Malta was my first experience abroad on my own

When I arrived, I was a bit afraid to start working in a foreign country. My concern was not being able to understand instructions because of my level of English (as a French intern).

I had got in touch, by Skype, with Ms. Jean Bonnici, the Head and Director of Studies of the Language School. She was adorable with me, tried to speak a bit slowly so that I can understand.  She always did everything possible for the happiness of the people around her and she made me feel more self-confident but I was still a concerned about the fact that maybe the other staff members will not be like her.

So it was with huge pleasure that I met the MULS team (included the office staff but also the teachers and students).  Aeden was one of my colleague for a month and I think I never was able to be as efficient without his help because he was always there for me, explained lots of things to me and even repeated one hundred times but he was  never bored  or impatient.  I consider him as the man of the year because he always found a solution to any problems. Barbara, my other colleague, was the sweetest woman I have ever met.  She was always kind and patient with me.  Indeed, everyone here was helpful and even the teachers showed me some aspects of the job and I was able to learn quickly with their help.

I was also fascinated by the interest that teachers show when teaching their students. It is not only a job, but we can see that it is really a passion for them and they are always happy to give you anything you need. A great experience for me, I never have been as happy to be at work as here, time passes really fast when you are enjoying the moment, and here it was the fastest month of my life (unfortunately).

Something else that I really loved here was the University Residence. The school is located in the middle and it is the place where I lived for more than a month. Here, you can speak with people without know them. It is really the best place to make friends and I will miss everyone here, they are always ready to help. For instance, the day I arrived, my roommate was waiting for me all morning to help me with my baggage, show me the place where I can buy food and stuff… I was really happy to find at once,   someone ready to help me adapt to my new experience. It was a really warm welcome and, whereas usually even in my friend’s house I can’t sleep really well during the first night, here it was really different because I directly felt as if I was on my own house.

Added to the fact that it that it is a lovely workplace and like a second home, my level of English has improved really quickly with the help of the teachers but also with my colleagues.   Not only are they administration staff, they are also all Cambridge Qualified teachers and so they really helped me with some mistakes that I always did and that I will never do again. In any case, everything here is a source of learning, they have books for all levels, everyone speaks English with everyone and, as they are often foreigners, it is beneficial for everyone.

I also had the opportunity to attend a ‘conversation’ class and I recommend this method to all the languages schools in the world. Indeed, in my opinion, it is the best way to practice English.  The lesson are very interactive, interesting and it is a really fun environment so I think students have no choice but to enjoy the lesson as I did.

To conclude, my trip in Malta was really the best experience I have ever had in terms of work, place, people… and I think that everyone here feels the same. This place was for me a second home, the staff a second family.  I really hope that I can come back here one day and see again this wonderful place, which made my internship becoming the best experience of my life.

Yasmine Ouali, Office Intern – Malta University Language School