Ideal for students who want to be in the heart of St. Julian’s.
Not ideal for students who are on a tight budget.
The good
- Located on one of the most popular locations, San Giljan.
- Amazing exclusive facilities both in and outside the school.
- They have out of the box social activities.
The bad
- Large class sizes.
- One of the most expensive schools in Malta.
Date of my inspection visit at EF International Language Centre Malta: June 13, 2024.
My overall take
EF International Language Centre Malta is situated in San Giljan surrounded by high end hotels, restaurants, bars, activity complexes and the popular beach St. George’s bay.
One of the main standouts at this school is the customer service. The staff go out of their way to make students feel welcome and supported. The quality of the teachers at EF Malta is exceptional. They are knowledgeable and genuinely invested in their students’ success. They are always available for extra help through one-on-one sessions or during the occasional library hours where students can speak to the teacher on duty. The school offers various academic clubs and activities that complement the learning experience. The job club also sounds incredibly useful, with guided CV writing, interview techniques, and job search strategies.
One of the highlights is the facilities, specifically the exclusive beach club. It was a fantastic place to relax after classes and meet fellow students, like a little piece of paradise away from the busyness of St. George’s public beach.
There is arguably no ideal student for this school. There is the 50+ programme on the first week of every month outside of summer; there’s the young adult demographic in summer and low-season term students; the thing that these students have in common is the willingness to invest in themselves.
Book EF International Language Centre Malta with exclusive discount
EF Malta at a glance
| Rating of former students | (Insufficient independent ratings online at time of publishing) |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Very large Max. 17 students in Standard English course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: Below average diversity. No nationality more than 30%. Top nationality: French |
| Learning intensity | Students are encouraged to do optional homework, but there is no compulsory homework |
| Number of students | 500 adults in July 300 adults in January |
| Minimum student age | 16 years |
| Accreditations | Eaquals, ELT Council, Cambridge exam centre |
| Course range | General Course Intensive Course Summer Course General Course + Accommodation Intensive Course + Accommodation Summer Course + Accommodation 50+ Course + Accommodation Course 50+ Business Course Business Course + Accommodation FCE Exam Preparation FCE Exam Preparation + Accommodation CAE Exam Preparation CAE Exam Preparation + Accommodation CPE Exam Preparation CPE Exam Preparation + Accommodation IELTS Exam Preparation IELTS Exam Preparation + Accommodation |
| Accommodation types | Homestay, Student residence |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 26 lessons/week: 40min/lesson | 1 week: €655 3 weeks: €1965 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: €150 Course material fee: €55 |
| Price level – Standard Group course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | €41.70 per 60 minute tuition |
My tour of the school & video review
Student voices
Unfiltered comments from random students I met at the school and asked about their experience.
“In the first week, it may be difficult for you to speak, but it is simple to become involved in the following weeks. The classes are very mixed with many countries, e.g., Japan, Venezuela, Ecuador, France, etc. Everyone can meet in a group in the beach club, and everyone is very friendly.“
Atanas
19 years from Italy
Questions to school director
Excerpts below from my conversation with Sara Attard, Project Manager at EF International Language Centre Malta.
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
School: “Our activities stand out for sure. Our in-house activity team focuses on a mix of paid and free events from sports to networking to beach days.“
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
School: “We focus on specifying our courses to our students, and we have a lot for our younger students but also focus on 50+, so we have great cultural activities. So there are a lot of different profiles that we can cater for.“
School inspection report
Classrooms
All classrooms are different sizes but light and airy with new furnishing. There are TVs connected to the laptops and whiteboards in every classroom.
Facilities
On site, there is a library, cafeteria that serves hot and cold food and snacks, outdoor seating area, rooftop terrace, and general lounge area. There is also an off-site private beach club at St. George’s Bay.
Surrounding area
Spinola Bay, Paceville, St. George’s Bay, Portomaso Marina, Balluta Bay, the Sliema Promenade, and the EF private beach club are all less than a 10-minute walk from the EF campus.
Social activities
The activities offered at this school are a lot more out-of-the-box than at other schools. They include events such as rooftop parties, Country Line Dancing, FIFA tournaments, a Gozo Jeep safari, and many more. Students are taken to hidden gems that are not available to the normal tourist, and they rarely outsource to external tour guides.
Residence
I visited the closest EF owned accommodation building, St. George’s Beach Residence, about a 5-minute walk from the school. This is a modern hostel-style accommodation with shared bedrooms, shared and en suite bathrooms, a shared kitchen, a communal area and classrooms. They also host weekly events for the students who stay in the residence.
Trusted student ratings of EF Malta on the web
| Total | (Insufficient independent ratings online at time of publishing) |
|---|
Ratings as of June 28, 2024
Why no Google or Facebook ratings? Schools may have requested Facebook, Google or Trustpilot reviews only from those students that previously gave positive after-course evaluations. I only trust ratings from independent booking platforms/agencies, that allow exclusively clients who booked via their platform to rate the schools. I have checked the sites above and they have no disproportional number of positive vs negative reviews.
Location of EF International Language Centre Malta
Triq Santu Wistin San Ġiljan, STJ 3312, Malta
EF Malta – Reviews & Exclusive Discounts at LanguageCourse.net »
