We are young French Guyanese in Malta for an immersion course, in order to improve our English.
In this article we talk about our stay in Malta both positive and negative.
I hope after reading this article that your next language travel destination will be Malta to study the English language and have an amazing adventure.
Let's go !
PRESENTATION
We are young Guyanese from French Guyana in South America. We are young people in our twenties.
We all come from different walks of life but today we are in Malta with the same goal - to improve our English. For our professional but also personal life.
We were able to make this trip thanks to the Pôle Emploi establishment in Guyana, which works with the Erasmus + program
These two partnerships offer trips abroad, in order to allow people to do internships abroad and learn or improve a strange language.
Most of the young people who take their language trip, mostly young people in their twenties. But don't worry about taking a language trip there is no age.
And being with several people of different ages makes the adventure more interesting.
We chose the destination Malta, first of all because it was the only destination that is open - compared to Covid-19.
Then, we also chose it for its landscape also for its history.
An archipelago island with incredible postcard views, which is due to its culture.
Honestly, none of us know Malta before this trip. We've never heard of this island before. When we tell our families that we are going to Malta - so they have an idea where to locate Malta. We said is an archipelago island next to Italy.
We were able to carry out this program thanks to my Pôle Emploi advisor, who sent me a flyer in September 2020.
We applied for the program straight away - because we always wanted to take a language trip abroad in order to improve my English.
However, We did not have the means, but thanks to Pôle emploi, which is funding this project. We was able to take a language trip and live this internship experience abroad.
PREPARATION FOR DEPARTURE
I have been able to prepare since November 2020- for a departure in February 2021.
We applied for the program - and our application was successful.
Then we did interviews with Pôle emploi, to present the program to me, assess my English level, and ask me the sectors where I would like to do my internship as well as the destination I chose to do my internship.
Overall, everything went well.
Pôle emploi advised us to go see our Tour operator, to find out if our telephone networks passed to Malta so that we can stay in contact with them as well as our relatives, inform our banks of our departure, see our doctors. if we were there conditions to make a trip abroad, and see our health insurance to apply for the European card, in order to have mutual cover during my stay in Malta. And above all to have some money for our personal expenses.
Subsequently, we got in touch with a manager from EUROTRACKS, who was our intermediary between Easy Jobs.
First, we had a meeting with her via Skype, to explain the program rules, the places we wanted to do our internship, and introduce ourselves in English to assess our level. We sent him our Curriculum Vitae in English.
Then we got in touch with a mentor from Easy Jobs- but we prefer to say “our mom in Malta” (cf. Article: Meeting with Easy job bridge - we will explain why we call her that).
We made a call via Skype, to introduce ourselves, thus tell us the places of internship that we offer and if it suited us. And by preparing for interviews with our internship tutors.
We also received documents to fill out, then documents presenting us life in Malta as well as the regulations which are very important.
Overall the preparation for the start went well. As with any departure for a trip - we had a lot of paperwork to do, a lot of documents to fill out, interviews to pass, tests ...
We were excited both stressed- because we can't wait for this adventure and afraid to be on an island that was unknown to us before. And stepping out of your comfort zone can be a bit scary.
A little advice :
Be organized, available, and make sure everything is done well - above all, stay positive.
It can be long and tiring or stressful when a document is missing - but when you get past that, you can be reassured that the rest of the trip will be soothing.
And above all, don't hesitate to ask the organizers / mentors for help because they are really available and attentive.
DEPARTURE
For departure - we each received our electronic plane tickets by email.
We had a departure meeting - to inform us of the progress of our trip, as well as the regulations to follow, respect, the last steps to be taken, and when we will leave exactly and then the meeting time at the airport.
Then our advisor from Pôle Emploi suggested that we set up a WhatsApp group, so that we could be in contact with everyone, and keep us informed.
The WhatsApp group is a good idea. It allows us to be informed, to know if everyone has done their steps well - if anyone is having difficulty like that we can help each other.
This meeting allowed us to ask our final questions before departure - so to see the people with us will share the adventure.
We are a group of 5 to make the trip. After the meeting we exchanged between us, our anguish, our excitement, the number of luggage we are going to bring with us, if we have already packed our suitcases ...
On the day of departure, we sent each other the last documents including travel certificates to allow us to travel quietly and our negative Covid tests.
We all did our Covid tests the morning before departure. And we received it in the afternoon before departure.
At the airport, we each checked in, and present our documents. Then before going into the departure lounge.
We got together with our advisor from Pôle Emploi for the last time, to sign the last documents, he giving us the last instructions and took one picture of us.
And above all to say goodbye to our loved ones who accompanied us to the airport.
For arrival in Malta we did:
French Guiana - Paris: 8 hour flight.
Arrived in Paris it was really cold. We were almost frozen.
It was 4 degrees.
We got in touch with our taxi to be transferred to Charles de Gaulle airport.
Paris - Germany: 2 hours fligh.
We waited all morning at the airport from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.
It was tiring for all of us, but we were able to wash ourselves, eat something, sleep on the chairs (although it was uncomfortable), and then chat to each other to get to know each other better.
Germany - Malta: 2 hours flight.
We made a stopover in Germany. It was funny because we had just an hour of layover to change planes. So we were running like crazy at the airport in Germany. It looked like we never made it to gate 19. But we finally got there but out of breath.
Otherwise, the flights went really well overall. There were always 5 of us helping each other, that was cool. Arriving in Malta at 11pm, we were greeted by the drivers, who gave us an envelope, say our address and the key to our apartment, as well as a small envelope to put the money for the deposit.
DISCOVERY OF THE APARTMENT
Discovering the Apartment we think this is the moment that everyone is afraid of, and that everyone is eager to discover - because it will be our new home during their stay in Malta. So, the place where we create our nest of comforts.
For us, the discovery of the apartment was great. Because the apartment was large, and super well equipped. The rooms assigned to us suited us.
We went from left to right in the apartment, opening every drawer, every door ... we were like children in a playground, very excited.
A little advice :
When you arrive in an apartment, especially check that everything is working properly in the apartment. Most importantly, don't hesitate to report when something isn't working or isn't right for you. This will fix the problems in the apartment - so that the stay in the apartment is in good condition.
LIVING IN A SHARED APARTMENT
Living in a shared apartment is one of the very important experiences during the stay.
Effectively, it will teach us to live together with people we don't know.
It can go well or not well.
We were already friends in French Guiana, so the roommate was great for us.
Further more, there were only 2 of us in the apartment. We shared the tasks, we did the shopping for the house together including household products etc ...
The roommate between us went very smoothly, as if we had lived together before.
However, we had 2 other people in the apartment.
It was weird, because we had already gotten used to our 2 roommates life, but we're here to meet other people.
For me, the roommate was great except with one I didn't get along too much with her. We even had a argued. We don't talk to each other - we ignore each other. Not everything can be positive about the stay.
However, what is good - and even if we don't talk to each other, there is RESPECT. Which we think is very important.
And yet communication is also important. With the others, we exchanged views on our internship, our opinions on life in Malta, our different cultures, the places we visited, the activities we would like to practice ...
A little advice:
Living in a shared apartment can be good or bad. But always be respectful to your roommates. Don't hesitate to talk to each other when things are not going well. ALWAYS keep the apartment clean, because a clean environment is a pleasant environment to live in.
MEETING WITH EASY JOB BRIDGE
Madame Sue arranged to meet us in the offices of Easy Job Bridge during our first week in Malta.
She made us feel welcome, and immediately put us at ease.
We were able to talk to her about the trip, the condition of the apartment (warn her of problems such as: dust, a lamp that does not work ...), as well as give her the money for the deposit.
We were then able to watch a video, to remind us of the rules in the apartment - what to do and what not to do.
Then we went to see our training places.
This meeting with Easy Job Bridge allowed us to see our mentor physically, call ourselves to order, and interact with them - ask questions if we had.
Like, we said Mrs Sue is our mentor in Malta - but she is mostly like a mom with us here. Always attentive, available, kind and very professional.
A little advice:
Do not hesitate to inform your mentor here in Malta, about your state of mind, about the apartment, the internship etc ...
It is very important to keep them informed, especially if you are having problems.
They are there to help you, to make your stay here smooth.
THE INTERNSHIP ENVIRONMENT
Our first discovery of an internship location was accompanied by a mentor from Easy Job Bridge.
This first meeting allowed us to see where our internship location is, see our internship manager, know our schedules, the tasks that ask us to do, and how to get there to our internship locations.
Our internships allocated to us corresponded to what we wanted.
We felt comfortable with the staff. .
For example, I was at Malta National Aquarium.
I loved it, because I see visitors from all over the world (Korean, Brazilian, Indian ...) who came to see the various species that the aquarium have, and also allowed me to speak English with visitors and my colleagues.
And most importantly, teach me about the various species that can be found in the ocean.
This internship was advantageous for me because I practice English, both oral and written - and above all allowed me to enrich my personal knowledge on ocean fish, and most importantly make me aware of take care of the planet.
However, reality has caught up with us. Our internship places were closed because of the Covid-19, for 1 month.
However, that didn't stop us from working on our English at home, like on the OLS app, writing an article for Easy Job Bridge, watching movies / series in English.
A little advice:
Your internship location is your second home, so find an internship in a sector where you will flourish and especially learn English. Always be motivated to learn and discover new things, even if you don't get paid.
LIFESTYLE IN MALTA
Find my landmarks in Malta :
How will I be able to find my bearings in a country I don't know? I would get lost!
We think those are the first things you said to yourself. We can understand that you are afraid, but not panic.
In Malta there is a slight possibility that you will get lost.
For example, to find our landmarks we had a Google Maps application - which allowed us to find places, gave us the travel times etc ...
We also downloaded the Tallinja (for bus transport), ECabs / COOL (for Ubers) applications on our mobile phones ...
Additionally, you can also ask people in Malta for help, or your new friends you have made here in Malta.
A little advice:
Always charge your mobile phone well before you leave your home - because it is the tool that will help you get to a place but also find yourself, thanks to the available applications. We strongly recommend that you install the applications we have mentioned before you leave for Malta.
Food in Malta :
Let us tell you an anecdote !
We did not know Malta. We thought to eat it would be complicated - so we took things from French Guiana as you can see in the photo.
Finally, in Malta we were able to discover the food here and eat meals as if we were still in French Guiana.
We made our first restaurant, we were afraid of being disappointed but in the end the meals here are very good. And what is good we can find meals from all over the world such as Maltese, Cubans, Africans, Chinese ...
And if you are vegetarian or vegan you will also find your happiness.
You can also find Maltese who sell very fresh fruits and vegetables, at every street corner with their truck. Also, bakeries - you will find the very popular small diamond shaped puff pastry in Malta which name Pastizzi and Qassatat.
Indian stores to find spices, if you want to eat spices. African stores also have green bananas, split peas, beans ... We were shocked to find green bananas here or even cassava. All this thanks to an African store. There are also stores that sell Chinese products because we like to eat Chinese.
For example, I am passionate about cooking, I was able to make dishes that I love, and also try new dishes ( you can see some photos of meals I had cooked here in Malta, and one photo of the first restaurant we ate in Malta ).
A little advice:
Don't come with a closed mind, but rather an open one. Be ready to discover new flavors, and you can even bring home specialties, to let people here discover - and exchange your culture.
Culture in Malta :
We are here for a linguistic trip but also to discover a new culture.
As we said do not be closed-minded, on the contrary be open.
In Malta, it will be said that the Maltese are very attached to their island - and sincerely they are right because this island is beautiful.
English is spoken well in Malta, but also Maltese.
Our mentor had already informed us that there some places they will speak Maltese like in our internship places. It didn't shock us when we heard them speak Maltese on the contrary we wanted to learn certain words.
Anecdote: At my place of internship a colleague of mine, a Brazilian but he had lived in Malta for 6 years. Sometimes he liked to say "Madonna" so for me he would pronounce Madonna while thinking of a girl - and say her name out loud.
Imagine that NO!
Madonna is an expression that is used when one is scared, happy, sad or even angry. It’s the equivalent of the “Oh my God”.
This is one of the expressions much used by Maltese.
Also, what we liked - was seeing the Maltese very attached to religion. You can walk in the streets to see crosses, statutes, many churches.
A little advice:
In Malta the most important thing is to respect the people. When you hear that they speak Maltese it's okay, don't feel left out. On the contrary, learn Maltese phrases or words.
Respect the Maltese, their island, their culture, their religion ... you will see that your stay will be fine - Madonna!
Activities in Malta :
Malta is impossible to be bored, there is so much to see and to do.
First of all, restaurants are not lacking in Malta, there is something for everyone.
Aquatic activities, in the middle of the Mediterranean - jet ski, boat trip, many beaches ...
Animals, if you are animal lovers like us, you can find a lot in Malta - like my internship is the Malta National Aquarium, there are several fishes even sharks, also snakes and many others.
Also, Malta has several cities to visit such as La Valetta the capital, Mdina, San Julians ...
we can guarantee that every street you visit here will leave you speechless.
And why not visit the other islands of the archipelago - such as Gozo - a neighboring island.
We went to Gozo for a weekend, we took the ferry, and we took an Airbnb. It's a change from Malta - very quiet.
The locals are super nice. And always for many places to visit - like the Citadel.
It’s also the perfect place to meet new people.
We can make many meetings thanks to several meetings organized via social networks. People like us have come to learn English or are here for work. We were able to meet people, which will always remain in our hearts - because Malta allows us to forget all our worries that we have in our country of origin, to offer us an unforgettable experience. It is as if we are experiencing a rebirth.
Homesick :
We've all had it at some point. This is normal for this to happen during your stay. We may miss family, friends, and our habits that we have left at home.
We felt it, because we always talk to our families on the phone - but sometimes we would have liked them to be there to live the adventure with us.
The key is to tell someone, a friend, a roommate, or even your mentor.
Be honest with yourself.
A little advice:
This phase is fleeting, you could overcome it if you talk to a person, and not to forget the reason for your coming to Malta.
That's it for us. Thank you for reading the article.
We hope you have made your mouth watering, and that you are already packing your bags for a language trip to Malta.
Above all, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask them to Easy job bridge. They are there for you, to accompany you from the beginning to the end of this experience.
See you very soon or we should to say Dalwaqt – Madonna !
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