English with Young inMalta

Learn to speak by speaking.

Young inMalta is based on a very simple idea: you can know plenty of grammar rules, have studied English for years and still find it difficult when it’s time to actually speak. That’s why we’ve chosen to take English out of the classroom. With Young inMalta, you won’t spend your mornings sitting in front of a book and you won’t have a teacher giving you a traditional lesson. At the heart of the experience is conversation with young native English speakers in your own age group. People you can really talk to, not people who make you feel like you’re being tested.

One native speaker for every three participants

The key feature of the Young inMalta method is the ratio between participants and young native English speakers. As a general guideline, there is one young native English speaker for every three students. No large groups where you have very few opportunities to join in, but small groups where speaking naturally becomes part of the experience. In a group this small, it’s difficult to stay silent. You can listen, ask questions, tell stories, join the conversation and, above all, have the time you need to express yourself. The aim isn’t to test how much English you know. The aim is to get you using the English you already know and help you add something more, day after day.

Your conversation mates

We don’t want to recreate the traditional teacher-student relationship outside school. That’s why the native speakers you’ll meet are young people in your own age group. We call them conversation mates: young people you’ll spend a few hours of your day with, where conversation develops naturally from whatever you’re doing together. They’re not there to constantly correct every mistake. They’re there to talk to you. If you use the wrong word, can’t remember a term or phrase something in a way that doesn’t sound quite natural, the conversation itself becomes an opportunity to discover a better way to say it. It’s a way of learning that is much closer to what happens when you actually start living in another country. No classroom. Real life.

How does a Young inMalta English session work?

There’s no desk, no whiteboard and no textbook. A session might be a walk, an afternoon at the beach, a drink together, dinner, a few hours on Campus or an evening out. The setting changes, but one thing always stays the same: you speak English. The conversation often develops naturally from whatever you’re doing. At other times, topics, questions or situations are suggested to help everyone get involved. Talking about music, university, travel, relationships, the future, work, social media, differences between countries, or simply deciding where to go that evening means using vocabulary and language structures in real-life situations. And when you genuinely have something you want to say, finding the words becomes much more important than completing an exercise.

Making mistakes is part of the method

One of the biggest obstacles when speaking a foreign language is the fear of making mistakes. At school, you may have learnt to look for the perfect sentence before saying it. Real life doesn’t work like that. Conversations move quickly. Someone asks you a question and you need to answer. You want to tell a story and you have to find the words. You can’t remember a word, so you have to find another way to explain what you mean. And it’s exactly this kind of practice that can help you become more confident. During Young inMalta, nobody expects your English to be perfect. You need to speak. Mistakes become a natural part of the process and, as the days go by, something that initially required a real effort can start to feel much more spontaneous. First understand. Then respond. Eventually, think in English. When you begin a language immersion experience, the first change you notice is often in your listening. You start getting used to the speed of the language, everyday expressions and different ways of pronouncing words. Then you begin responding more quickly. You translate less in your head and start building sentences more naturally. The aim of the Young inMalta method is to take you in exactly this direction: gradually reducing the gap between what you want to say and your ability to say it in English. Not through a sequence of lessons, but through hours of conversation woven into your everyday life in Malta.

The English you actually need

With your conversation mates, you won’t just talk about the typical topics you find in an English textbook. You’ll use the language you need in everyday life. How do you suggest doing something? How do you tell someone what you did yesterday? How do you explain your opinion? How do you make a joke? How do you ask for clarification when you haven’t understood something? How do you tell someone you’ve just met something about yourself? These are simple situations, but they’re exactly the moments when a language stops being a school subject and becomes a tool. You learn by listening too. Conversation isn’t just about speaking. An essential part of the experience is listening to people using English naturally. You’ll hear words you may already know but have never heard used in quite that way, as well as everyday expressions, idioms and sentence structures that are much more spontaneous than the ones you find in a classroom exercise. And, most importantly, you can ask. “What does that mean?” “How do you say...?” “Is this correct?” “What would you say instead?” Simple questions that, asked every day, can turn every conversation into another opportunity to learn.

English continues afterwards

The organised hours with young native speakers are only one part of the immersion. You’re in Malta. You order something at a bar, go shopping, meet international students on Campus, ask for directions, meet someone during an activity or go out in the evening. Every day gives you new opportunities to use what you’re learning. The more confident you become during the organised conversations, the more natural it becomes to use English even when nobody is asking you to. And that’s the result we’re looking for. We don’t simply want to teach you more English. We want to help you find the confidence to use the English you already know. Speak. Make mistakes. Listen. Try again. Young inMalta doesn’t promise that you’ll speak perfect English after a few weeks. It offers you something much more concrete: time, people and real-life situations in which you can use the language every day. You’ll speak. Sometimes you’ll search for a word. Sometimes you’ll make mistakes. Sometimes you’ll suddenly realise that you’ve had an entire conversation without thinking in your native language for a single moment. And that will probably be the moment when you realise that something has changed. English is no longer just something you study. It’s something you’re starting to live.

And you might even feel like going out with your conversation mates in the evening, because they’re not teachers, they’re your new Maltese friends.

The Study inMalta English Course

There’s no such thing as the best course. There’s the course that’s right for you.

Malta offers plenty of options for studying English, and simply choosing a school or the course with the lowest price doesn’t necessarily mean making the right choice. With Study inMalta, we start with you. What’s your current level of English? How long will you be staying in Malta? Do you mainly want to improve your conversation skills? Do you need English for university or work? Do you want to achieve as much as possible in just a few weeks, or would you prefer a less intensive course that gives you more free time? The answers to these questions help us identify the school and course that best suit your experience. Malta has many different language schools, varying in size, location, average student age, mix of nationalities, teaching methods, services and types of courses. So Study inMalta doesn’t start with a school that has already been chosen for you: we consider your individual needs and recommend the option we believe is right for you.

Before you start: your level

The first step is to find out where you’re starting from. Before your course begins, your English level is assessed through a placement test so that you can join a class with students whose language skills are similar to yours. Courses are available from beginner through to advanced levels. This is important because an effective class should allow you to understand what is happening during the lesson while still challenging you to make progress. You’ll study alongside international students at a similar language level, turning the classroom itself into an environment where English becomes the common language.

Four skills to develop

Studying English means working on four essential skills at the same time: listening, reading, speaking and writing. You’ll learn to understand spoken English more effectively, read and interpret texts, express yourself more confidently when speaking and communicate correctly in writing. Lessons aren’t based solely on vocabulary and grammar. Discussions, exercises, collaborative activities, learning materials and communication-based tasks allow you to use the language in different ways. The aim is to build skills that you can also use once you leave school. And this is where studying in Malta offers a clear advantage: when the lesson ends, English is still all around you

The standard course

For many students, the most suitable option is the “English inMalta” course: it includes 20 lessons per week, equivalent to approximately 15 hours of classroom tuition. This format allows you to dedicate an important part of your day to studying while still having enough time to experience Malta, get to know the other students and continue using English outside school. Depending on the school and availability, lessons may take place in the morning or afternoon. Throughout the course, you’ll progressively develop your language skills, with particular attention to your ability to put what you learn into practice.

The intensive course

If you have limited time or want to dedicate more of your day to studying, we can recommend a more intensive option. The “Deep English inMalta” course includes 30 lessons per week, for a total of approximately 22.5 hours. More lessons mean more exposure to English and more time spent working on your language skills each week. It’s a particularly interesting option if your stay is relatively short and you want to focus more intensively on learning, or if you have a more ambitious language goal. Standard and intensive don’t mean “easy course” and “difficult course”. The main difference is the amount of weekly tuition and, as a result, the pace you want to give your experience.

International classes

One of the most important aspects when choosing a school is the composition of its classes. Attending an international language school means meeting students from different countries and having a genuine reason to use English with your classmates too. That’s why, when selecting a school, we also consider its mix of nationalities and look for options with a limited number of students who share your native language. The more international the class, the less tempting it is to fall back on your own language. English therefore becomes not only the subject you’re studying, but also the language you use to communicate with the people around you.

The right school for you

Don’t choose a school just by looking at photographs of its classrooms or its social media presence. We consider a range of factors for you: where in Malta the school is located, the international mix of its students, their average age, the quality of the facilities, teaching methods, the professionalism of teachers and staff, the courses available, the services provided, optional activities and value for money. The kind of experience you want also matters. A school in St Julian’s may be particularly suitable if you want to be right in the heart of one of the island’s liveliest and most international areas. A school located on a Campus may be ideal if you prefer to have your studies, services and student life all in the same environment. Other options may be better suited to different needs. That’s why Study inMalta doesn’t simply give you a list of schools. We help you choose.

Learn with students at your level

Once the school has been selected, the placement test allows you to join the group that matches your language skills. Classes are international and generally consist of students with a similar level of English. This allows the teacher to work towards objectives that match the abilities of the group and gives everyone the opportunity to participate. During lessons, you’re encouraged to interact, take part in discussions, work with other students and express yourself in English. You don’t have to wait until you feel “ready” to speak. The classroom is where you become ready.

If you’re looking for something more specific

Not everyone needs an “English inMalta” course. If you have specific requirements, we can consider different options. You can choose individual tuition or a more personalised programme if you want to focus on specific objectives, professional skills or particular language needs. Individual courses allow your teacher to focus more closely on your requirements and tailor the work to the areas in which you most want to improve. If, on the other hand, you have an academic goal or need to formally demonstrate your level of English, we can consider courses specifically designed to prepare you for internationally recognised exams.

Preparing for English qualifications

Studying English and obtaining an English language qualification are two different things. At the end of a standard course, you may receive a certificate confirming the course you attended and the level you achieved, but obtaining an internationally recognised qualification requires you to pass a specific examination. If your goal is IELTS, Cambridge, TOEFL or another qualification, we can therefore identify a specific exam preparation course. These programmes don’t focus solely on general English. They also develop the skills, techniques and types of exercises required for the exam you’ll be taking. The right choice therefore depends on what you want to achieve. If your aim is to improve your English, we’ll select the most appropriate language programme. If you also need to formally certify your level, we’ll build your programme around the exam you need to take.

From the classroom to real life

Your course only takes up part of your day. And that’s one of the most important aspects of Study inMalta. In the morning or afternoon, you learn new words, improve your grammar, listen, read, write and, above all, speak. Then you leave school. You meet your classmates, order something, plan a day out together, ask for information, go to the supermarket, visit a bar or restaurant, catch a bus or explore somewhere new. And you keep using English. Malta becomes your second learning environment. The school gives you method, structure and skills. Everyday life gives you constant opportunities to use them.

How long do you need?

There’s no single ideal duration that works for everyone. A few weeks can help you overcome some of your barriers, become more confident and experience an intensive period of language immersion. A longer stay, even for several months, allows you to make more gradual progress, consolidate what you learn and make using English every day increasingly natural. That’s why, when we choose your course together, we also consider how much time you can dedicate to the experience. The length of your stay, the number of lessons per week, your starting level and your final goal all need to be considered together.

Your programme, not everyone else’s

Study inMalta doesn’t start with the same formula for every student. It starts with one question: why do you want to improve your English? From there, we choose the rest together. The school. The number of lessons. The type of course. The duration. Any preparation you may need for an English language qualification. Our aim is for you to arrive in Malta knowing that the course you’re about to attend isn’t simply one of the many courses available on the island. It’s the one we’ve chosen with your goals in mind. Then the lessons begin. And Malta does the rest.