ZETH English Homestay

ZETH offers a different kind of language trip: instead of a classroom with dozens of students, you live with a Maltese host family and study English with your teacher in her own home in Pembroke. The family hosts a maximum of three guests at a time, so lessons, meals and conversation are personal, and visitors from beginner to advanced level are welcome.

It suits UK readers who prefer a quiet, family atmosphere, who want to practise English from breakfast until bedtime, or who are travelling to prepare for an exam. You can compare it with larger options in our directory of language schools in Malta.

Your host and teacher

The lessons are given by the hostess, Suzanne, an experienced teacher with CELTA and TEFL qualifications. She grew up in Australia, which gives her fluent English and clear pronunciation, and she taught in schools before choosing to teach at home. The household is registered, holding a host family licence and an EFL permit, and the family speaks clear, fluent English throughout the day.

The family works as a team to raise each guest's level of English, and it has hosted students of all age groups. A friendly white cat is also part of the household. Because the teacher lives in the same house, practice does not stop when the lesson ends: conversation continues at meals, on walks and during the evening activities, which many learners find the quickest way to gain confidence.

Lessons, stays and prices

Lessons are one-to-one and personalised to your level and goals, with a minimum of ten hours a week at €25 an hour. Two people who want to study together can take two-to-one lessons at €35 an hour, again with a minimum of ten hours a week.

Full-board accommodation is €650 a week, which covers three meals a day, a single or twin bedroom, free Wi-Fi, activities with the family and extras. Guests who stay for two weeks receive four free cultural activities. Airport transfers by a family member cost €25 each way, and there are no extra fees. A deposit of twenty per cent confirms the booking and the balance is due on the first day of travel, and travel insurance is requested. Cancelling within seven days of arrival or later means paying the full booking. The home is smoke-free, and drugs and alcohol are not allowed.

A private single bedroom with its own bathroom is also available without lessons, at €40 a night.

Daily life and outings

Evenings are relaxed. In summer the family swims and snorkels at the nearby rocky and sandy beaches, plays cards and board games, watches films in English, and walks to St George's Bay and St Julian's Bay. They also visit village feasts and the evening fireworks, and guests are welcome to cook in the kitchen, including making the local savoury pastries called qassatat.

The free cultural outings cover the megalithic temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, described in our Ħaġar Qim guide, the fortified medieval city in our Mdina guide, a guided visit to the capital in our Valletta guide, and a boat trip to the Blue Grotto. Our guides to things to do in Malta and the best beaches in Malta suggest more. You can plan the season with our Malta weather guide and the flights with our guide to flights to Malta.

How to book

Because the family takes only a few guests at once, it is best to ask early. Say when you want to travel, for how long, whether you want one-to-one or two-to-one lessons and any exam you have in mind. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the family, who will reply to you directly.