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If you are planning to visit Malta, it is essential to have basic tourist information about the Maltese islands, their people, and their way of life. This is particularly important for English students who will be staying in Malta for extended periods. Our blog will provide a comprehensive guide to help you adapt to life in Malta and make the most of your stay.
Have an upcoming presentation in English? This guide will help you prepare with soft skill tips, and language tips about English for presentations. We asked our teachers for key tips…here’s what they had to say!
First of all, if you’re in a position where you have to deliver a presentation in English, your level of English must be quite high! So take a deep breath, it’s hard to perform well when you’re nervous. Connecting with an audience in your first language can be already be a challenge for some. Make sure you give this small-talk a priority in your planning – don’t just try to improvise. Use light jokes, puns and metaphors as you would in your mother tongue. Without these little practices you could come across as dull and robotic.
TED talks are short and powerful talks that cover nearly all topics – from science to business to global and social issues. They are available in more than 100 languages, meaning you watch it your native language first, and in English after to learn how to express key concepts in English. As an added bonus you’re also observing some of the world’s top speakers and are sure to pick up some soft skills along the way.
Every area of business has jargon that usually does not translate directly. In order to be taken seriously in the field, and to communicate properly, you have to know how technical words in your field are said in English. You can find business English online dictionaries for a variety of fields.
Apart from the buzzwords, you should learn functional business language. This will prepare you for giving a presentation and anything unexpected that can come up. Here are some common functional language topics needed for presentations:
First impressions last a lifetime. Learning useful phrases for greetings, welcoming people, introducing yourself or your colleagues and explaining the purpose of the presentation can make a big difference.
If you cannot organise your presentation well, none of the content matters. Make sure you learn how to clearly say what you will talk about, saying when you will answer questions, and how to refer to these parts of your talk. Confusing your audience is the last thing you want – these parts of speech must be part of your business English studies.
Interactive presentations are the most successful kind. The last thing you want is to have your audience snoozing off. Learn ways how to engage your audience, asking them questions, checking that they are following and clarifying what you mean.
Not everything always goes to plan – learning how to handle problems and questions is a must. Learn phrases required for apologising for causing some inconvenience, saying what you’re going to do to solve the problem (getting help, finding another laptop etc). Also learn how to ask someone to repeat a question and checking understanding.
You can find several sites that provide this functional business English online. The BELS e-learning platform has whole section dedicated entirely to business skills.
Use everything you learnt to write a script for your presentation. the language and buzzwords to create as script for your presentation. Once you feel, look for some people (or pets) to practice in front of. If needed, consult an English teacher or public speaking coach.
Have an upcoming presentation? Benefit from personalised training sessions with an experienced teacher.
Travelling alone when you’re 16 and 17 is tricky. You’re too old for fully-supervised teen trips, but too young to travel and book accommodation completely alone. The young-adult programme at our language school in Malta is the perfect balance for people in this situation. It includes airport transfers, English courses, half-board accommodation and an activity package.
Here are 8 reasons to join:
We’re located in St.Paul’s Bay in the north of Malta, one of the safest areas (of a surprisingly safe island) and can provide host-family accommodation, which is the only legal accommodation option for young-adults travelling alone. Your accommodation will be a short walking-distance from the school, and you’ll have a roommate whose also on the same programme. While you’re asked to respect your host-family and their house rules, the programme is not supervised so you’ll free before and after classes.
Our host-families are licensed by the Malta tourism authority and have worked with us for many years. They’re all within the area of the language school too! Your roommate will be another BELS student of the same gender, and a similar age.
Your host-family will also prepare breakfast and dinner for you every day. Apart from being extremely convenient (especially breakfast), it’s a chance to try a variety of mouth-watering Maltese dishes. If you have any special dietary requirements or allergies, they will also be catered for – just make sure to tell us in advance.
Malta has rich culture and an array of places to explore, such as visiting inspiring museums, charming piazzas, thousand-year-old Megalithic temples, touring fortified cities and towers. There’s also an underground world to discover, with prehistoric caves and catacombs spread across the island.
The programme also includes 3 afternoon activities and a full-day weekend activity that you can choose with your new BELS friends.
Sunshine, delicious wholesome food, sun-kissed skin and long relaxing days running around beaches. Being an island, you can practice any imaginable water-sport (stand-up paddle, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, diving, boat rides, jet skis, snorkeling) with jaw-dropping backdrops and amazing diving spots. There are plenty of sandy beaches for volley-ball or a friendly soccer match, or simply tanning and enjoying the blue waters. These are all options to choose from when you’re studying with BELS Language schools in Malta.
Being well travelled and being fluent in English are both considered assets on a resume. So, you can enjoy a trip, discover a new culture and advance your career opportunities at the same time. At the end of your course, you’ll receive a certificate of attendance with the course duration, final level of English, and a personalised note from your teacher. If you have more time on your hands, you could even consider studying English during a gap year.
When you join a young adult programme like we’re offering, you will make new friends easily. Whether you’re travelling alone or in a group, you’re bound to make new friends from all over the world. Nothing makes us happier than seeing friendships start at our language school in Malta, and continue from different corners of the world.
As an island in the middle of the Mediterranean, you can find inexpensive, regular and short flights to Malta from most European countries. Many low-cost airlines provide flights to Malta. For the best deals for summer, we suggest booking a few months in advance.
Apart from your flights, BELS take care of everything else for you. Bookings can all be made with us directly, and our team members are here to help you with you any questions you may have.
Read what Fanny had to say about her experience in Malta and our language school.
Send them to us at [email protected] or speak to us on livechat – we’re here to help.
Job interviews in English can be challenging for non-native speakers. In this blog, we provide helpful tips, language skills, and interview questions to assist English learners in preparing for successful job interviews.
Business meetings in English can be tricky for all parties involved, not only the one running the meeting. Each role comes with unique challenges and tests specific sets of language skills. Maintaining proper business etiquette while using a secondary language is added pressure to your performance or ability to keep up with the pace of the meeting.
This guide will give you the confidence needed to not only survive, but to excel during your next business meeting in English.
Feeling confident in the meeting room is a must for anyone working in the business world. As the person running the meeting, you must exert confidence in your mannerisms, follow a strategically mapped out meeting. All while adapting your thinking in English!
Here are some things to keep in mind:
Light-hearted jokes and small talk are an important part of meetings in any language. It’s easy to forget this when your focus is on using accurate language to communicate your intentions clearly in a secondary language. When leading a meeting in English, remember you are still human – show your personality and try to be as natural as possible. Researching business networking and small-talk language phrases can go a long way.
There are no language barriers when it comes to body language. When you are speaking in English, your body language might be different without realising it. Make a conscious effort to look up body language symbolism prior to the meeting, even if you never need to do this in your first language.
You may be an expert in business and the industry in your native language, but what about in English? It’s essential to develop your business English skills, functional language and industry terminology for optimal performance during meetings in English.
There are plenty of sites, that have dedicated sections to learn English online. Here’s a list of the essential functional language for business communication:
Be well prepared to minimise the chance of errors. After you find the business English phrases and language needed, write up a script for the meeting in English. Then it’s time to practice, and if you feel comfortable, record yourself and review for improvements. And repeat the whole process till the script comes more naturally. You also need to remember that it doesn’t need to be flawless – mistakes happen even when using a native language.
The next step is to make a list of questions that participants are likely to ask, as well as issues that they may point out. Write a script of how you would reply in a similar way to above. This will be useful when needing to improvise responses in meetings.
Even if you’re not in the spotlight, the pressure is felt! Important decisions and plans are made – so understanding what is being said is essential for all participants. Knowing when and how to provide input in also key.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
As a participant in a meeting in English, most of your time will be spent listening and understanding. From a skills perspective, this requires a general high level of English with particular focus on listening skills. A solid range of vocabulary and industry terminology is needed – it is important to be quick with the language. Spend time listening to audiobooks and watching TED talks on the topic of business or your area of work. Casually listening to music and watching episodes will also help.
One of the passive skills obtained at University is the art of notetaking. Trying to keep up with your lectures and every little thing they say paves the way for business meetings. You can surely do this in your first language, and what about in English? Are you as effective? It’s usually a less developed skill for most second language speakers. Nothing to worry about, just practice! Combine this with the activity above to get the best results.
Think of all the functions that are required in a regular business meeting, and make sure you know the appropriate and accurate way to interact in English. Here’s a list of essential business English language for meetings:
For personalised study-plan and courses based on business meetings in English, write to us at [email protected].
Are you struggling to learn English fluently? Don’t worry; it’s a common challenge among English language learners. In this blog, we’ve consulted with our experts and compiled a list of 15 powerful tips to help you on your linguistic adventure. So, let’s dive in and start learning!
Dive into the world of extreme sports in Malta! Explore heart-pounding thrills against crystal-clear waters and historic landscapes.
Studying English abroad is an effective way to improve fluency. Immersing oneself in the language and practicing with native speakers can improve communication skills. Learn about the benefits of studying English in Malta in this blog.
Malta is a well-known destination for anyone interested in diving or learning English. The island has a number of quality diving schools spread across the island, and the same can be said for English schools. So, if you want to learn English and try diving, you can do both on a trip to Malta.
550 West, St.Paul's Str, St.Paul's Bay, Malta
+356 27555561 [email protected]
Triq Ta' Doti, Kerċem, Gozo
+356 21564333 [email protected]
