General English and Business English courses: On any Monday.
Individual Tuition: On any weekday.
Cambridge FCE Exam & TOEIC Test: Please contact us for details. 

Students have to be 16+ years when they start the course.

For General English and Business English Group courses the maximum is 15 students per class, however the average number of students is usually 8 – 10. For exam preparation courses the maximum is 12 and the average is 8. For the Business English combination course the maximum is 6 students per class and the average is 4. 

Please look at the Terms and Conditions for information about course holidays.

Students receive a certificate of attendance provided they have attended at least 80% of their course. If you take an examination the school will send you the examination certificate.

You can either buy a course book (€35) which is then yours to make notes in and take home with you or you can borrow a course book from the Academy for the duration of your course. A deposit is required (€35) and this is refunded at the end of your course when the book is returned in the same condition as it was lent.

Students take a placement test on the first day of their course. Students are then placed in a class with students of the same level.

Classes are available at levels from CEF level A1 to C1. Individual One-to-One tuition is available from beginner level through to C2. If you wish to join a group course and your starting level is below A1, you would need to take individual One-to-One tuition to bring your level up to that of the group.

Only in an emergency! Try to speak English as much as possible in the classroom and outside of class time. The more you try to practice your English the faster you will make progress.

20 hour courses (morning)
9.00 – 11.00 Class
11.00 – 11.15 Break
11.15 – 1.15 Class

28 hour Intensive courses

9.00 – 11.00 Class
11.00 – 11.15 Break
11.15 – 1.15 Class
2.30 – 4.30 Class (Monday to Thursday only)

General English Combination Courses
9.00 – 11.00 Class
11.00 – 11.15 Break
11.15 – 1.15 Class

Afternoon Individual Lessons / One-to-One Individual Tuition
Timetable varies according to student requirements and class schedules.

We have a spacious student lounge with vending machines and desktop computers for student internet use. There is also free WI-FI available throughout the school for students who have their own laptops.

Complete the online application form and submit it to us. We will check the details and reply to you within 48 hours (Monday – Friday). If you prefer you can send us an email at info@corkenglishacademy.com. We will contact you to tell you if we have a place available, but we cannot process your application until we have received proof of payment of your deposit, or full fees (at least 14 days before the course begins).

Payment is by bank draft or credit card. Full details are available on our booking form.

Yes, a deposit of €200 is required to secure your place on a course.

The balance of the fees must be paid at least 28 days before the course begins.

It is deducted from your total fees and cannot normally be refunded in case of cancellation. The registration fee is not refundable. If you cancel before your course begins the balance of the accommodation deposit will be refunded after any cancellation charges have been paid.

For visa requiring applicants the cancellation policy is as follows: If you cancel your course and/or accommodation before arrival due to visa refusal or you are refused entry to Ireland, we shall refund your  fees in full minus a €200 cancellation charge and the registration fee charge of €65. You must apply for a refund within six months of refusal date. You will be required to submit the original letter of refusal to us for us to give you the refund. If you cancel your course and/or accommodation later than two weeks before the commencement date for any reason other than visa refusal, we will refund 90% of your fees. If you cancel your course and/or accommodation after arrival, leave it early or miss any lessons, including in case of sickness, refund is not usually given but a credit may be considered at the discretion of the Academy.

For non visa requiring applicants the cancellation policy is as follows: If a course and/or accommodation booking is cancelled 28 days before student arrival a full refund is returned. If a course and/or accommodation booking is cancelled less than 28 days before start date full fees are returned subject to a €200 cancellation charge and the registration fee charge of €65. If an accommodation booking is cancelled 14 days or less no accommodation fees are returned. If a booking is cancelled after arrival, where a student leaves early for any reason including in case of sickness, refund is not usually given but a credit may be considered at the discretion of the Academy.

Cork English Academy is in the city centre and all of our standard host families live about 20 – 30 minutes away by bus. Family homes are not usually located in the city centre in Ireland. If you wish to live in the city our self-catering shared apartments are all an average of 15 minutes walk to the Academy. We can also arrange for you to stay in a city centre hotel or guest house minutes from the Academy.

You should talk to our Accommodation Officer who will discuss your problems and help you.

Normally the Academy requires a minimum of 2 weeks notice if you wish to leave your host family or shared apartment before your booked leaving date or extend it past your original booking. Please contact us for more information about accommodation changes.

No. You advise us of your requests and we will find suitable accommodation for you.

Smoking is not usually permitted inside host families or apartments. Please put a request on your application form and we will do our best to find accommodation which allows smoking outside. It is against the law in Ireland to smoke indoors in public places (this includes cinemas, restaurants, shopping centres etc and of course Cork English Academy).

Students from The European Union and certain other countries do not need a visa to study in Ireland. Please check our Visa Information Page for further information. Please check with the Irish Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence for further information.

We strongly recommend that you have insurance to cover health, travel and accidents and course cancellation.

You will receive an information pack from us at least 10 days before your course start date with confirmation of your airport transfer (if requested), details of your accommodation (address, map etc), details of what to bring with you to Cork and a schedule for your first day at Cork English Academy.

Although we do enjoy warm sunny weather during the summer months in Ireland it cannot always be guaranteed and so it is a good idea to be prepared for the fact that the weather may change several times in one day. Bringing an umbrella is always a good idea, also a jacket and sweater, even in summer. Make sure you have warm clothes for winter. Also bring passport size photographs – these are very useful for student cards, travel cards etc. and remember to bring pens and paper to class.

The first day at Cork English Academy is very important. Please arrive at the Academy by 09:00 and bring a pen and some paper, your passport or photo ID. Students enrolled on group courses will take a test (writing and speaking) to assess your level. There is an introduction to the Academy for all new students and a chance to meet the staff and other students as well as a tour of the city centre, identifying the places which will be important for you during your stay. For students taking one-to-one lessons and for our Business Combination students there is a detailed interview with your language trainer and complete a language needs analysis and language assessment. Following a tour of the Academy you will then commence your one-to-one course.

Yes, the internet is free for all students. There is wireless internet access throughout the building if you wish to bring your own laptop. We also have fixed computers in our student lounges.

Please come to the office and we will help you to make an appointment. If you are very ill or have a serious accident the numbers for medical assistance in Ireland are 112 or 999 (for emergencies only).

Please come to the Academy office for help during school hours. If you have a serious problem (an emergency) outside school hours you may call our emergency number 086 7900860.

If you are staying with a host family, airport transfers from Cork Airport are included in your accommodation fees. For self-catering students we can arrange a taxi to collect you from Cork, Dublin or Shannon airports. There is also a bus service which runs regularly from Cork airport to the city centre. A bus service from Dublin airport to Cork city runs regularly throughout the day if you are arriving in Dublin airport. There is also a regular train service from Cork to Dublin but please note that the train station is a bus or taxi ride from the airport. Contact the Academy for further details.

There is a social programme organized by the academy and some of these activities are free while some incur a fee where a private coach is hired or entrance fees are required. A member of staff usually accompanies students on these activities at no additional cost.

Cork Cork English Academy is closed on the following days in 2013:

01 – 04 January,school reopens 07 January 2013. 18 March, 1 April, 6 May, 3 June, 5 August, 28 October and from 23 December 2013 to 03 January 2014. The school will reopen 06 January 2014.