EC Malta English Language School

Another Club 50 group leaves us today, having received their certificates, they congregated in the EC school for some farewell pastizzi and drinks. After spending two weeks here studying English and learning Maltese culture they were all sad to say goodbye to the school. When asking for feedback from the students there were comments like “I have enjoyed the class very much”, “Everything was very well organized, it was very nice for me” “The teachers are very good, very friendly, they taught us well so I am happy with this experience.”

And it is certain that all the students would recommend both EC and Malta to friends at home. The excursions that were organized for the group were well praised and everyone was full of compliments for their tour guide Laura. It is always nice to hear such good feedback, and I’m glad that they all enjoyed their stay here so much. Hopefully all our groups will have as good a time.

So, goodbye to the group, and thank you for coming, we hope to see you at some point in the future!

I came to Malta through a scheme of the European Commission which provided me with a 10 week long internship in the journalism sector. My aim was to learn about the skills required by a journalist, gain an understanding of the industry and immerse myself in a different culture and country.
I have to say I have not been disappointed. My time in Malta has been memorable for two reasons- everything that I’ve learnt and everyone that I’ve met.
My placement has been at www.di-ve.com, Malta’s most popular online newssite and the experience has been fantastic!
I work with a great team for whom I have only praise and thanks. My editor, Vanessa Macdonald has been more than a work colleague and has guided me and challenged me. I truly feel that I have gained in confidence and ability and that my writing has improved.
I’ve also had the opportunity to experience some wonderful things, one highlight being when I met the Maltese Prime Minister at Auberge de Castille. It was a privilege just to be in the building and very exciting to observe Vanessa interview him and see what goes on behind the cameras.
Staying here has also taught me lessons outside the world of work. Malta itself is a great country for me- I love seeing the sandstone buildings with their colourful shutters and I think the view of the sea that greets me in the mornings is one of the best there is!
Moreover, it’s been a great pleasure living with my roommate, cooking for myself and others and above all making friends with people from all over the world who I would not have met otherwise.
That is the best feature of living in EC accommodation – meeting Korean, French, Japanese, Swiss and German students (as well as many other nationalities) under one roof, and usually in one room- the kitchen! I have made some dear friends who have truly made my experience the brilliant one that it is.

Last night, if you looked out on to the streets of Paceville, you could have seen a slightly surprising sight. Groups of EC Malta students went out last night dressed in a variety of outfits and wigs for Qube’s retro party. There were even some stunning citrus trousers in sight.
With the free drinks being poured, and some old-school music from the DJ, it was the perfect chance to pull out some dance moves. Here are some of the photos from last night, although I’m sure that some of you won’t be too happy to see yourselves dressed so interestingly!

Today we have all had the chance to learn something new about the culture and and folklore of Malta. In Language House Reception we have been hosting a variety of crafts people showing their products. These included jewellery, sweets, liquors and wines, honey and hand-painted water colours. The students had the opportunity to see some of the jewellery being made, and the bee hive where some of the honey is collected from (although all the bees were safely shut away). We also got to see the full uniform of a templar knight modeled by one man. All of this was accompanied by traditional music and plenty of delicious, free Hobz Biz-Zejt – Crusty bread with tomato, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Some of the students bought presents for themselves and their families, and all of them learnt more about Maltese tradition.

Puttinu Cares is a charity which aims to help and support children who have been diagnosed with cancer, as well as their families. The charity was established in 2002 and now works to raise money to improve the living conditions of affected children. They also try to improve the education of health care professionals and the general public on what these children are going through.
This Sunday they are organising a football marathon to help raise funds for their invaluable work.
EC is hoping to send four teams: EC Students, EC Malta, EC Teachers, EC Central.
We want as many people as possible involved, so please speak to Customer Relations if you are interested. There is a €10 fee to enter, this covers transport and all proceeds go to the charity. EC will also top-up the amount you give.
Please join in and help the charity aswell as having fun this Sunday!
See you there.

“I applied for an internship in Malta in order to gain some work-experience in an interesting (and sunny!) place as part of my year out from university. The experience I gained through my placement working on EC’s Junior Programme was certainly valuable and throughout the whole ten weeks I was made to feel very welcome and valued at work, particularly by Simon and Michael who I spent most of my time with. The work was varied and as I was given increasingly responsible tasks it became more and more interesting and rewarding. I developed a lot of skills on my placement; from furthering my IT knowledge through to communicating in basic Italian. Any concerns I might of had before I left about ending up just photocopying and making tea for ten weeks were completely unfounded, I felt that the work I was doing wasn’t just interesting and sometimes challenging but also that it was actually useful to EC.

Of course, no summary of my internship would be complete without at least a brief nod to the social side of things. As I was staying in the same accommodation as many of the adult students, I was fortunate enough to meet a lot of really interesting and wonderful people from all around the world. There are many interesting things to see and do in Malta and I would certainly recommend hiring a car for a couple of days, but my favourite activity was really just having a beer or a cup of tea after work and talking and listening to people. I knew I would be able to learn something about Maltese culture while I was there but I didn’t expect to learn so much about Russia or Korea for example, and I made some very good friends whilst doing so.

All in all, my ten weeks in Malta was an amazing experience and I learnt a great deal that will be useful to me in the future as well as meeting lots of fantastic people and having a really good time.

Thank you to EC, the people I met and of course to Malta itself!”

I am doing the Learn English and Paint course with EC Malta. I like it very much because I never learnt and I did it for myself at home but I needed to do it as I have a feeling for painting. I think it is a good way to learn English, every practical course like cooking or painting is a nice way to learn, you must study in various areas. I have told many of my friends about this course.
There is a very nice spirit in the school. Malta is a very old island and there is a wide mix here, of buildings and people. There are many international people, it’s very nice. I’ve never seen so many historical places, I can feel the spirit and I like it very much.
Ludmilla Leidag (Germany)

On Wednesday evening, Amazonia hosted 2009’s first club night for students on our junior programme. Not only EC students, but also those from other Malta language schools gathered at the club for a night of dancing and fun!
Soft drinks were flowing from the bar, and the DJ played all the latest music, as well as a few classics. There were plenty of leaders from each school around, and I think they enjoyed it as much as the students. Hopefully there will be another party soon, and we will see even more of the students there!

Over recent years many remains from the past have been discovered on this small island. It is becoming more and more apparent how drenched in history Malta really is.
Yesterday the Club 50 group visited the Roman Villa in Rabat. The villa was discovered in the 19th Century when workers were digging a new road. The extraordinary artifacts that were accidentally uncovered led to a full excavation revealing some stunning insight into the period of Roman rule in Malta.
The mosaic that covered the courtyard of the villa was found in perfect condition, and mosaics of some of the other rooms were found near complete. It is apparent that the owner of the building must have been very rich as some of the artwork uncovered is unique in its detail and intricacy. Other pieces found include some glassware used for beauty products.
Historians have been able to piece together much about the life style of the Romans during this period because of the discoveries in Rabat.
If you would like to see the Roman Villa, tickets can be purchased on the door and it can be found on the edge of Mdina.

This week a new Club 50 group arrived here at EC Malta. We are always happy to greet Club members, who consistently enjoy their experience here.

I accompanied the 15 students on their first excursion, which was to the capital city – Valetta.

As we boarded the bus, the group was introduced to their tour guide Laura, who provided a brief general introduction to the island as well as information about the sights we were driving past. On arriving in Valetta we exited the bus beside The Malta Experience, where we watched a short film about the hugely diverse history and culture of the island. The students had the option to listen to the soundtrack either in English or in their native language.

Returning into the sun, we reboarded the bus to make our way to the famous St John’s Co-Cathedral. As we entered the church, the students were visibly awestruck – as I was – by the ornate, detailed decoration that covers the entire interior of the building, which was commissioned by the Templar Knights in the 16th Century but not finished until the end of the 19th Century. In particular we had the opportunity to see two original Caravaggio paintings, while Laura not only described what the paintings depicted but also drew attention to the great Italian artist’s highly personal style. After the cathedral, the students had a short time to visit one of the many cafes surrounding the central square. There they could relax before enjoying a short walk around Valetta and returning to the bus.