Lange termijn cursussen een volledige taalonderdompeling: Practical information

On principle, it is possible to start the Gap Experience programmes every Monday (some schools propose courses for beginners on fixed dates). The language courses, lasting 3 months or longer, constitute the ideal duration in order to attest to your language knowledge by official certificates whose exams take place on fixed dates. It is therefore a matter of putting down the dates of your stay according to the exam sessions. For example, if a student wishes to follow an academic semester (24 weeks) which ends with the obtaining of the Cambridge First (3 exam sessions per year), it is recommended to start the course at the beginning of January in order to finish in June with the exam, at the end of June for the December exam and in September for the March exam. The same goes for the other languages where the dates to be foreseen are those of the end of the stay according to the exam dates.

For professional vocation/university diploma courses, the start dates are indicated for each programme.
 

We have been working with the majority of our partner schools for several years. The regular contacts we maintain, our numerous visits to the schools and the feedback of our students allow us to ensure a quality control of their services.

For all of our destinations, we can organise an airport transfer or, according to the destination, a transfer from the train station to your accommodation. This option is pleasant, especially after a long journey. According to your level of autonomy and your knowledge of the country, you can also get to your accommodation by taxi, train or bus. These independent solutions are generally less expensive than the transfers organised by our partner schools. The prices indicated on our website are calculated on the basis of a one-way journey.

Depending on the destination and the duration of your stay, a student visa is indispensable for your stay. We inform you in detail of the procedure to take and we obtain the necessary documents for the visa request. The obtaining and visa fees are at your expense. The formalities as far as visas are concerned are generally the same for people coming from EU countries. There is no procedure necesssary for stays taking place in Europenan countries. The majority of the other countries, apart from the USA, allow you to study for up to 12 months with a tourist visa. For stays of more than 3 months, a student visa is required.

ESL- Language studies abroad also proposes to you the reservation of flights for any destination at very competitive prices. Please do not hesitate to ask us for an offer without obligation. If you mention it on your enrolment form, we will send you a purely informative price offer for a favourable flight.

Do you wish to travel abroad in the next few days? If circumstances do not permit you to book a long time in advance, we can organise your language study stay in the space of a few days!

With ESL, you can simply take out all types of travel insurance. We propose to you, among others, insurance covering cancellation fees, luggage or a replacement journey. We send you complete information on this subject at the same time as the confirmation of your language study abroad programme. As regards health insurance, the best method consists in checking with your usual health insurance provider if you are covered during your stay abroad.

All of your travel documents are sent to you approximately 10 days prior to your departure. They include a travel guide, the detailed description of your accommodation, your plane ticket, you flight itinerary as well as general information about the school and your destination. In addition, we provide you with documentation which is as complete as possible on the chosen country.

It is difficult to specify an exact amount. This depends on your personal needs, the cost of living of the country, the type of accommodation (without meals/half board/full board) as well as desired activities and excursions. We recommend between CHF 150.–/EUR 100.– and CHF 300.–/EUR 200.– worth of pocket money each week.

Complete the enrolment form and send it to use by post or by fax or send it to your booking office/travel agency. As soon as we receive your enrolment, we will confirm your language study programme within a maximum of 7 working days. This confirmation contains details of your booking for your course, acccommodation and journey. A deposit is to be paid as soon as you receive the confirmation. If you mention it on your enrolment form. we will send you a price offer for a favourable flight without obligation on your behalf. We send you a definitive invoice 5 to 6 weeks prior to your departure. You must pay the balance, in Swiss Francs, Euros or other foreign currency prior to your departure.

If you've decided to travel abroad, do not delay in undertaking all of the steps. By enrolling on time, you benefit from more favourable prices for your flight and have more time to fulfil all the necessary administrative steps (visa request, extension of your health insurance, announce of your departure etc.). In addition, your wishes concerning accommodation will be more easily satisfied if we can carry out research in advance.

Our prices are the original prices of the schools, which means exactly the prices that you would pays by enrolling directly through the school. No surcharge is invoiced and no administrative fees related to your file or advice given to you is calculated. This means that by travelling abroad with ESL, you do not pay more than by enrolling directly abroad. In addition, you save yourself numerous administrative steps and benefit from assistance at all times, before, during and after your stay. Additionally, we guarantee you the lowest price with a refund of the difference if you find a lower price elsewhere. In order to take advantage of the best courses, our prices are published in foreign currencies and unless otherwise informed by you, they will be converted according to the exchange rate of the day the invoice is sent (4 to 5 weeks prior to departure). We also offer you the possibility to pay in foreign currencies.

The ESL partner schools are attended by participants from throughout the world, in ratios which vary according to the periods of the year and which change according to the destination of the school. Present on an international level, we organise placements of students from various countries and in this way, contribute to strengthening the nationality mix in our partner schools.

Teaching does not take place on bank holidays (national holidays, etc.). If the classes are not made up for by our partner schools, the missed hours are not reimbursed.

We are proud to be able to say that the majority of our clients contact us on the recommendation of former participants. We strive to maintain the high rate of recommendation by offering our clients a complete and quality service without any advice or placement fees.

Small schools (S)
Studying in a small school which counts 30-70 participants offers several advantages, including a relaxed and homelike atmosphere, committed teachers, great flexibility and classes with small numbers. Nevertheless, not all of the levels and course types are always available, notably during the low season.

Medium-sized schools (M)
With 70-100 participants, on the one hand, they combine the advantages of large and small schools, including good technical equipment, many activities, many levels represented, personal contact and great flexibility. On the other hand, not all of the certificates are necessarily proposed.

Large schools (L)
Schools of 100-300 students propose courses for all levels, have good technical facilities and organise a wide variety of activities.

Very large schools (XL)
Schools of more than 300 participants on the one hand present the same advantages as large schools, but you cannot meet all of the students. On the other hand, you find a large number of different nationalities and a wide choice of course types.

- Europe
The arrival day is Sunday, the departure takes place on a Saturday. It is possible to arrive before the weekend on request. In this case, additional nights will be invoiced.

- Overseas
The same goes for schools overseas. Nevertheless, due to the time difference and the long long journey, we recommend to students to travel during the prior week. In this case, additional nights will be invoiced.