CIAL Lisbon

The CIAL Portuguese language school first opened in 1959. Today, with over 50 years of teaching Portuguese language courses, the school is well known for its high-quality language education. The school was awarded the title of Star World Language School 2015 by Study Travel Magazine and is accredited by the independent language education organizations Eaquals and International Association of Language Centres (IALC), demonstrating the school's recognition as a high-quality institution.

CIAL occupies the first and third floor of a beautiful building constructed in the 1910s, sharing the building with private residences and offices. It is conveniently located a 15-minute walk from the city’s busy Avenida da Liberdade where there are many shops, restaurants, and at the same distance from the large Eduardo VII Park where students can take a walk and relax between classes. It is just two blocks from the Piscoas metro station, making it easy to explore the city on public transport.

CIAL has a wide range of courses for students to choose from. There is the possibility of undertaking a volunteer or internship project alongside the Portuguese classes or to combine the course with surf lessons (depending on the time of year). The teaching methodology at CIAL combines different approaches to language learning, with clear student aims and structured lessons. Teachers facilitate the learning process to develop the critical skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. All teachers at CIAL are native Portuguese speakers, hold a university degree, and have completed teacher training at CIAL. 

The team at CIAL is available to help students with any queries they may have during their stay, whether it be about their classes, activities, or exploring the city of Lisbon. The school plans an exciting weekly program of activities, all of which is included in the course fee, including visits to museums and monuments, outings to concerts and bars, as well as half day trips to points of interest around Lisbon. The team also organizes evening dinners and trips to sporting matches which students can participate in at an additional affordable cost. All activities are accompanied by a CIAL team member to make sure that it is a pleasant Portuguese cultural experience.