Sprachcaffe Malta

Sprachcaffe Malta is an English language school built around a residential campus in Pembroke, on the east coast of Malta and a short walk from St Julian's. Rather than a school in a city office block, it is a group of old colonial buildings with a swimming pool, a bar and restaurant, apartments and a garden, so learning, living and socialising all happen in one place.

The campus is part of the international Sprachcaffe network of language schools, which has more than forty years of experience in language teaching. For UK readers the draw is the setting and the mix of ages and nationalities, plus a choice of courses from relaxed holiday lessons to exam preparation. The school is listed with other language schools in Malta in our directory.

The campus and its facilities

The two-storey buildings were put up by British soldiers in 1904, and they now hold classrooms, apartments and leisure space around an Olympic-sized swimming pool that is in use for much of the year, roughly from March to November. All classrooms are air-conditioned and have modern audio-visual equipment, and most are wheelchair accessible.

On site you will also find a computer room, study areas, a library, a game room, a video room, a volleyball court and a well-kept garden, together with a lounge bar and restaurant. The campus has a 24-hour reception, air conditioning and heating, fast WiFi and free parking, and offices can be rented by people who want to work from the campus.

A coliving and coworking project on the campus makes it popular with remote workers who want a peaceful place to base themselves for a while. If that sounds like you, our digital nomad guide to Malta explains the residence options and working life on the island.

English courses for adults

The adult programme covers the usual range. Standard courses suit people who need English for work, study or travel, while intensive courses add more lessons each day so that you become fully immersed and progress faster. Participants receive a Sprachcaffe certificate at the end of the course documenting their level.

Private one-to-one lessons are tailored to the individual, and two friends or colleagues can share a lesson. There are specialised workshops too: ten extra lessons a week on top of the Standard course, covering business language, sales and marketing, business negotiations, communication skills, public speaking and presentation, job applications and interviews, or even English drama.

Anyone sitting an exam can prepare for the Cambridge certificates, TOEFL or IELTS, and the school offers teacher training and programmes for young learners and groups. Courses are open to learners from beginners upwards, and the teachers are described as experienced and qualified.

Online English courses

If you cannot travel, the school also teaches English online through WebEx. Online classes hold a minimum of four and a maximum of seven students, and run in the morning or afternoon. Levels run from elementary through intermediate to upper-intermediate and advanced.

Full-time online courses have twenty lessons a week, equal to fifteen hours, and are priced at €160 a week, while part-time courses with ten lessons a week are €80. Options include General English, English for Tourism and English for Business, with teachers who have worked in the sectors they teach, from customer care and catering to legal English and leadership.

Where to stay on or near campus

The school can place students in standard apartments, comfort apartments, studios or homestay, with accommodation either on the campus itself or nearby. On-site apartments range from shared options to private rooms, and many students cook together in the kitchens, which turns a language trip into a small community.

Pembroke has good bus links and a large bus station not far from the school, so you can explore the islands by public transport, and the school will help organise a rental car if you prefer. Our Malta weather guide helps you decide when to come, since the pool season and the beach season overlap neatly.

Leisure, excursions and the surrounding area

A leisure and community team runs a programme of activities each week. On campus these have included Mediterranean cooking classes, beginner diving lessons in the pool, barbecue parties, a Turkish night, movie nights and creative workshops. There is also an international student party for those aged seventeen and over in Paceville, the island's main nightlife district, five minutes' walk away.

Excursions take in Malta's highlights. Boat trips go to the Blue Lagoon on Comino, and day trips go to the island of Gozo and to Marsaxlokk and the Blue Grotto in the south. Culture days cover the Valletta city guide, the old capital in our Mdina guide and the Three Cities, and the school's own favourites on the sand include Golden Bay; see all the options in our guide to the best beaches in Malta.

Close to the campus you will find St George's Bay beach, Pembroke Pool for easy sea swimming, a gym that gives students a free first session, and local shops including a supermarket. Spinola Bay in St Julian's, with its fishing boats and cafes, is a short stroll away.

Booking and getting in touch

The school offers early-booking and other time-limited discounts, and a quotation tool for combining a course, start date and accommodation. Because prices depend on the length of stay and the type of room, it is easiest to ask for a quote. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Sprachcaffe Malta, who will reply to you directly.