MaltaStart

MaltaStart, which appears in our directory as Malta Dil Okulları, is an independent guidance service for people who want to learn English at a language school in Malta. Its website and advice are written in Turkish, so it is most useful for Turkish speakers, including Turkish-speaking readers in the UK who are helping a relative or friend plan a course. The listing is in St Julian's, the lively coastal town where many of the island's language schools are based.

On VisitMalta.co.uk it sits in our directory of language schools in Malta. This page sets out what the service does and how to ask a question. It is a guidance service and does not run classes itself, so tuition is always delivered by the partner schools.

Who they are

MaltaStart is a student guide platform founded by people who have lived and studied in Malta, with more than seven years of experience on the island, and the team supports hundreds of students each year. The team has trained at a range of schools, including ACE English, Clubclass, EC, IELS, AM Language and ESE, and offers its consultancy at no charge, covering school choice, enrolment, visa and accommodation questions.

The aim is to give practical, first-hand guidance rather than a sales pitch, with honest comparisons of campuses, class sizes, social programmes and total cost, so that you can shortlist two or three schools before deciding. Online guides cover arriving in Malta, the first week, packing, living costs, local transport and student life.

How the process works

The service begins with a free initial conversation to assess your goals, the length of your stay and your budget. From there the team helps you choose a school and programme, handles the paperwork for a letter of acceptance, payment and registration, and gives support with visa applications from Turkey. It also arranges accommodation, such as host families or student residences, and an airport welcome, then offers help on the island once classes begin.

Quotes for schools and prices can be requested by WhatsApp and the team can explain which extras, such as registration and accommodation, are added on top of the weekly course fee. The schools covered include EC, ESE, Sprachcaffe, Atlas, Clubclass, IELS, BELS and ACE English, along with Gateway School of English and AM Language, which is also listed in our directory.

Courses on offer

Programmes range from general English with 20 lessons a week to intensive courses with 30 lessons, plus business English, courses for teenagers, courses for people over 50, children's summer camps for ages 8 to 15, summer schools and Erasmus internship placements. A Work and Study route is also covered for longer stays, with a minimum of 24 weeks. Classes are typically of 8 to 12 students, and a placement test puts beginners in the right group.

Students wanting a part-time job during a longer course may find our guide to recruitment in Malta useful, and the Malta relocation guide covers wider moves.

Choosing where to stay and when to go

Spring and autumn offer a balance of price and quality, summer is livelier and winter is quieter and cheaper. Our Malta weather guide shows the seasons, and our guide to where to stay in Malta compares areas. St Julian's and Sliema are the usual choices, and you can read about hotels in Sliema and St Julian's for short stays before a course begins.

For arrival, see our flights to Malta guide. Free time can be spent with things to do in Malta, the best beaches in Malta or a day in the capital with our Valletta guide. To ask about a course, send a message through the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass it to MaltaStart.