Things to do in Malta - On your English Learning Winter Holiday!

Malta is known for its hot summer sun and everything related to its surrounding blue Mediterranean sea, such as water sports and diving. As a result, flocks of tourists visit the Maltese islands, during the May to September season in an attempt to sit back, relax and enjoy the summer sun! So a visit to the island during the winter months may prove to be a quieter, calmer and perhaps more rewarding sort of holiday in Malta.

Since Malta's winter is rather mild, it allows for the hills to be greener. one can enjoy the countryside by means of hiking, walking or cycling - an activity which is usually difficult in the hot summer months. Countryside walks have become a highlight for many tourists visiting Malta.




During this time of the year, taking in Malta's spectacular culture would be ideal since the old villages and monuments are less busy with tourists, and the temperature is cooler. The oldest and most impressive structures are the prehistoric temples, the largest of which are located in Qrendi (Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples), Tarxien (Tarxien Temple) and Gozo (Ggantija Temple) Dating from c.5000B.C, the temples are actually older than the Egyptian pyramids...A Definite must-see!

Valletta and Mdina are incredible localities that merit a visit. By simply walking around, one can appreciate the historic buildings and distinct character of each city. Valletta contains within it's walls the Grandmaster's Palace, Auberge de Castille, St. John's Co-Cathedral, The National Museum of Archaeology, The Fine Art Museum, The Manoel Theatre and a host of of other historical buildings, not to mention one of Malta's shopping high-streets, all at a short walking distance from one another.

Mdina is no less stunning. Mdina itself is known as the 'silent city' and contains series of winding narrow roads through which cars are not allowed to pass. Walking through the former Capital allows for appreciation of historical buildings, the possibility of dining in some of the most uptown Malta restaurants and cafes, as well as spectacular views of the island off its bastions.

With regards to indoor activities; the theatre scene is bustling all year round with selections of classical concerts, operas, drama, musicals and comedy. In fact it has become popular to go and enjoy a light meal and a bottle of wine at a local wine bars following a show at one of Malta's Theatres. Wining and dining in Malta is of course not limited to such wine bars and extends to all sorts of cuisine scattered in every locality on the island, the most prominent being that of Mediterranean cuisine.

Winter in Malta provides a calm splendor for you to enjoy!

Courses at inlingua starting January 2010!

EFL & TELF COURSES

Course 1. - Evening
2 x 9 week (60 hour) course leading to a certificate in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
Dates: January 26 - March 25
Days: Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 17.30 - 20.30
Minimum number of participants: 8

Course 2. - Evening
2 x 8 week (48 hour) preparation course leading to English as a Foreign Language exam for EFL teachers
Dates: February 1 - March 24
Days: Monday and Wednesday
Time: 17.30 - 20.30
Minimum number of participants: 6

Course 3. - Morning
Our popular intensive (32 hour) preparation course leading to English as a Foreign Language exam for EFL teachers.

Open to participants who already possess a good knowledge of English

Dates: February 3 - March 24
Day: Wednesday
Time: 9.00 - 13.00
Minimum number of participants: 6


Contact our Director of Studies
Jo Cahia on 2010 2000
E-mail jocachia@inlinguamalta.com

2010 for inlingua Malta!!

www.inlinguamalta.com

2010 a milestone for inlingua Malta.....We are celebrating 30 years of successful language training to students from all over the world. Forming part of the worldwide global franchise. Our promise to you is that we will continue to maintain the same quality teaching standards and efficient service inlingua stands for.

Knowledge, Reputation and Reliability. These are the qualities you can expect from inlingua Malta. We guarantee quality language courses to each and every student and we are committed to providing a personal, one to one service to everyone who studies in our school.

The inlingua team are back at work after a well earned rest. We are geared up for a busy 2010. Our school has undergone refurbishment in many areas, our meeting room for winter students with computer access and mid morning coffee being served daily is yet another improvement within the school. This is the ideal spot to interact with other students. Free WIFI ans self study centre together with our well stocked library makes student life even more enjoyable here at inlingua Malta. Our upgraded roof terrace is the ideal spot to enjoy the wonderful warm winters we a currently enjoying here in Malta at the moment!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year ....and We look forward to welcoming you and giving you our best attention at all times!

Birthday in Gozo

This year I celebrated my birthday in Malta and I wanted to have my family here with me to share this day so they came for a one week visit when I had some time off from inlingua.

The 18th of October was a beautiful sunny day with cloudless skies. We hired a car and planned a trip to Gozo. My dad is used to driving on the right hand side in Germany so driving on the left took some getting used to but he soon got the hang of it.

We drove to Cirkewwa which is the northern most point of the island and caught the ferry to Mgarr in Gozo which is just 6km off Malta. Gozo is much more peaceful and rural. Life is slower, the land is greener, the coast is quieter - absolutely beautiful!

Our first destination was Victoria the capital. We visited Cittadella the old fortified city and its amazing Cathedral of Assumption. You can walk around the city wall and enjoy beautiful views over the island. We then visited Ta' Pinu, the holiest church in Gozo and a pilgrimage site for many believers.

Afterwards we returned to Mgarr to take a short boat ride to the island of Comino to see the legendary Blue Lagoon. Comino is the smallest island of the Maltese Archipelago and uninhabited. There are no cars and high rise buildings, only sandy beaches and glorious turquoise water. The caves and creeks are ideal or swimming, snorkeling and diving.

Our last attraction for the day was Dwejra point in Gozo. We arrived shortly before sunset and got an awesone view of the sun setting into the sea. The Azure Window that makes Dwejra famous is a monumental limestone archway that has been created by thousands of years of sea erosion.

Evening fell and we came back to Malta and had dinner in a nice restauarant in Spinola Bay in St. Julians and that is how I celebrated my 21st birthday here in Malta.

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…