Language holiday courses abroad: General information

Insurances

ELVIA travel insurance (Switzerland)
Our partner, ELVIA, insures your during your language study stay abroad! ESL advises you to take out this travel insurance during your enrolment. It covers cancellation fees and guarantees an assistance throughout your stay. Please to not hesitate to ask advice from our team regarding the various contract provisions. If you wish to carry out a long-term stay, of 6 months or more, we recommend to you to opt for the annual insurance through ESL. If you already have travel insurance, please inform us when you are booking.

GLOBE PARTNER (travel) health insurance (European Union)
You must imperitavely be insured during your stay. If you are a resident of the European Union, our ESL team proposes the "GLOBE PARTNER" medical cover to you. This insurance covers eventual medical expenses, assistance, private and personal liability in the case of accidents. Contact us for more information regarding the conditions, rates and terms of subscription.

Visas

According to the chosen destination, the duration of your stay or your citizenship, a visa is sometimes necessary for you. ESL will inform you of the adminstrative steps to be carried out and will get all of the necessary documents for obtaining the visa for you. The visa request and fees are at your expense. As a general rule, the formalities for obtaining a visa are the same for Swiss residents and members of the European residents and no steps are necessary if you carry out a language study stay in Europe. The vast majority of the other countries (except, for example, the United States, China and Egypt) authorise a language study stay with a tourist status for up to 12 weeks. For language study stays of more than 3 months, a visa is generally required.

Flights and trains

Our team proposes booking your flight at a very competitive price. We work with all of the airline companies for all of the destinations on offer. For some places, we also recommend travelling by train. Please do not hesitate to contact us for information on the best itineraries. We will make you an offer quickly and without obligation.

Transfers

For each of our destinations, we have the possibilty to book an airport/train station transfer to your accommodation for you. This option is pleasant if you are visiting this country for the first time or if you have made a long journey. If you are autonomous or if the country you are staying in is familiar, you can also get to your accommodation by an individual and sometimes more economical solution, this means by taxi, by bus or by train. The prices of the transfers organised by our partner schools are indicated in each price list and are calculated on the basis of a one-way journey (arrival), unless otherwise indicated.

First day

When you arrive at the school, you will sit a test to evaluate your language level, in order that our partner school may place you in a corresponding class. You will also receive useful information regarding the building, your classes and the activities programme, then you will visit the school premises in the company of a member of the school. You will then join your class and start the language classes.

Previous knowledge/language level

For the Club 50 programme, the majority of schools do not accept absolute beginners. It is preferable to already have some basic notions of the language before enrolling. Once you are there, you will join a class which corresponds to your language level, which will allow you to easily participate in the classes and in this way, make fast progress.

Local and national holidays

Classes are not given by our partner schools during national holidays. The lessons missed are sometimes made up for by our partner schools, if this is not the case, they are not refunded.

50+ class / nationalities

As far as possible, our partner schools form classes with the participants in the Club 50 programme. However, it can happen that the classes accommodate other students of various ages, mainly in order to offer as homogenous a course as possible with regard to language level. The language schools also see to it that the classes represent a varied mix of nationalities, in order that you may get to know and discuss with people from the four corners of the world.
In all cases, the afternoons and weekends are reserved for activities and visits included in the programme and exclusively reserved for participants in Club 50.

Material

The course material is generally included in the prices of the course. Additional books may also be bought through the school. We recommend to you to bring a dictionary, either a translation one, for the most advanced, one in the language in question.

Certificate

At the end of the programme, our partner school will present you with a certificate of presence which will attest to your language level, to the duration of your language course and to the place of stay.

Duration of the courses

The Club 50 programmes take place at fixed dates, generally over two weeks, and are proposed 2 to 4 times per year for each destination. If you wish to carry out a language study stay for a longer duration or at other dates, you can of course opt for language programmes for adults. Contact us in order to obtain more information regarding the various courses and destinations proposed.

Host family

The majority of the participants choose the option of host family accommodation. Carefully selected by our partner schools, the families (who may also be hosts living alone or in a couple without children), are subject to regular inspections which also take into consideration the indication of satisfaction of the participants who stayed there previously. By enrolling with ESL, the schools your specific requests into account (animals, children, special diet, non-smoker etc.) and are in a position to respect them in most cases (enrolment deadline). Knowing your interests and hobbies will also be very useful to us in order to find the family which will correspond best to you. As a general rule, the families live within a close perimeter of the language school or in residential areas of the city/town where you are staying. The experience with the family is a great supplement to classes, as it will allow you to practise the language with your hosts and to discover the tradition and culture of the country in which you are staying. This accommodation option also includes meals (generally half board).

Other accommodation options

If you wish to opt for another type of accommodation, our partner schools always have alternatives to propose to you, including hotels, a residence, a private studio or a shared apartment.
Contact us for more information.