫情而且封城的關係,也轉為線上課程幾乎哪都不能去,在愛爾蘭有句話- “生活就像喝杯茶,一切都取決於您如何創造!” 也讓我體會到學習怎麼在不同的國家生活。這邊有最美麗的海景,高威的人也都很友善,老師跟工作人員也都很專業也很有耐心。最重要的是,在這一年多的國外生活我的英文能力飛速成長,最不同的是我跟外國人說話的時候變得很有自信,而且也交到來自世界各地的朋友。我非常推薦大家都可以來這裡學習英語或嘗試新的生活。 ------------------------------------

Maryam Saleh

IELTS Preparation

Studying English at GCI was such a pleasant and unforgettable experience, as the teachers offer you the most from strengthening your weaknesses, to perfecting your strengths. Despite these special times with the pandemic, and even with my course being entirely online, I was able to notice a drastic improvement in my English generally throughout the course. And most importantly, I have achieved my desired and required IELTS score, which was definitely such a fulfilling and satisfying accomplishment, thanks to this great IELTS preparation course that has provided me with all the needed skills. So, I highly recommend it for others who may have unachieved goals, whether improving your English, getting your aimed IELTS score, or even just enjoying this informative educational journey. After all, I would tell you to try, work hard, educate and enlighten yourself, and improve. As this saying goes “the greater the efforts, the greater the glory”. Nothing feels better than building your own future. كانت دراسة اللغة الإنجليزية في GCI تجربة ممتعة لا تُنسى ، حيث يقدم لك المعلمون الكثيرمن تقوية نقاط ضعفك ، إلى إتقان نقاط قوتك. على الرغم من هذه الأوقات الخاصة مع الوباء ، وحتى مع كون مقرري الدراسي عبر الإنترنت بالكامل ، فقد تمكنت من ملاحظة تحسن كبير في لغتي الإنجليزية بشكل عام طوال الدورة. والأهم من ذلك ، لقد حققت درجة الايلتس المطلوبة والمرغوبة، والتي كانت بالتأكيد إنجازًا مُرضيًا ، وذلك بفضل دورة التحضير لاختبار الايلتس الرائعة التي وفرت لي جميع المهارات المطلوبة. لذلك ، أوصي به بشدة للآخرين الذين قد يكون لديهم أهداف غير محققة ، سواء تحسين لغتك الإنجليزية ، أو الحصول على درجة الايلتس المستهدفة ، أو حتى الاستمتاع بهذه الرحلة التعليمية المفيدة. بعد كل شيء ، أود أن أقول لكم أن تحاولوا، أن تعملوا بجد ، تعلموا، وتنورو وتحسنوا. كما يقول هذا القول "كلما زادت الجهود ، زاد المجد". لا شيء أفضل من بناء مستقبلك.

Midori Sato

Study Abroad Year

If you want to study abroad, I recommend to go to Galway. If you consider going to some place beyond Japan to study English, I would say you can chose Galway. I already mentioned that there are few Japanese, you worry about that at first as you are afraid to speak English but you will have a wonderful experience overall.

Andrea Steffen

General English

“There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met”. This Irish quote fits perfectly to Galway. This wonderful and lovely City will welcome you with a warmth you haven’t experienced before. When I arrived in Galway, I immediately fell in love with the beauty and charm of the city. I attended two different types of courses at GCI and was more than happy with both of them. The teachers are very professional, qualified and prepared and create extremely interesting and varied lessons. Even in difficult times like Covid, the whole school handled the situation absolutely well and it was always very well organised. We had a lot of fun in the online courses and it was very enjoyable. The friendly staff are always very helpful. You really feel like the people at the school care about you and want you to be happy while you are staying here. My experience with GCI was amazing. Thank you so much for this unforgettable time!

Felipe Gonzales Rojas

General English 30

What I was most impressed with was the human warmth of the students, teachers and the residents of Galway, their kindness and closeness make it easy to make friends.

Pascal Schmid

General English 30

You get two different teachers in your class who both have slightly different accents. This improves your listening, which is great. There are daily activities that change weekly. It makes it easy to meet lots of new people.