IELS Malta

IELS Malta, the Institute of English Language Studies, is one of the biggest English language schools in Malta, set in the lively seaside town of Sliema. It has been teaching for more than forty years, welcomes students from dozens of countries, and offers courses for adults, teenagers, school groups, companies and would-be teachers.

For a UK reader the proposition is easy to understand: lessons in a modern building with good technology, a short walk from shops, promenades and restaurants, with accommodation and a social programme arranged by the same organisation. Malta uses British-style three-pin plugs and English is an official language, so settling in is straightforward. You can compare it with other language schools in Malta in our directory.

The school in numbers

The school's figures give a sense of scale. Students from sixty-eight nationalities have studied there, the building holds around 700 students, and classes average twelve people. It describes the setting as a multilingual, welcoming environment with experienced, qualified teachers, a placement test and an end-of-course certificate for every student.

Sliema sits on the coast opposite Valletta, within easy reach of the capital and other heritage sites. Our Valletta guide shows what to see, and the lively waterfront makes Sliema a good base for a study trip at any time of year. If you are planning when to come, the Malta weather guide explains the seasons.

Adult English courses

Core courses start every Monday and run Monday to Friday, for as many weeks as you like, with a minimum stay of one week. General English has twenty lessons a week, equal to fifteen hours, and Intensive English has thirty lessons, or twenty-two and a half hours. Standard and exam groups have up to fifteen students, while Mini-Group English keeps numbers to around six or seven. Lessons take place in the morning or afternoon, depending on availability, and a Morning Lessons Guarantee is available for an extra weekly supplement outside the busiest months.

Business English is aimed at students from B1 level, and students booked on Intensive English for eight weeks or more can qualify for a free upgrade to Business English or an exam preparation course, subject to availability. Supplementary courses can be added to general lessons: Business English Plus, Mini-Group English Plus, IELTS Plus, TOEIC Plus, English for Academic Purposes and Conversation English.

Teaching follows the communicative method, which makes English the working language of the classroom so that speaking improves fastest. Students follow a course book that covers grammar, vocabulary and the four skills, they take regular progress tests, and long-stay students get monthly progress reports. All teachers are qualified under Maltese law and meet the requirements of the ELT Council of the Ministry of Education and the Federation of English Language Teaching Organizations of Malta.

Exams, private lessons and teacher training

Exam preparation covers IELTS and TOEIC, as well as Cambridge FCE, CAE and CPE courses of six weeks with thirty lessons a week and groups of around ten. Exam fees are not included, and exam bookings must be made at least ten weeks in advance.

Private tuition is available for all levels, including English for Two, where two students of a similar level share a teacher, and specialist English packages. The Intensive CELTA is a certificate course for people with little or no teaching experience, offered full-time over four weeks or part-time over ten weeks, face to face or online. Erasmus Plus and teacher-training courses are also part of the programme, as are tailor-made courses for companies.

Young learners and the 40+ programme

Young learner courses run in spring, summer and autumn and are split between schools in Sliema and Gżira. Vacation English Plus is for ages thirteen to seventeen, with twenty lessons a week and daily activities, and Abitur 30 offers thirty lessons a week for sixteen and seventeen year olds. Full packages include accommodation, meals and transfers, and a day programme is available for students travelling with a parent or guardian.

A new 40+ English and Mediterranean Lifestyle Programme launches in 2027 for adults aged forty and over, combining General English lessons with cultural and social activities; an autumn edition runs from 4 to 15 October 2027.

Accommodation, welfare and leisure

Adult students can stay at the Days Inn Residence five minutes' walk away, at the IELS Lodge on site, in self-catering apartments next door to the school, in a campus residence in Msida or with a host family. Homestay is open from age sixteen. Airport transfers are offered on arrival and departure at any time, and the journey to the school takes about twenty-five minutes by road. Our guide to flights to Malta helps you plan the journey.

The leisure team runs an adult programme for students aged eighteen and over, with historical tours, boat trips to Gozo and Comino, parties and swimming, and an Ultimate Fun package for ages eighteen to twenty-five in summer. Read about the island of Gozo, the Blue Lagoon, the Three Cities and the best beaches in Malta to plan your free days.

Management and how to enquire

The school is run by General Manager Daniel Mangani, who has spent more than twenty years at IELS, with Rosabel Azzopardi as Academic Manager. Rosabel is a CELTA teacher trainer who was named Inspirational Teacher of the Year in 2015.

To ask about courses, accommodation, a group booking or the 40+ programme, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to IELS Malta, who will reply to you directly.