English Language Teaching (ELT) service providers are optimistic that this summer will see a rise in foreign students coming to Malta to learn English, an improvement from the intake of ELT students received in 2020.

With ELT schools set to open on the 1st of June for face-to-face teaching, the Federation of English Language Teaching Schools (FELTOM) expects over 10,000 students to make their way to Maltese shores.

While ELT schools have been incessantly marketing themselves and their courses after they saw an 80% drop in students in 2020, less attention has been given to the stakeholders that provide services to ELT students to ensure that they have a pleasant stay in Malta.

The Malta Independent on Sunday spoke to four ELT service providers about what state they are currently in, how they have been affected by the drop in students in the past year, and what expectations they have for the upcoming summer.

 

Accommodation Providers

“Our current state is devastating”, Jean-Luc Micallef, Managing Director of JL Properties and JL Cleaning told this newsroom.

JL Properties provides rooms and beds to English foreign language (EFL) students, while JL Cleaning provides weekly cleaning and changing of linen to EFL students.

Micallef said that since 11th March of last year, when Malta suspended air travel to Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, both companies have been inundated with postponements from students hesitant to make the journey to Malta.

The companies have had to enter a long let contract with the landlords of the property, meaning that they had to pay monthly rent for all the apartments, despite having an extremely low occupancy rate.

Incoming revenue, Micallef said, is currently less than 20% of the companies’ expenditure.

As a result, Micallef noted that it will take the companies “two or three years to recover” from its financial losses.

Asked what hopes he has for the summer, Micallef noted that he would have closed both services “a long time ago” if he didn’t have hope for the summer.

“Having an opening date is already a game changer,” he said.

With the swift vaccine roll-out, Micallef remarked that he expects many students to come to Malta and use his accommodation services.

 

Host families

A source who has been hosting students for 26 years noted that they are still hosting students prior to 1st June, however there has been a marked decrease in the intake of students over the course of the last year.

Hosting students in a duplex, the source noted that they live on the top floor, whereas students must stay on the bottom level, where the students’ bedrooms and bathrooms are kept.

Before the pandemic, students would typically move to the upstairs area to have breakfast and dinner with the host and chat, the source noted. The source would also take students for walks in the countryside and trips to Gozo, however they noted that this is history for the time being because the parameters between the students and the host have increased in the past year.

The host has had to set up a living and dining area downstairs so that students can help themselves and keep their distance from the upstairs area.

With summer coming up, the host noted that they “are fully booked for the summer months” and that they hope that the number of new infections will remain low and stable in order to avoid cancellations.

They stressed that they will be taking appropriate measures indoors to ensure that everyone is kept safe. Amongst these measures includes keeping distance between the upstairs and downstairs parameters of the household, frequently sanitization of the premises and keeping students in separate sleeping chambers as much as possible.

 

Tour Guide

Freelance tour guide Eric Fonk also saw a marked decrease in ELF students attending his tours, however he nevertheless came across adult students who were keen to sharpen their language skills.

“They were always enthusiastic to practise their English language skills outside the classroom, as well as wanting to get to know Malta,” Fonk said.

He noted that the lack of students has had a “substantial” impact on his finances, but he is ready to see how the financial situation for tourists will develop throughout summer this year, as well as the years to come.

Additionally, he is optimistic about the turnout this summer, and ensured that his service will “observe all the instructions dictated by the Health Authorities and the ELT schools.”

 

Travel agent and education abroad consultancy

Joaquin Pinto Ferrand, Co-Founder, CEO and Director of Strategy at Boom Malta told this newsroom that many students have felt hesitant to come to Malta in the last year because of the unpredictability of in-person education. This is only reinforced considering that most of Boom Malta’s student intake comes from Latin America, which is a long way away from Malta.

Despite this, Ferrand said that Boom Malta is keen to give “a premium assessment to students, in order to reaffirm that it is possible to come to Malta.”

Through different channels, Boom Malta keeps students constantly informed about the Covid-19 situation in Malta so that they can make plans to come to the island and pursue their studies. In addition, they provide one on one phone calls with interested students to reaffirm that Malta is open for business and that it is a safe country to travel to.

For the few students who are on the island and attending lessons online, Ferrand said that Boom Malta is “giving premium and personalized assistance” to these students by “partnering with local stakeholders that provide quality services for them.” In this way, not only are the students kept engaged on Malta, but the local economy is also kept alive and well.

Asked about his hopes for summer, Ferrand said that he expects a summer full of face-to-face lessons.

“We need to send strong signals to the students, so that they will understand that Malta is a safe destination, where they can learn with all the sanitary measures in face-to-face classes, meeting people from around the world and practicing their English in their day-to-day interactions,” he noted.

Encouraging students to come to Malta, Ferrand noted, does not imply that mass events amongst students should be taking place.

“We understand that it’s not the time to plan mass-events, but rather concentrate on personalized assistance and small group activities in the open-air, enjoying the beautiful landscapes Malta has to offer,” he added.