MALTA LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
Follow the sun to Malta: here, just south of Sicily, summer lives on. Fine Mediterranean cuisine and English courses at one of the islands’ many top schools — it’s a clever choice for a week or two away to learn and play.
Food, wine — and English
Start with a cold glass of local Vermentino white at the historic Valletta Waterfront in the Grand Harbour. A short walk will take you to downtown Valletta, where, surrounded by the palaces of the Knights of Malta, the capital city’s best tables await you. Maltese cuisine holds a mirror to the islands’ rich history, one with culinary influences from Italy, France, Spain, North Africa and the Orient.
Book a table at one of the many family-run restaurants in English — everyone speaks it here — and the waiter may bring you sea bass stuffed with pine nuts and mint. Wine bars will give you a tasty tour of the archipelago: try specialities such as freshly baked bread with olive oil and tomato, grilled octopus and rabbit stew. Fresh lampuki is a highlight at this time of year. From August to December, the fish (aka dorado) swim past Malta in great numbers. Local cooks grill them to perfection, and you may even be called to the kitchen to choose your fish minutes before it’s prepared. Order everything in English: it’s easy. The British ruled Malta for 160 years — until 1964 — and English is an official language. Visitors of all ages attend the islands’ many excellent schools to learn English. Of special interest to the 50plus crowd: classes and excursions that mix learning the language with enjoying Maltese food. Malta’s Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations (FELTOM) ensures a high standard of teaching: the national association of accredited English-language schools works closely with the Ministry of Education, ensuring that international learners receive top-quality Englishlanguage instruction in more than 40 schools. Food and English on sunny Malta: it’s a delicious combination.