Lessons at inlingua

It was Monday morning - But not a usual one like on the other Mondays before. Of course it wasn't, because that day I started taking lessons at inlingua.

After already working here for two months, inlingua offers me for every month work one free week of General English lessons. So this was my first day. After taking the test that determined my language level of English, lessons started at 10 am on Monday. I was very excited about the other students, the lessons itself as well as the teacher.

We are just a small group - me and another girl who is from Russia. As we are only two students in the class, the lessons are very effective and intensive. This has to be evaluated as positive, because everyone has the possibility to speak as much as possible. The best way to improve his English! So it's not like in school time when about 25 students are sitting in one stuffy room, the teacher standing in front of them, trying to explain something and the students are not paying attention - There is no possibility to actively take part in the lessons and learn something.Here at inlingua it's different, simply better.Even the atmosphere in the class is easy-going and not as tense as it was in school time.

And I'm looking forward to the next lessons.Well, for me it's half-time now here in Malta. Ten weeks have already passed and another ten weeks are waiting for me…. Till next time!

Day trip to Valletta

After a busy working week at inlingua school it was time to relax a bit over the weekend. And for me the best way to relax is to go out and see something. So I decided to visit Valletta, the magnificent capital on Malta’s east coast, and when I was there I realised that it is a must-see for visitors.

It was a wonderful Saturday morning, with clear skies and warm, fresh air, ideal for my trip. After having a coffee to wake up, I got ready for the day’s excursion.

I took the bus directly to Valletta’s Bus Terminal. From there I headed towards the main gate and then strolled onto Republic Street which is the main street of the city. After a few minutes I arrived at one of the most splendid churches on the Maltese islands, St. John’s Co-Cathedral – designed by Gerolamo Cassar and built by the Knights of St. John in 1573. While the outside of the church is unimpressive, its interior is amazing. As I am very interested in arts, I was impressed by the fascinating paintings inside the church, mainly by Caravaggio’s famous painting ‘The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist’.

Then I visited the nearby Grandmasters’ Palace – once home of the knights, now home of the Maltese parliament. It displays a lot of marvellous paintings, frescoes and furniture that have been placed there by the Knights of St. John. From the palace I moved on through the narrow streets of Valletta to a nice restaurant to have lunch.

After lunch I went to the Auberge de Provence that is home to the National Museum of Archaeology. A visit here is essential to understand Malta's unique prehistoric temples. It's worth the admission fee to see the lavish upstairs salon and the mysterious ‘Sleeping Lady’ sculpture inside the museum.

Late in the afternoon, I was on the way to the Upper Barrakka Gardens with its beautiful fountains and flowers to get a fascinating view over the Grand Harbour and the ‘Three Cities’ Vittoriosa, Senglea and Kalkara – A perfect place to end a nice day in Valletta.

See you next time!
Teresa

My first two months in Malta

To introduce myself: My name is Teresa and I am 20 years old. I am from Germany, Saxony. I came to Malta on the 1st August with four another classmates for our internship that I was going to do at inlingua School of Languages until the mid of December – I know, it’s a long time!

Well, let me tell something about my first impressions of Malta and inlingua during the two months that I’ve spent so far on the island...Back to Germany at Munich airport - We were waiting for our flight to Malta with Air Malta. The flight was already delayed for 1 hour and I was really fed up waiting, the others as well. Finally, the plane departed and after 2 ½ hours we reached the island. Then on through customs with my friend and to a waiting taxi driver with the keys to our rented flat in San Gwann, a town near St. Julians.
The next day – just recovering from the journey and beginning to learn how things work over here, it didn't take a very long to get used to everything. The supermarket is just around the corner as well as other useful shops. So this day was spent shopping for necessities and exploring the area around my workplace in Sliema – a modern and vibrant city with lots of shopping possibilities, restaurants, hotels and the harbour where the ferry to Valletta, the capital of Malta, leaves.

Then my first day at inlingua – 3rd August: I remember that it was a very busy day, as it was Monday and the new students arrived. Anyway I was very excited and also a bit nervous, but it’s normal I guess. While getting introduced to everyone, I noticed the kindness of the staff. Everyone is very friendly and easy-going… I really like the cheerful mentality of the Maltese people. They are very welcoming.
Well, when I take a look back now to my first 9 weeks here I am really satisfied, as at work everything is going very well and I enjoy being out with my friends at the weekends. Furthermore I really like Malta. Why did I come here? ... For sure I want to improve my language skills and I chose Malta because it was recommended to me by teachers and former students from my school in Germany for its interesting culture, the wonderful weather and the beautiful countryside. And inlingua school has also fulfilled my expectations so far…