Free English Lesson – Imperatives and how to use them!
Welcome to a free English lesson from Maltalingua. Today you will be focusing on the Imperatives.
A simple idea with so many different uses – You have probably used or heard imperatives before, in your language or in English. If you’ve been to an English school, like Maltalingua, your teacher probably used them many times: “Open your book”, “Go to page 6” and so on. We can use imperatives to give orders, but not only – find out more in this free English lesson on imperatives and how to use them!
This lesson is aimed at students learning English at Pre-Intermediate level or above.
Imperatives have a very simple form. All you need to do is to take any verb in English that you want to use as an imperative and remove ‘to’. For example, if you want someone to open their book or to listen to you:
- To open —> “Open your book.”
- To listen —> “Listen to me.”
If you want to form a negative imperative (something you don’t want someone to do) simply add ‘don’t’ before the verb. For example, if you want someone not to speak or not to shout:
- To (not) speak —> “Don’t speak, I’m talking to you.”
- To (not shout —> “Don’t shout, the baby’s asleep.”
We can use imperatives for many different things, not only for orders. We can use them to do the following:
- To give directions: Turn left, Take the second right. / Cross the road.
- To give advice/suggestions: Don’t watch that movie. / Take an umbrella with you, it’s raining!
- To ask someone to do something: Come in, sit down. / Listen to this.
- To wish someone something: Have a lovely day. / Enjoy your holiday.
- To make offers: Make yourself at home. / Have some juice (or some cake).
Discover more of Maltalingua’s free English lessons. Explore more about -ed endings here.
Check out our other brilliant free English lessons here.
ILE Yourself – English at Your Fingertips
NEW IN 2018: Online lessons for Maltalingua students
The classroom as we know it is changing. People are busier than ever and the digital world is bringing students and teachers together around the globe! Although learning English in an English speaking country is a great option to improve fast, not everyone has the time and the money to travel to another country!
Online lessons are a great option for professionals and students with busy lives or people who simply want the convenience of learning from home from Monday to Sunday. Let’s face it. Learning on Skype is very comfortable. There is no travel time, no rush hour stress and after the lesson, you can simply get on with your life! If this weren’t enough, the lesson times are flexible so the timetable can change every week. Students can even stop their lessons during busy periods, or simply to go on holiday.
So, what are the main differences between online lessons and a mainstream course? Well, you can’t really touch the teacher online, but hopefully, you wouldn’t be doing that in a normal classroom anyway! You see the teacher, hear the teacher, and get all the free material via Skype. You can open the lesson document and make notes on the word document directly, and all the new words and tips that your teacher gives you will be saved automatically in your chat.
During the 45 minute-lesson, the teacher will be focused on YOU! Although we also do group lessons, most of our students book private online lessons. This means that the student can request to study a specific topic. If you have to prepare a presentation or prepare for a job interview, your teacher can help you do so! We are not a physical school, therefore we don’t have to pay for extra expenses like normal schools do. This means that your lessons are cheaper!
What about my teachers? All the teachers are carefully selected and internationally qualified! Teachers are people just like you, so it’s also convenient for them to teach online! Some teachers work in physical schools and also do online lessons to complement their timetable! At ILE our mission is to make sure that both teachers and students are happy and working together to achieve the most important goal of all – helping you improve your English in the best possible way!
For the reasons above and because we know how important it is to practise the English language constantly in order to maintain a certain level of fluency, Maltalingua school decided to team up with ILE, an online English platform, in order to offer all Maltalingua students the opportunity to continue on their English learning journey, even after leaving the school in Malta.
So, if you want to step into the future, try ILE’s online lessons. Maltalingua’s introductory offer is only 95EURO for 5 general English lessons!
Come and meet our ILE teachers and some of your Maltalingua teachers who also teach online! What are you waiting for? Discover more here!
Free English Lesson – Exploring the future continuous!
Welcome to a free English lesson from Maltalingua. Today you will be focusing on the Future Continuous.
How often do you hear native speakers talking about the future and you aren’t quite sure what form they’re using, and why? In English, the future is a problematic area because as opposed to the past and the present, there is no future ‘tense’. However, there are several forms that are used to refer to the future. These forms have different functions and talk about the future with different levels of certainty.
This lesson is aimed at students learning English at Upper-Intermediate level or above.
One form that is often used amongst native speakers is the Future Continuous form. Have a look at how the future continuous form is used:
- “I can’t make it tonight… I’ll probably be studying all evening.”
- “So you won’t be coming to the party tomorrow, will you?”
- “The party will be starting at 9, in case you change your mind.”
- “Will I be seeing you this Saturday for lunch?”
- “I’ll be taking my exam in the morning.”
The form has 2 main uses. Firstly, like other continuous forms, it shows the progression of an action at a certain time/period in the future. In sentences 1 and 5 for example, the actions of studying/taking the exams will happen during or throughout the time period mentioned.
Secondly, the future continuous can simply refer to a planned action at a time in the future. In sentences 2 and 4 the speaker says this with the knowledge that a plan was made from beforehand i.e there were plans to go to the party and to meet for lunch.
Forming the future continuous form can’t be easier. As you can see above, you need the subject, the auxiliary verb ‘will be’ and a verb in the –ing form (1, 3, 5). For the negative, change ‘will’ to ‘won’t’ (2) and for the question simply to invert the subject and ‘will’ (4).
Furthermore, you might also have heard native speakers change the auxiliary ‘will’ to ‘going to’ or ‘should’, both of which have similar functions. For example:
- I’m gonna be taking my exam in the morning on Saturday. (the spoken form of ‘going to’)
- I should be studying all evening. (here, perhaps implying a form of obligation)
Finally, you can often switch the future continuous with other forms used in English for the future, for example:
- I’m going to study all evening. (be going to for intentions)
- The party starts at 9. (present simple for schedules)
- I’m taking my exam on Saturday morning. (present continuous for fixed plans)
Now that you have a better understanding of the future continuous form, try using it to talk about your plans or things you’ll be doing tonight! Make sure to check out our video for a fuller explanation, given by our CELTA-qualified teacher.
Discover more of Maltalingua’s free English lessons. Explore more about -ed endings here.
Check out our other brilliant free English lessons here.
Tips to help you with “-ed” endings.
Did you know that the way you write “walked” is probably not the way you say it? Pronunciation is an essential part of learning a foreign language, and sometimes communication can break down because of simple and easy to avoid mistakes. Pronouncing “-ed” at the end of verbs in English can be challenging, because there are THREE ways of saying it. Discover more about them below.
This lesson is for students learning English at Pre-Intermediate level or for people who have a general interest in phonemic sounds.
ED endings appear at the end of regular verbs in the past tensee.g. wanted, helped, lived.
Sometimes in adjectives ending in ED, such as tired, embarrassed, relaxed, and also in some Past Participles. These ED ending words can cause some problems for non-native speakers because there are three possible ways of pronouncing them: / ɪd /, / t / or / d /
Don’t worry there are a few rules that can help you remember which pronunciation we need for each word, but first we need to recognise our voiced and voiceless consonants.
Put your finger on your throat and pronounce the letter L.
Now do the same thing but pronounce the P.
Notice the difference? The ‘L’ sound causes a vibration in your throat but the ‘P’ sound doesn’t. If it makes a vibration then it is a voiced sound (consonant) if it doesn’t, then it is a voiceless sound (consonant). Try this with the other letters and you will “feel” the difference between a voiced and a voiceless consonant (or sound).
Now we know the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds we can look at the following rules for the correct pronunciation of ED in English:
| The /ɪd/ sound | The /t/ sound | The /d/ sound |
| If the last letter of the word is a ‘d’ or ‘t’, the ED pronunciation is an /ɪd/ sound
It rhymes with kidand bid.
Wanted is pronounced as “want-id”, More examples.. waited (“wait-id”) needed (“need-id”) folded (“fold-id”) |
If the last consonant of the word is voiceless ‘k’ ‘s’ ‘p’ then the ED pronunciation is as a T.
Be careful not to create an extra syllable or “id” sound.
talked (sounds like “talkt”) parked (“parkt”) helped (“helpt”) |
If the last letter of the word ends in a voicedsound (consonant) ‘m’ ‘l’ ‘n’, then the ED is pronounced like a D
(without creating another syllable) played (sounds like “playd”) closed (the S sounds like a vibrating Z so the word would sound like “clozd”) opened (“opend”) lived (“livd”) |
Now you’ve learnt the THREE ways of pronouncing “-ed” in English, well done! Make sure to check out our video for a more detailed look, given by our CELTA-qualified EFL teacher.
Free Online English Lesson – Wishes, Dreams, Desires & Ambitions
Our dreams and ambitions follow us everywhere. It’s so important to be able to talk about them and to express ourselves in English. In conversations and other situations where you need to give reliable, fluent answers in English, these functional-language phrases will help you to keep the words flowing in a natural way.
Learn phrases used by native English speakers and memorize them to use in your next English conversation. These phrases might be challenging to translate from English to your language. We recommend leaving the translator alone and engaging in our English expressions lesson.
See how these English phrases can be used in such an easy and natural way to make you sound like you’ve been using these expressions all your life! Our native English teacher Brian Dimech will show you examples of real-life situations where you can use these English phrases in an everyday conversation.
Furthermore, our English phrases are ready-to-go functional-language, which means they need minimal changes to grammar or sentence-structure to use when you’re engaging in an English-speaking situation.
This video is perfect for English language students at the CEFR level B1+ (Intermediate) and level B2 (Upper Intermediate).
REMEMBER TO…
It’s OK to watch this video without writing down every word, but remember to come back and write down all the phrases that Brian teaches you. It always helps to write things down if you want to remember them!
IT’S EASY!
We’ve summarised all the phrases towards the beginning and the end of the video, go and see Brian’s goodbye to find all the phrases. Scroll back to after Brian’s introduction to check the correct form for these great English phrases to express your wishes and ambitions!
ALWAYS PLAY
English is a flexible and fun language. Now that you’ve learned the basic situations to use your new English phrases, make sure you change the verbs (see the correct forms in the video!) and find ways of applying them to a variety of different situations! Just make sure that your phrasal structure follows ours!
LISTEN FOR…
The English expressions being taught in these videos are used every day, all over the world. Now that you’ve learned them, you’ll be surprised to know that you’re going to be noticing other people using them a lot. Make sure to join in and use the phrases that you put so much time into learning and remembering.
Student Working and Employment Rights Malta
Want to study English under the sun? We’ve got some good news for you!
Good news for those coming from a non-EU county who want to travel to Malta to learn English. From now on students who study for longer than 3 months are allowed to work in Malta!
The rules? It’s quite simple. Firstly, your language study has to be for 3 months or longer. You can work part-time with this Visa (maximum 20 h/week).
This Visa is valid for the duration of your course, plus an extra seven days. The new system will allow students to work as of the 13th week after their arrival. The work licence is issued once the student visa is approved and the student can apply once they find employment.
Students must attend a minimum 75% of classes to obtain the special Visa, and follow the rules enforced by Jobsplus. (a Maltese organization responsible for employment in Malta)
Do you want to stay in Malta for even longer? No problem, you can get a visa for 6 months if you complete a full-time course at the higher-education level, which will allow you to work a maximum of 20 hours a week while you look for a job. You can apply when you find a job relevant to your studies and your gross salary equals 1.5 times the national minimum wage.
For more information, you can always contact your embassy in Malta or give us a call today (+356 2742 7570).
Malta is one of the most popular destinations to learn English. Since English is one of the official languages in Malta, it is the perfect destination to practice your English daily and become familiar with the language.
A language journey to Malta is something not to be missed. Culture, history, beautiful sceneries and several events make this island the perfect destination for tourists and students who are eager to learn. Malta was a British colony for several years, and you can still find several remnants of this period, such as the typical British telephone booth.
Many students dream of studying abroad and this new legislation will make it a lot easier for students outside of the EU to go on the language adventure of a lifetime.
In 2017 Malta reached an absolute record with 87,190 students who visited this beautiful island to study English.
Learning English and want to put your linguistic knowledge into practice at the same time? What a great idea, the best way to learn a language is to use it every day! That’s Maltalingua School’s mentality too. At Maltalingua we teach inside and outside the classroom.
We are convinced that students will learn the most by using English all day, every day, and interacting with other students and native speakers from all over the world. Within our school walls, we motivate our students to communicate in English, no matter their mother tongue and level of English.
Naturally, our dedicated and motivated staff is always on standby to help out in several languages.
Maltalingua is one of the only language schools on the island that is run by British management, with a rooftop terrace and pool, not to mention the fun, interactive activities that are organized daily on a weekly schedule.
Every Monday we host a welcome party, including Maltese appetizers, for new and old students to meet and mingle.
Discover more about Maltalingua on our website.
Tips to improve your English Conversation skills
Top 5 ways to speak English like a pro.
Throughout your English language journey, you may have studied all the grammatical points, read all the English books you could get your hands on, watched as many English movies as you could and reviewed endless lists of vocabulary builders… but… when you open your mouth to speak, nothing comes out! Producing language is probably the hardest part of learning a language and that’s normal.
Speaking a foreign language in front of other people takes courage and confidence. These tips will help you build up your confidence and speak like a professional.
1. Slow Down
Taking your time when learning a language is OK. If you’re in a classroom, your teacher and the other students in class understand that this might be difficult for you. The most important thing for you to do is breathe, think about what you are going to say and try. There’s no problem in trying to practice all the important things you’ve learnt – just do it slowly.
2. Think
This one might seem obvious to you but our advice here is to think in English. Although this is a challenging task, if you manage to do this your speaking skills will improve. If you are thinking in your language, every time you want to speak in English you have to translate to English, change the structure of the sentence and then speak! This takes time and makes your English speaking skills a lot weaker. The more you practice, the easier it gets.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice
The more you practice, the easier it gets – we’re going to repeat this a lot! When you’re trying to improve your skills in something, the best way to get good at it is to practice, practice, practice. Some key ways to help you improve your language skills include; reading out loud or recording yourself – this should be done alone to help build your confidence. Another way is to find a friend who is also trying to improve their English skills and talk together, have a conversation, go for a coffee and listen to each other. The best way to do that is to join a speaking class. At Maltalingua, we offer Intensive Courses to help you improve your speaking skills and gain the confidence to talk.
4. Listen
The next step is to listen. A big part of being scared to speak is worrying about how you sound to others. Listening to a native speaker and repeating what they say is a great way to copy their pronunciation skills. Interacting with people is great, but sometimes you need to practice on your own first. Take a look at our English Language Lessons to give you the boost to speak more fluently.
5. Relax
Probably the most important tip to improve your English Speaking skills is to relax. There’s no need to stress about speaking perfectly – it’s all about learning at your own pace and feeling comfortable about your achievements. Eventually, you will gain the confidence to speak fluently and have a conversation about anything you want.
Key tips on how to give your English skills a boost in 2018.
Want to improve your English?
2018 is here and it’s time for you to remember the promises you made on New Year’s Eve.
You know that long list of goals you wanted to achieve by the end of the year – did you finish them?
Are you trying to do less or more of something? Your ‘more’ list is usually full of new healthy ideas, such as doing more exercise or eating good food. The ‘less’ list might include stop smoking. You should always try to make your life a whole lot better. Use 2018 to challenge yourself and invest in you.
It’s a new year and that only means one thing – new goals! Improve your skills, find new challenges and discover more about yourself. Take on a challenge that will really improve your life.
Have you thought about improving your English?
Here are four ways you can make your learning more rewarding:
- Read more: If you’re ready for the challenge then why not check these 9 great novels that can really help improve your English. Reading English books on a daily basis can improve your vocabulary skills too.
- Speak more: A great way to improve your language is to keep your speaking skills on point. Set one day a week to speak English – order your coffee in English, speak to English-speaking colleagues or friends. Give it a try.
- Listen more: Movies are your friends! Take it easy at first, use subtitles and enjoy the show. You can also take a look at the Maltalingua videos found here.
- Write more: Keeping a diary can help you improve your writing skills, help build your vocabulary and give you the confidence to take your English skills to the next level.
Learning English is fun and rewarding. It will give you new opportunities for your personal life and your business life. Learning English makes travelling easier – you’ll be able to speak to locals and make your way around a city a lot easier.
When it comes to business, knowing English can help you get great jobs. Your professional life will become more exciting and rewarding. Are you interested yet?
At Maltalingua, the environment is just right. With professional teachers, equipped classrooms within an Eaquals accredited school found in sunny Malta, modern accommodation and exciting, daily activities – the choice is simple.
You can have a 20% discount on all Courses and School Accommodation booked by the end of February. Discounts will be given to students who visit the school by the end of March.
What are you waiting for? Get this offer, book now and save!
Getting some winter sun in Malta
While summer is undoubtedly the busiest season here in Malta, over that past few years we’ve noticed a real increase in the number of people coming in the winter. There are several reasons for this: the islands are more peaceful, the class sizes are smaller and the prices lower, but for many people the most attractive thing is the chance to get some winter sun.
When the weather in Northern Europe turns cold and grey many eyes turn southward to our little Mediterranean Island. The thought of getting some winter sunshine and topping up their tan while topping up their English can be very enticing for many people.
In the winter months the islands are noticeably quieter and significantly greener. This makes exploring the Maltese countryside even more enjoyable. On a sunny winter day, the water looks clearer, the sky seems bluer and the air feels fresher. It’s not unusual for the temperature to go over 20 degrees Celsius, perfect for taking a hike around the beautiful coastline and dramatic cliffs on the west side of the Islands.
The sea is at its coldest in January and February, too cold for most to swim, but you do see a few brave people out challenging themselves. However, on the nicest winter days sunbathing next to the sea is still a popular pastime. You might even see some people out having a BBQ with friends.
Other great activities you can do in Malta in the winter include: quad bike tours of Gozo, shopping in famous fishing village of Marsaxlokk, watching historical re-enactments, boat trips to the beautiful Blue Grotto and many more.
The Maltese love a good celebration and being a strongly Christian country means Christmas is a really special time of year here. The decorations are spectacular and there is a real feeling or excitement and anticipation throughout December. The picturesque streets of Valletta look particularly beautiful when dressed up for holiday season.
Being the sunniest country in the EU certainly means Malta has a lot to offer winter travelers. The chance to absorb some sunshine, boost your vitamin D levels and explore the culture and countryside at a slower pace makes it an especially attractive option.
Have yo been to Malta in the winter? What did you like best? Leave a comment below to let us know.
7 best events in Malta – Autumn 2017
At Maltalingua we love to go to all the great events happening in September and October in Malta. We’ve used our insider knowledge to create the following list of the best events in Malta in Autumn 2017.
While most of Europe is becoming chilly in Autumn, Malta gets lovely average temperatures of around 26 degrees in the daytime. The sea temperate also stays warm enough for most people to swim right into November. These comfortable temperatures make Autumn a great time for events in Malta, and people here make the most of it!
Top events in Malta in Autumn 2017
Maltese Independence Day – Various Locations – 21 September
Malta was a British Colony for 164 years until 21 September 1964 when the country gained its political independence. People here are very proud of their country and they love to celebrate the nation’s achievements. Independence Day is one of the most special, as such there are celebrations all over their islands. Some of the best celebrations can be found in the capital city, Valletta.
Malta International Airshow – Malta International Airport – 23 & 24 September
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Malta International Airshow. The show has grown in one of Malta’s most popular, and most photographed events. Spectators can be amazed by the incredible acrobatic skills of top stunt pilots from around the globe. You’ll also get a close look at these incredible aircraft.
Rockestra – MFCC, Ta’ Qali – 30 September
At Rockestra music fans can see very different genres of music collide. It’s a dazzling show of rock and pop covers played by the orchestra with special guest singers and rock musicians bringing something a little different to proceedings.
The Malta Classic – Mdina – 5 to 8 October
The Malta Classic is the perfect event for fans of classic cars and motor racing. Set in the stunning city of Mdina, classic car enthusiasts show off their beloved machines then take to the roads to compete in the races. The main event is the Mdina Grand Prix held on the 7 and 8th of October.
Notte Bianca – Valletta – 7 October
During the “white night” the cultural centers of Valletta light and open to the public late into the evening. Museums, galleries and even the parliament building welcome visitors for free. There are also many lively attractions happening on the streets of this beautiful city.
Birgu Fest – Birgu – 14 October
On an island famous for its lavish village feasts, it takes something really special to gain the reputation of being the most beautiful of all. For one night of the year, the city of Birgu is covered in candles and transformed. The effect is spectacular and walking through the narrow historic back streets bathed in candlelight is a truly memorable and romantic experience.
Rolex Middlesea Race – Valletta Grand Harbour – 21 October
Now coming into its 38th year, Malta’s number one sailing race has become one of the top events of the yearly calendar. Visitors can take a stroll along the Birgu waterfront to see the great vessels close-up or just watch them departing from the any of the bastion walls overlooking the Grand Harbour. It’s a sight to remember!
Want information about all the best events in Malta in 2017? Then check out our Malta Events 2017 page.
Which events would you most like to go to? Are there any you think we’ve missed? Leave a comment to let us know!