Why learn English in Malta?

Jingle Bells - Christmas Spirit

I can't believe it is that time of year once again. Nicole, Juanita and I decorated the school with lots of Christmas decorations and are feeling decidedly Christmassy now that we have our Christmas carols playing in the background and lights twinkling on the tree.

For some of our English students, this is their first experience of what Christmas is all about as they do not normally celebrate it. For those who do celebrate Christmas, this may be their first year away from home so it really is a special time of year.

Luckily, we have more than enough excitement to go around and the last day before we break up will focus on Christmas games, traditions and customs with a few traditional goodies such as mince pies and mulled wine thrown in for good measure.

2011 is expected to be even busier than 2010. Not only are English students coming to Malta to study and learn English with AClass expected to increase steadily but we have lots of exciting new plans in the pipeline as well. These include Online English lessons where you can learn English at home without leaving your house. These will be offered early next year.

English Teacher Resources: Buy this Macmillan Book !

Teaching Practice

Malta and Gozo Events this September 2010

Malta and Gozo by Day September 2010 Issue

Malte

Malte : l’île des confluences

Article from Visit Malta about the Maltese Language

The verbal morphology of Maltese-From Semitic to Romance

Language Travel and Educational Fairs

I have been rather busy promoting the school this month.

September is the time for agent fairs and it is a period when AClass Academy of English reconnects with old business contacts and meets new agents who may be interested in working with us.

Imagine, if you like, speed-dating for Language schools. Everyone has 20-30 minutes per meeting to explain a little bit about the school and what sets them apart from the competition. Then if you think you match up, you swap contact details and take things from there.

The best part of all this is definitely the scheduled social events such as the Language Star Awards which involve a glitzy ceremony of sorts to promote the movers and shakers in our industry.

What the English language students have to say

What the English language students have to say

Happy Times: July 2010

Nicole, Juanita and I are super busy at the moment. We are about to experience our busiest 4 weeks in 2010 when we have a record number of students studying English at the school. All 8 classrooms will be used both in the mornings and afternoons.

Nicole has been busy booking accommodation for our English students, making sure they have somewhere nice to stay and Juanita has been answering requests and sending out invoices.

I have been organizing observations to make sure our teachers are up to scratch and giving lots of support to new teachers joining for AClass for the next few weeks.

Our Teen Package and Jumping Junior's Programmes have been very well received so far with the quiz night, camping and kayaking being firm favourites. Many teens have already expressed an interest to come back next year!

We had a delivery of pens and t-shirts to give as prizes to our students this week as well. All in all a great week.

Diving In Malta, Gozo and Comino

PDSA Brochure

Here is to Alison, one of our teachers showing everyone how to dance the World Cup song in Malta. She is a brilliant teacher and dancer. We all wish her the best!

Welcome to AClass Academy of English: Malta's Friendliest School

We are now fast approaching Week 25 which means one thing in the life of a Director of Studies - lots of work. Thankfully, here at AClass Academy of English we are a small team of people who love our jobs and meeting new people so the experience is always a positive one.It just means we have to wake up a bit earlier than usual!

There have been a number of bookings for our Teen General English Package so we will be welcoming groups of young teens as of next week. The lucky girls and boys will be having General English lessons in the morning and Activities in the afternoon and evenings. Unlike other English language schools in Malta, AClass truly offers value for money. Why choose AClass Academy of English for your child or teenager?

First of all, we have small groups so students get to speak and interact in a more intensive way. We find that students learn best when they are in small groups and given task-based lesson which focus on communicating in English. Our teachers are highly-qualified native English speakers who can bring out the best in your son or daughter.

Secondly, our activities are probably some of the best on offer.We don't go for cheap tours to make huge profits but give our students real value for money. Camping and cooking; half a day at a fun Waterpark as well as a number of other activities. Learning English has never been so much fun.

Besides this,parents can put their minds at rest as all our activities are supervised and students are not left alone to run wild. All activities are alcohol-free and our group leaders are all mature adults who teach at St Catherine's High School all year round.

Accommodation is included in the price as well as all the meals, airport transport and activities. The students stay with our caring hostfamilies who live near the school. If they have any free time, the family is expected to include them in their plans so students experience the Maltese way of life.

For more details on this package or our Jumping Juniors Program ( for children between the ages of 8 and 12) contact us now!

May at AClass Academy of English

May is coming to an end. I can't believe June is nearly upon us. It seems like only yesterday we were ushering in the New Year.

At the moment we are lucky enough to have Marlene from France interning with us for 6 weeks. She is a lovely young girl full of enthusiasnm and keen to translate of English Language website into French so that more French speaking studnets can find AClass Academy of English online.

I am trying to update our student testimonials page and add some more pictures of what has been happening around the school.

The Isle of MTV is the up-and-coming-event of the summer. Now in its fourth consecutive year, the 2010 event has been confirmed for Wednesday 30th June and will be staged, once again, in Floriana. The line-up has yet to be confirmed, but Malta is buzzing with rumours about who’ll be taking part.

I promise to let you all now when I find out. If you can't wait, then vist the official Isle of MTV website.

Learn English in Malta: Summer 2010

Well, summer is well and truly on its way. Not only have I been to the first of 8 weddings but AClass is seeing the number of bookings for this summer increase steadily.

Our Teenage package, as well as the Jumping Juniors Package seem to be generating a lot of interest.

This summer sees the Isle of MTV returning to our islands with rumours of a possible performace by Lady Ga Ga and several other well-known bands. Faithless is also coming back to the island so party-goers will be spoilt for choice. As usual the Isle of MTV 2010 concert will be held at the Granaries in Valletta and is Absolutely Free!!! So why not learn English and come and see your favourite bands at the same time?

Spanish students wishing to learn English and take advantage of the BECAS 2010 should contact us immediately to book their course.

Gearing up for an English Language Learning Summer

I have been rather busy these last few weeks looking after our students and preparing for the next few months with bookings coming in hard and fast.

Still, I did manage to break away from AClass Academy of English for a few hours to take one of our English students to Mdina for an English lesson with a difference! We walked around the old capital and admired the beautiful architecture and stonework. Mdina was buzzing with life due to the fact the pope was visiting the island so the government decided to embellish all the piazzas with pots and stunning floral arrangements.

Once we had looked around, it was time to savour the views from a cafe close to the main church while feasting upon a delicious slice of chocolate cake.

I can assure you it was quite an anti-climax coming back to the office after basking in the glorious sunshine.Still, I love doing this because it helps me connect with our students and helps the school give a personal touch when learning English in Malta.

Tips for Aviation English Students

Aviation English Training: Tips for students

Saying Goodbye to Nariaria

Well It was a pleasure having Nariara a wonderful nurse from Angolo (originally from Spain) at school. She was a pleasure to teach and had lots of funny stories to tell us about the Angolan way of life. She was at AClass for 3 weeks and took a General English course in the morning and Private One-to-One lessons is the afternoon.

You too can be like Nariara and book a English Course at AClass Academy of English. Contact us for more information and details on our offers this month.

Picture from Around Malta

Here are a selection of pictures from a door knocker in Mdina to oil lamps from St Paul's Catacombs in Rabat and a view of Spinola Bay in St Julian's. There is so much to see on our beautiful island. So come and discover Malta and learn English here.

I found a great site for Teachers to use, it's called TEFLCLIPS and it helps teachers learn how to use videos such as those posted on youtube in the classroom.

AClass Brochure: English Courses in Malta

Learn English in Malta -

Things to Do: Wine Tasting

I have decided to blog about some of the fantastic places you should visit while in Malta learning English.

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting one of Malta premium wine estates, in Ta'Qali near Rabat, called Meridiana.

The idea of having a local wine produced here germinated in 1985 as a result of a conversation between Mark Miceli-Farrugia, a wine-trader, and a Bordeaux oenologist. As a result, two years later, Meridiana Wine Estate was established in April 1987. The company's pioneering mission is to produce "World-Class Wines of Maltese Character" - internationally acclaimed wines made from wine-grapes grown exclusively in Maltese soil. Until then, all "Maltese wine" was produced from a mixture of table-grapes, imported wine-grapes, and sugar.

The estate I visited was in Ta' Qali, Malta's agricultural heartland. It lies scenically below the ancient, walled-city of Mdina so you might be tempted to visit the ancient city at the same time as long as you don't taste too much wine!!

Meridiana produces several wines. These are listed below:


White Wines
I S I S
(Chardonnay of Malta)
Made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes, Isis is characterised by fresh, natural, tropical fruit flavours. The name Isis recalls the Phoenician goddess of sailors whose vigilant eye still graces the prow of the Maltese fishing luzzu. This is my personal favourite. I always recommend this to students to take back home with them as it is comparable to other foreign wines!

M I S T R A L
(Premium, Barrel-Fermented Chardonnay of Malta)
Made exclusively from mature Chardonnay grapes, Mistral is fermented on its lees in new French oak barriques. This premium white wine is characterised by a delicate balance between its firm, complex structure, its ripe acidity and its buttery peach-like fruitiness. The name Mistral derives from Malta's prevailing North Westerly wind which cools the Company's vineyard, thus favouring the cultivation of the Chardonnay grape.

Red Wines

M E L Q A R T
(Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot of Malta)
Made from an artful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, Melqart is characterised by ripe berry flavours which are enhanced by careful maturation in barrique. The name Melqart recalls the Phoenician god of sailors worshipped in Malta during the Punic period.

B E L
(Syrah of Malta)
Made exclusively from Syrah grapes, Bel is characterised by silky, prune and peppery spice flavours which are enhanced by careful maturation in barrique. The name Bel recalls the Phoenician god of fertility worshipped under various names throughout the Punic world. This wine is the perfect drink with a juicy steak.


Tours to this estate can be organised and take a couple of hours. Contact us for more information

AClass English School Winter 2010

Here are a few pictures of our beautiful island in winter. Two of the pictures are of Riviera beach which is a 20-minute bus ride away from the school. We also have beaches which are 5-10 minutes walk away.

Isle of MTV 2010

The fourth edition of the Isle of MTV has been announced by the Malta Tourism Authority. This concert is to be held on the 30th of June and is FREE.

Previous acts and performers included Lady GaGa, Black Eyed Peas, Enrique Iglesias, Akon and The Kooks.

So why not book an English language course in Malta and go to the MTV concert for free!

2010 is a Great Year to Study and Learn English in Malta

I hope that you are all busy and in a great mood, like everyone here at AClass.

January started with a bang. We were asked to develop and teach a tailor-made Business English Program for a pharmaceutical company based in Malta. The lessons were given on-site so we had to drive to and fro on a weekly basis.

The hard works seems to have paid off as we have received very positive comments based on the clients' feedback.

Back at school we have seen a number of new students here at AClass. One of our latest students was a nanophysicist from Geneva. She was so pleased with her English lessons that she plans on continuing them over Skype in the coming months. Bookings are coming in on a daily basis so no doubt we will building on our first summer's success.

AClass Academy of English is THE school to come to in Malta if you want to learn English.