Vacation or work? Why Malta has become a leading destination for young people to learn English

Irregular verbs in English are sometimes easy to remember. Especially when they are learned under the sun and between two yacht parties in Malta. Located between Italy and Tunisia, the island welcomes hundreds of French high school and university students during the summer. With its beaches and rocky coves overlooking turquoise waters, it’s a great alternative to gray Britain and distant – and expensive – North America, traditional options for language stays.

” I chose Malta over the US because of the distance and the cost of the plane ticket », testifies 23-year-old Kevin Muehl. Young man, now “almost bilingual”, enjoyed it so much that he returned for a second year. One of the first reasons to choose Malta is price. The Mediterranean island has other advantages: its weather, its quality of life and its proximity to France, without the time difference (less than three hours by plane from Paris, departing from Nice or Lyon) also explain its success.

Source: After the UK and the US, Malta is the third most popular destination for language stays from specialist agency EF. “ Malta today represents everything that the UK can no longer offer: you now need a passport to access it, it’s very expensive, and it’s not a Eurozone. », Adeline Prevost, responsible and manager of one of the leaders of the sector. In addition to the capital city of Valletta, EF expands to two other campuses on the island to cover all student needs for Malta during the summer.

The Go&Live team (Nessal and the Institute of Languages ​​and Civilizations), ranking our language stay organizers, makes the same observation. The number of young people sending to the EU’s smallest state is growing by 64% this year. ” For monitored accommodation, this target is growing more than Great Britain by 2023. However, Malta only accounts for 15% of our sales.», explains Xavier Obert, President of Go&Live. Budget-wise, for a two-week stay in Malta for 15-18 year olds, you should expect a total of €1,850 (including flights). Over the same period, prices double in the UK and reach nearly €5,000 in the US.

English is easy to understand

According to our interlocutors, the English spoken there seems easy to understand. It is one of the country’s two official languages, along with Maltese. Many tourists visiting the island (more than three million last year) speak with an accent.

That’s what 21-year-old business student Nicolas Faure, who left in 2021 to improve his English on the island, noticed. People usually speak quietly and not as quickly or fluently as in the US or UK, which is easier as you learn. “, he insists.

“New Ibiza”

In the eyes of these young people, one of the Maltese archipelago’s greatest assets remains its nightlife. Many neighborhoods, such as Baysville in St Julian’s, are popular for their nightclubs and cocktail bars. Jessica Mota De Sousa studied English in Malta for three months at the end of summer when she was 19. “ We went out with my friends three times a week or so. Compared to France, I felt safer returning late at night “, she believes.

Driven by its vibrant student life, the island brings together many French students, in addition to young people. Most people choose Malta to work or do internships throughout the year as it does not require a visa. Carla Blanconier has been a French party promoter for six years and has set up an event company for evening “boat parties” reserved for French speakers. ” Malta is A new Ibiza but very affordable. The young people who attend our parties are between 18 and 26 years old, which is a very young market compared to Ibiza. », she observes.

Despite the small archipelago’s success, travel agencies are unanimous: Great Britain remains the number one destination for studying English. Sun or not, it’s not yet time to tell So Long, London.