I am on the plane, on my way to Malta. Suddenly, I can see this Island, magnificent, with its turquoise sea.
That was the beginning of my adventure.
When I landed, I immediately felt this new climate, hot, with sea air that gives off this particular smell throwing you into this new atmosphere.
A Maltese guy was waiting for us, my two friends and I, to take us to our flat. The first thing you notice, here, is the constant life around you. It’s a lively Island, the residents move a lot, exchanging words in their mother tongue, Maltese, a happy, loud, language and pleasant to hear.
After moving, I was immediately surprised by something that we won’t find in France: the trust in others.
Indeed, we could see some Maltese people leave their keys in their car for several hours, without thinking twice… In such a small island, people have each other’s backs. Don’t try to steal here; you might live to regret it!
Thus began my stay in Malta.
I am a French student, and have chosen to do an internship at inlingua School of Languages.
On Monday, my first day, I walked to the school with my stomach in knots. New country, new institute, new language… I really didn’t know what to expect. I had difficulties understanding English, which was a real barrier for me.
Then, the director of studies, David, arrived. He began to explain the operation of the school, the jobs I will do, and then, he introduced me to the Inlingua team.
He was really patient, and he took his time when I didn’t understand. In fact, he applied something that not everyone knows how to do: he took his time to explain things, rather than to hurry and have to repeat several times after. And here, everyone understands that.
The inlingua team is a young and dynamic team and instantly helped me feel comfortable.
Here, I felt a real concern for the welfare of the students, and to their quality of learning. Unlike a lot of private schools in France, here the goal was not just lucrative, but educative. I saw, right off from the start, that they are like a big family.
The first week was difficult, I was really tired because of the work at the school. But what tired me out the most was speaking English all day long. When the day was over, the island was a small paradise which welcomed me: the rich, blue sea just near the school, the restaurants, the bars, the landscape…
At the end of the second week, I felt more comfortable. I could speak with the students, discuss personal experiences, our culture, etc. And at that moment, I realised how lucky I was to be here. I saw some friends, with which I experienced the Maltese night life, and trust me, it is worth it.
And I couldn’t finish this text without speaking about the various activities to enjoy abound this tiny island, from diving in the crystal clear waters, to the different medieval cities, not to mention the fantastic landscapes you can explore.
So that’s it. This was the start of what is going to be a beautiful summer in the sun, sea and sand. I hope to eliminate the language barrier. The beautiful cultures every country has to offer make the little difficulties, like the language barrier, worth it. I have only one thing left to tell you:
Ask yourself this: Do you want to live with one single culture, and limit yourself to your country, or do you want to open the doors to a multitude of opportunities?