From Ms I. Pace Warrington

We refer to the article “German ‘secret student’ study slams quality of English teaching” (TMIS, 2 December).

In this article reference was made to a survey of English Language schools in Malta and England by the German Stiftung Warentest Foundation. In our opinion the survey is rather vague and not representative of the EFL sector in Malta, with only 27 “secret shoppers” surveying schools in the UK and Malta, nine of which were in Malta. Most of the evaluations by the secret shoppers were mid-range or above for both Malta and the UK and in some areas such as competitiveness Malta fared better.

Over the past 10 years the number of students coming to Malta to study English has more than doubled – from 31,000 students in 1996 to 66,000 in 2006. There are currently 49 licensed English Language Schools in Malta, 17 of which are members of the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations – Malta (FELTOM) and represent 70 per cent of the total number of students.

Malta is one of the few countries in the world, if not the only one, that has a legal minimum qualification for EFL teachers. Before receiving a permit to teach, EFL teachers need to attend a 60-hour TEFL induction course and be in possession of an English Advanced level certificate or obtain a pass mark in the EFL examination.

This examination was introduced in 2004 by the EFL Monitoring Board to assess candidates’ English language awareness, language analysis skills and language proficiency. In addition, many teachers also have higher qualifications such as Cambridge ESOL CELTA and DELTA, Trinity Cert TESOL or Diploma TESOL, and some have a Masters in TEFL.

Apart from holding these internationally recognised professional qualifications, many EFL teachers in Malta regularly attend workshops and seminars organised by MATEFL, the Malta Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language. During these events some of the most experienced trainers, both foreign and Maltese, present topics and lead workshops.

At least once a year a reputable English ELT author is invited to lead a workshop/seminar. From time to time FELTOM organises training seminars for its members. Most recently a Train the Trainers course, held last October, was led by the well-known writer of best selling EFL teaching books, Tim Bowen.

English and Maltese are both official languages in Malta. Many people use English as their first language or communicate equally well in both English and Maltese. Apart from Maltese EFL teachers, there are also a large number of British, Canadian, American and Australian nationals who teach English to foreigners in Malta

The remarks made in the survey with reference to host families are inconsistent with a survey carried out by the Quality Assurance Directorate of the Malta Tourism Authority during the summer of 2007 to evaluate the accommodation facilities of English language students at host families. The MTA survey found that over 80 per cent of respondents felt that the overall communication in English with family members was good or very good. Almost 90 per cent replied that the hospitality of Maltese host families was either good or very good.

In order to portray an accurate image of the EFL industry in Malta, a broader approach is needed. In addition, experience has shown that language students select their preferred destination after considering all aspects of a stay. The continuing growth in the number of EFL students who choose to come to Malta to study English is testament to the status that Malta enjoys as a reputable EFL destination,

Isabelle Pace Warrington

Executive Officer,

FELTOM Executive Board