This week has passed very quickly!

We met Tobias, a German student and walked by the sea with him on Wednesday because he wanted to visit the city.

Tonight we will go to Paceville because there are some students in our French class who are in Malta for an internship too and today, it’s the birthday of one of our friends! Tomorrow, we will go to Comino and the Blue Lagoon.  I don’t know if I will swim in the sea because I hate salt but look forward to going anyway. Probably, we will go to film Tobias who will be kite surfing on Sunday. So our weekend will be great! We want to visit Vittoriosa, Gozo and Mdina, we have one month to do so!

This morning, we watched “Slumdog Millionaire” during the English lesson, it was very nice! And all that I am asked during my internship is very pleasant work!

- 29th May 2009

Now, we have settled into a routine there. Every day, at 5 p.m., we go to the beach (but we are afraid to swim because of the jelly fish!) or to the swimming pool. It’s very pleasant after a hot day! And after, we speak to our families via Internet! Moreover, I find that the way of life here is cheaper than in France!

The school is very nice; we met a lot of people! And I like the different things I am asked to do during the internship!

I love the centre of Bugibba, I think it’s a very beautiful place and I love to walk by the sea side. I’m looking forward going to the Blue Lagoon on Saturday!

- 27th May 2009

As the days go by I like this country more and more!

At the beginning, I did not feel very good when I realized that I had to stay here for a month and a half but now, I feel brilliant because the country is very nice, and so are the English courses and the internship.

Last weekend, we went to Paceville on Friday and Saturday night - it was very nice to see a lot of people in the streets!   This city is very active!  On Saturday we went to the diving centre, it was great but a little frightening too because of the different way of breathing with the oxygen mask. We also went to Sliema; it’s a very nice city for shopping!  On Sunday, we went to Splash and Fun where we had a lot of fun but we also ended up sun burnt!

I think that the English courses and the internship are very important because my English has already improved in just one week! Everything that we learn is interesting; I don’t see the time passing by.

The way of life in Malta is very pleasant because of the language, the weather and the sea! I want to take advantage of each day I spend here!

- 25th May 2009

This is my second week at St Paul’s Bay, and I like the city more and more, settled into a routine: after work we go to swimming pool (because we have one in the Solair Holiday Complex), then we go to the little beach at Bugibba; it is very pleasant because the sun is always shining, but less than during the afternoon so it is much cooler.

On Wednesday, we went to Bugibba with a German student we met in the office; it was nice because he’s kind. He is German, but I don’t speak his language, we have to speak together in English, which is good practice after school.

Sometimes after going to the beach, we like to go to an internet café to connect to the Internet, and speak with our families. On Saturday, I will go on a boat cruise to visit St Paul Island, caves, and after that, the boat will stop for two hours in the Blue Lagoon in Comino where we can swim. It seems to be a really nice place; I can’t wait to go there! Maybe on Sunday, I will visit Marsaxlokk where there is a big market, or possibly the one held at Vittoriosa.

I think I am really improving my Spanish as well, phoning students and because they speak very fast, I have to understand them and answer correctly, but I still find it pleasant. Prior to this year I really hated speaking on the phone, but now thanks to my studies and to my internship, even while speaking in a foreign language I like it and I’m more self-confident.

After this first period of sightseeing, I came to Alpha School in the early morning to pass the Assessment Test. After that, I had my first General English lesson; it’s very different from France because here there are no more than ten students in a class. I find it very pleasant because we can speak for a long time with the teacher, and so improve our English. I like courses too because they don’t seem too long and they include a nice mix of cultures, as the students come from different countries. It’s rather great because we can meet other students and become friends, which was the case with two girls from Belgium who are in the same English class.

Now about the internship, it’s interesting too because I have to speak and understand English to understand what I have to do, but I have to speak Spanish with the future students, this is good practice for me too.

My Activities in Malta

I found there are a lot of great things to do here, and at cheaper prices than in my country. For example we did diving (which was very impressive because of the quantity of fishes and the solid blue colour of the water!), will go on boat cruises to see the Blue Lagoon, did horse riding, went shopping in Sliema, went to the aquatic park Splash and Fun, and visited a lot of other cities… In conclusion, I fell in love with Malta and I highly recommend this country!

Hi, my name is Marianne, I’m 18 and I’m a French intern at Alpha School of English. I started yesterday and I am here for 6 weeks. I am a management and languages student, and I have to do internships during my study, that’s why I’m here.

With this blog, I would like to share my experience of living in Malta and learning English thanks to the lessons and my job.

Day of arrival in the Country

After some turbulence on the plane, I arrived in Malta with my friend Pauline (also an intern) in the afternoon of Friday 15th May. My first impression was rather good because of the climate, which is rather warm and sunny. Indeed, I was a little surprised by the driving here (on the left side) because it’s the opposite in my country.

One other interesting point is the size of the island which is very small and can be crossed very quickly, it is rather pleasant. I was happy to arrive in Bugibba; I really love this city because we are next to the sea, it seems rather quiet when compared to other cities and there aren’t too many people.

When we arrived at the flat, I felt a little sad because I realized that I would stay without my family for six weeks, but in the other hand staying alone in a flat, managing a budget for food, activities and so on seemed like an adventure. The apartment was great: it is rather spacious, functional and near to the centre of Bugibba.

On the weekend after our arrival, we visited several cities: St Julian’s and the capital Valletta. I enjoyed St Julian’s because it’s a place where young people meet, full of life and movement, and as well with a great view of the sea.

On Sunday I visited Valletta: it’s a historical sight. We saw the Parliament building and the fortresses by the sea. There is also a great market next to the city’s gates, a lot of little streets… It’s a great place to visit.

- 18th May 2009