“We are facing an issue when local media reports on all foreign young people in Malta as ‘students’ and we feel this is creating an unnecessary negative image among Maltese who need to appreciate that not all young people on the island are ‘students’ and that in actual fact 60% of our students are not teens.”  This was stated by Joe Aquilina, managing director and founder of Clubclass.

Clubclass English Language Schools was founded in January 1999 and this year, it enters its 15th year of operations. The school has taught English as a foreign language to over 25,000 students from over 50 different countries. In 2009 Clubclass acquired East Finchley School of English, which was rebranded as Clubclass London when it moved to new premises in Bloomsbury in June 2012.

 “One of the more important features that distinguishes Clubclass Language School from other English language teaching institutions in Malta is the fact that we are a residential school. The majority of those who book our courses in fact reside inside the school’s premises and most of our students are in the 18- to 35-year age bracket. This, more mature student base, together with our professional approach and commitment to a quality service has defined our success over the past 15 years,” adds Mr Aquilina.

The school is effectively a family-run business which was founded by Mr Aquilina’s family and today, is run by Joe and his wife Iona and a dedicated team of employees. “We enjoy a healthy flow of students from all over the world with an excellent mix of nationalities ranging from South Americans to Asians and Russians. We also employ native speaking staff who establish an initial rapport with the students and help ease the pressures of ‘culture shock’ so that they can focus more on their language studies.”

Speaking about the current market trends, Mr Aquilina explained how business has been flourishing in recent months. “Business is good and there is a steady flow of people travelling to Malta to attend courses at our school, and the coming summer months are already looking very promising. However, as prominent players in this sector, we still feel that there are a number of challenges that need to be addressed if the country wants to keep strengthening this industry which has been enjoying a steady rise in student numbers.”

Mr Aquilina referred to how in more recent years, there has been a global move towards the importance of English as a global language. “This meant that many countries have now invested in teaching basic English skills, and therefore our product needs to be more targeted and specific with ESP packages. The infrastructure also needs improvement. Recently road signs have been replaced by single language signage, which may be more misleading to foreigners than helpful. Our education system is no longer encouraging the bi-lingual culture that allowed Malta to promote itself as a major EFL destination. Another challenge is maintaining a high standard of quality host families.”

“There are important steps that need to be taken to strengthen this sector. The media can help by focusing more on how EFL schools promote the island, how they bring more business, and the general economic return to the country. Better route planning and ensuring enough seating capacity by airlines flying to Malta will also help the further growth of the industry. There also needs to be more efficient processing of visas which will support the local sector against competition from other countries involved in the EFL industry,” added Mr Aquilina.

Mr Aquilina believes that constant investment, dedication and commitment to the EFL industry are essential to achieve success and the Clubclass family is a testament to this. Clubclass is accredited in Malta by Feltom and by the British Council, English UK and ISI in London.

“We are in the process of applying for accreditation by EAQUALS (Evaluation & Accreditation of Quality in Language Services) to further strengthen our brand on the international front. We have recently recruited a Customer Relationship manager to oversee and support the relationship with all our resident students. We are also developing innovative courses which combine the learning of English with other courses, such as Community College Courses, English for Academic Purposes and English for Specific Purposes. Further to this we are partnering with higher education institutions to sustain more growth opportunities in Malta and the UK

Mr Aquilina also referred to the efforts being made to strengthen the Business English courses held in the school’s new Business Centre. The Business Centre is available as a training centre for top business executives who wish to improve their Business English. The centre can also facilitate local freelance trainers outside of the school’s opening hours.

“We have also introduced state-of-the-art technology to give our students the best possible learning experience. We have invested in an e-learning portal to provide students with a customised online learning and information system that helps them prepare for their course before they even arrive.  The portal can be utilised throughout their course to consolidate what they learn and maintain these acquired skills after they leave. The system also helps them personalise their study plan according to their preferred pace and aptitude and gain access to a range of online material that is relevant to their course,” added Mr Aquilina.

One very interesting aspect of this portal is the e-Reception, a facility that allows students to get to know what’s happening at Clubclass, look up schoolmates, view or add pictures to the school’s photo album, look up useful information about the locality and the school itself as well as complete administrative forms and applications, a bit like having Facebook, but limited to the school’s students.

 “This is a very important sector for Malta which generates a steady flow of customers who, unlike other tourists who come on vacation, are being exposed to what Malta has on offer from a business and learning perspective.

 “At Clubclass we have achieved a lot of success and have kept a good growth momentum. We are coming across opportunities that fill us with a lot of newly found enthusiasm and our expansion to the UK continues to inspire us to do better, for ourselves and our students.”