Our flight to Luqa lasted about two and a half hours, so we arrived at 8.00 pm in the evening. Then we were split in small groups and were driven to our host families. At the host family we moved in our rooms and had dinner prepared by our lovely guest mother.
School, the main purpose why we went to Malta, began on Monday at 8.45 am. Before travelling to the island we had to do a short placement test to determine on which level we would be taught. So we were split up into classes at the levels A2 to C1. The main aim of our lessons was to prepare us for the FCE or CAE tests, or just to improve our general knowledge of English. We usually had grammar lessons in the morning and speaking lessons in the afternoon. The communication lessons helped us to speak more freely, introduced special vocabulary and increased our knowledge of English in the field of our work. Many young teachers work at the school, which is really great. There was always a nice atmosphere in our classes.
Each day we got sandwiches from our guest mother for lunch or we could eat in Paceville, the city of St. Juan. The school organized a welcome party for the first day so we could get to know each other. On Tuesday there was a journey with a boat to Comino. The trip’s highlight was this beautiful isle with its clear blue water, also known as the Blue Lagoon. On the other days we could choose from several activities such as diving, going on a jeep safari, paintballing, go-karting or a trip to Mdina, the enchanting former capital of the island.
On the weekends almost all students from the BMS Zurich went to Paceville to relax and have fun. This area, which was reachable in about ten to thirty minutes on foot for everyone, offered different clubs, bars and restaurants. Our group leaders, Liana, Pato and Hanna, were also usually there and helped us if we had any questions or any other wishes, or just had fun with us.
After school on the second Monday, we met in front of ESE school and waited for our jeeps, because it was jeep safari time! In groups of five we boarded the jeeps. We drove to nice places all over Malta. At the end we could swim in the sea. After school on Wednesday we went on a speedboat ride (generously offered by the BMS Zurich), which was followed by a BBQ at a sandy beach. We had the chance to go swimming again in the sea and enjoyed a wonderful dinner watching the beautiful sunset.
On Tuesday we gathered for a boat party organized by ESE. For most of us it was a first time experience to party on the sea. Much too soon it was our last Friday, but it felt as if we had just arrived the day before. In the evening, after school, we had an aperitif and our certificates were handed out. A very nice ending to the trip.
Those weeks went by fast, way too fast. It was a wonderful two week stay, with a lot of English practice and a lot of fun. We recommend it to everyone who studies at BMS Zurich.