Last weekend we had the pleasure of welcoming 10 partners to our school. With agencies located in different corners of the world, they flew to Malta to explore our beautiful island and visit Maltalingua. Partners are a useful bridge between schools and students, and we encourage them to experience our school first hand in order to be able to give their clients information based on real experience. With the March sun waiting for them, the first day was spent outside. This was a big change for some who had just left the harsh temperatures of Poland or Slovakia, so the spirits were high, and we all took the opportunity to get to know each other in person, since we normally communicate behind the computer. Just like our students do as part of their activity programme, the group did a guided tour of Valletta and Mdina. We learnt a lot of useful information about these two must-see cities and finished the day with a late lunch in a restaurant with a panoramic view of the old capital of Malta.
Maltalingua’s English programme is designed as an immersive experience with lessons, shared multicultural accommodation and outdoor activities, which also play a big part in helping the students practice their English skills outside of the classroom. The guided tours are conducted in English and a great way to learn about Maltese culture and history and practice listening and speaking in real situations.
The second day started with Maltalingua’s welcome presentation, where the student’s get useful information about the school, their course, and of course, Malta. When studying in another country, it’s important to be aware of any cultural differences that may hinder learning, so the more information we give, the easier the transition is. The feedback from our partners was that the presentation was light and relaxing and a great first impression for the students, and of course, Julian, who has worked with us for 10 years, was a really funny presenter!
A tour of our 3-storey building and the school apartments was next on the plan. Maltalingua is located in St Julian’s and students have lessons in a renovated house of character with radiant chandeliers and beautiful tall ceilings. The star of the tour was, of course, our rooftop garden, student kitchen and swimming pool. We also walked to the apartments where our partners had a glimpse of our superior and standard accommodation.
All in all, the visit was a good refresher for those who have been working with us for some years and for new partners looking to learn more. The school has seen some changes in the past few months, so there was a lot of focus on them, such as the creation of 2 seaview classrooms, a club 50+ course and the refurbishing of our rooftop garden.
The end of the visit was based on our junior programme with a walkaround of our Junior residence and brand new junior school (video below), just five minutes away from each other. We were told that small changes make a big difference, such as the introduction of hot lunches, instead of packed lunches, and the creation of new activities, and upgraded school with ACs and ensuite bathrooms.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners for taking time out of their busy schedules to visit us and we sincerely hope that the visit was useful and informative! We hope to see you again and to make your students happy in our school.
