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The island of Gozo boasts numerous beautiful beaches that are worth a visit. With so many options, we have shortlisted the top eight beaches you cannot miss. Whether you are here for leisure, business, or academics, don’t forget to pack your swimsuit and head to these beaches to soak up the Mediterranean sun.
Learning how to agree or disagree in English is essential for language learners. It requires confidence, clarity, politeness, and courtesy in expressing opinions verbally or in writing. This article explores how to express opinions and offers helpful phrases for formal and informal settings.
Are you a history buff who’s fascinated by castles, forts, and the like? On the Maltese islands, you are bound to see some awe-inspiring historic sites; from magnificent churches to ancient towers, the island is teeming with history. One such staple of Maltese antiquity can be found in the bustling city of Victoria, in the heart of the quiet island of Gozo—the Citadella.
Gozo’s spectacular sunsets are only one of the many perks of living on this beautiful island. When on holiday in Gozo, nothing beats sitting down on a cliff’s edge and watching the sunset after a day of touring the unique island, or even better, on board a boat where the view is always unbeatable. And if you’re lucky enough to live on Gozo, there’s no better way to wind down after a long day.
Another perk of the island life is the weather – due to the mild temperatures and beautiful weather that extends into Autumn and Spring, the sunset spectacles can be enjoyed throughout most of the year.
One thing to keep in mind is that the sun rises in Qala and sets in Gharb, which means that the following locations are sure places to catch a beautiful sunset: Ta’ Ċenċ Cliffs, Sannat Sunset Viewpoint, Sanap Cliffs Sunset and Falesie di Gozo and the Salt Pans in Marsalforn.
Another option is to visit the island’s highest points, such as: Ta’ Għammar Hill, Ġordan Lighthouse, Ta’ Lourdes Chapel, San Dimitri and the Citadella.
With all that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of our 12 favourite spots to watch the sunset in Gozo.
Xlendi is a great place to combine a sunset in a small bay with a glass of wine or dinner. In Xlendi there are several small restaurants directly at the bay and at the harbour that invite you to stop for a bite to eat. The sun sets almost exactly in the middle of the bay and you have a great view of the unique colour spectacle. You can get to Xlendi easily by bus or by car.
Google Pin: https://goo.gl/maps/cahSo3FQ4m4MuHYh6
The cliffs at Ta’ Cenc are not only impressive in the bright light of day. Along the cliff, at sunset times, you can watch the sun change colour in the sky practically every minute until it finally disappears behind the horizon. To get to the cliff walking area, you actually have to walk a bit. The best way to get there is by bus or car to Cenc. From there it is about a ten-minute walk to the cliffs. The great advantage of the cliffs is that the cliffs stretch for several kilometres along the coast, so it is very easy to find a quieter section of the cliffs if you are not lazy on foot. The cliffs are great for exploring and walking along.
Google Pin: https://goo.gl/maps/CCtgHYjQemzifnFNA
The Sanap Cliffs are 130-meter-high limestone cliffs that plunge steeply into the deep Mediterranean Sea.It is one of the highest spots along this stretch of shore. As a result, the dramatic terrain rewards you with breath-taking views of the sun lowering into the sea or just behind the far cliffs.
In addition to being a great sunset location in Gozo, it’s also remote and completely silent, apart from seagulls chirping away. There’s no light pollution in the area, so take a torch with you and stay past the sunset for some stargazing. You may get to Sanap Cliffs by following a walking trail that leads here. If you want a longer trek, you can come here from Ta’Cenc Cliffs or Xledni Cliffs following the Tower.
Google Pin: https://goo.gl/maps/u6EpQ5fnGCH8ae5U6
Dwejra Bay offers two beautiful sunset spots. The famous Blue Hole not only offers a great view of the setting sun, but is also close to the former Azur Window. You.can enjoy the sunset with a view of Fungus Rock. The bus takes you to the bay, so you only have to walk a few steps. But getting there by car is no problem either, as there is a large parking lot above the bay.
Equally impressive are the sunsets from the higher points of the island, such as the cliffs in the south of the island, and the mountain peaks like Nadur and the Citadel.
Google Pin: https://goo.gl/maps/3L3ZW5Kg4pfQxcmn8
From the Citadel in the heart of Gozo, in Victoria, you have a great view of the island both during the day and in the evening. It’s a great place to watch the island change from day to night life during sunset. You have to walk a few steps to get to the top of the Citadel. But the small climb is immediately rewarded with a great view and an impressive citadel. A little tip: You can walk once around the outer ring of the citadel and have a view of the whole island.
Google Pin: https://goo.gl/maps/iabynLGsnaMCXJvf8
The small village of Nadur offers some beautiful spots to watch the sunset. For example the Ta’ Kenuna Tower at the western end of the village. But if you want an even better view and to be a bit more in nature, the Sopu Tower in the Ta Sopu Landfilled Park is a great alternative. You are right on the cliffs and can enjoy the last rays of the day. However, you also have to walk a little for this sunset spot. From the bus or car, it takes about twenty minutes to get to the tower. But the view is well worth it. If you don’t want to walk so much, you can watch the sunset from the Calypso Cave above Ramla Bay. You can either walk up there from the beach (about 10 minutes) or drive very close to it by car and then walk the last few metres. Note, however, that the path from the beach to the cave is very steep and in the dark it is not a good idea to take this route.
Google Pin: https://goo.gl/maps/wt1WMKYNoHWa1cWd9
You may see the sunset from Ramla Bay in two ways: directly from the bay while lounging on the sand, or from Tal-Mixta Cave, which overlooks the bay. If you visit the bay in the autumn, spring, or winter, you will almost certainly have the entire beach to yourself. If you go up to the cave, breath-taking sunset views may be seen through the cave’s broad gap, overlooking Ramla Bay’s brilliant red sandy beach and an endless Mediterranean horizon.
Google Pin: https://goo.gl/maps/K13GG7ctodd9gghw7
The Saltpans on Gozo’s northerly coast, just up from Marsalforn, are a captivating landmark and critical resource, sustaining a traditional trade and expertise while gathering one of Gozo’s most significant natural raw resources – salt.Google Pin:
Google pin: https://goo.gl/maps/pRFUpvzcepPwsYAm8
Ta Gurdan Lighthouse, a Gozitan landmark, stands 161 meters above sea level and overlooks the little hamlet of l-Ghasri. This lighthouse is positioned on top of a hill and provides an excellent view of the entire island. On bright days, you might even be able to see Sicily! It’s not difficult to get there; it’s part of the settlement of Ghasri, which is about a 20-minute walk from Ta’Pinu Sanctuary. A paved upsloping route from “Triq il-Fanal” leads directly to it. The hike up to the lighthouse is rather steep, but it is a beautiful stroll with spectacular views.
Google pin: https://goo.gl/maps/CCrQe43gEKwhafpQA
Ta’ Ghammar Hill is a hill is a part of the village of Ghasri, a few hundred meters away from Ta’ Pinu shrine. There’s an path opposite Ta’ Pinu that leads you to the top of the hill. The route up is marked by stations of the cross. A vantage point on the climb up gives a glimpse of the shrine below as well as a wonderful panorma of the island of Gozo. During the golden hour, the view is simply magnificent. Once you reach the top of the hill, you will also find an ancient stone amphitheatre, magically lit. To get to the summit, park the car in the vast church parking lot and ascend the Way of the Cross path.
Google Pin: https://goo.gl/maps/ohr1JmuGpZch9zXP7
This chapel is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and is located on a cliff overlooking Mgarr Harbour. From the ferry terrace, it’s one of the first things you’ll see welcoming you to Gozo.There is a little square and open area outside the chapel. The views of the Gozo Channel, the island of Malta, and the greenery at Fort Chambray and the surrounding areas are excellent from here.
The chapel is easily accessible by foot or car from the port or the village of Gajnsielem.
Google Pin: https://goo.gl/maps/dc3WwfNbeiBc7MvJ6
A trail goes to the tower of Marr ix-Xini from the bottom of the bay on the left side. It’s a lovely walk, and aside from the trip to the tower, you’ll appreciate the spectacular views over the canal from this vantage point. At sunset, the sky transforms into a wonderful piece of art, and the entire bay glows golden.
Google Pin: https://goo.gl/maps/kSVeQyiFnToKMDcS6
Kayaking is a popular activity in Gozo all year-round, why? Malta’s small neighbouring island, Gozo, has a lot to offer. Besides a beautiful landscape, the island also has a unique steep coast with hidden caves and coves that can only be accessed by sea. The best way to explore these unique spots is by renting a kayak. A kayak tour is the perfect way to escape the heat and leave the crowds behind on a warm, sunny day. Not only can you relax and enjoy the view while paddling and marveling at the open sea, but you can also swim in beautiful bays and beaches.
If you have plenty of time and fancy a day trip by kayak, it is recommended to paddle to Comino by kayak, not only do you avoid the crowded ferries, but you can travel to the wonderful island at your own pace. You see great rock formations and discover a great underwater world while paddling. If you want to take it a bit easier and see a different side of Gozo, you should definitely paddle along the cliffs.
Paddling through the various caves of the cliffs is an adventure in itself. However, you should not do this without a guide, as not all caves are suitable for exploring by kayak. They will also give you tips on how best to paddle through a very narrow hole or, if it is very narrow, how to push your way through.
Because the water is so clear and blue, you can see almost all the way to the bottom. Here and there you also spot a few bigger fish. You always paddle close to the cliff, so if you put your head back and look up the high cliff, you feel really tiny. The cliffs in Gozo are over 145 meters high in some places. You can see the layers of rock and history on the cliff. It is always interesting to see how nature itself has deformed over the years.
Until a few years ago, you could still paddle through Gozo’s famous Azur Window. Unfortunately, the famous Window collapsed in a storm a few years ago. Now you can kayak over it and marvel at the large boulders underwater. Today, the Azur Window can only be seen in photos and videos. Games of Throne fans watch out: The famous bloody wedding of Daenerys and Kahl Drogo in the first season of the series was filmed there and you can see the Azur Window in the background.
If you choose a guided kayak tour along Gozo, you can get more out of your experience.
The warm climate in Malta and Gozo makes it possible to practice kayaking almost all year round. Here are our tips depending on the time of the year:
Booking an activity when you are a student at BELS English Language school in Gozo is quite easy. We work with the top kayaking providers on the island and can book the entire activity for you at the front desk. When booking through BELS, you can trust that the activity will be of high quality and fun
If you’re planning to travel to the island of Gozo and enjoy watersports, have a look at our guide to diving in Gozo. You can also add an English course in Gozo to your trip for a versatile, educational and sociable experience in Gozo. Contact our team at [email protected] to learn more.
Gozo and Malta are known as one of the best diving destinations in the Mediterranean. Gozo, as the smaller of the two islands, is usually more popular than Malta. The mild climate, even in winter, virtually ensures diving fun all year round. The good visibility (even at depths of 50 metres) and the exploration of underwater caves and grottos make the Maltese Islands a popular diving destination.
Gozo offers a lot for divers, but what if you’ve never been diving before but would like to give it a try. On Gozo, that’s no problem. Almost every diving school on the island offers introductory courses for beginners. So, you don’t need any experience. You are given the equipment and a short crash course on how to handle and operate the equipment. The instructors help you both on land and underwater with any problems or questions that come up. So, you dive in a small group for about an hour. Due to the great water visibility on Gozo, you can see a breathtaking underwater world from the first few metres.
If you are on Gozo for a longer period of time, you can get your PADI certification here. Depending on how much time you have and how long you can dive per day, the lessons will vary. You can also take an intensive course and get your licence in no time at all.
Gozo offers dive sites for all levels, we have divided the sites by location and included comments on the difficulty level.
For the more experienced diver, the three wrecks on Gozo provide real adventure.
There are many diving schools on Gozo, so it’s easy to lose track. However, depending on what you are looking for, you will quickly find the right diving school for you. The schools offer a comprehensive programme for all levels of divers (beginners (first approaches), advanced (deeper dives) and professionals (complex cave systems)).
Some dive schools are open all year round. Due to the mild water temperatures, even in winter, winter diving is not unknown in Gozo. Should you take a diving course, you can expect them to be designed to international standards (PADI and CMAS).
Since Gozo is a popular location for both English courses and diving, many of our students visit our English school in Gozo to combine the two activities. We have a partnership with various diving centres and can help you book your entire holiday directly. Your weekdays will start with English courses in the morning, followed by diving sessions in the afternoon. This can be arranged for complete beginners or experienced divers.
Read an experience by Marie, a young adult from Germany who tried diving for the first time in Gozo.
I had the opportunity to take a diving course organised by the school. I took the introductory course dive because I can snorkel but have never been diving before.
In the morning I attended courses and I took everything I needed for diving with me to school. After lessons, I got prepared directly at school. Then we were picked up for the dive course by one of the dive instructors from the language school. This was great because we didn’t have to worry about any transfers. We then went by car to the diving centre.
There, each participant had to fill out a health form and we were provided with the equipment. We could choose between a short or a long wetsuit. We also got neoprene shoes, a mask and fins. And the most important thing is the diving waistcoat with the oxygen tank. After each student had received their equipment, we were given a short crash course in diving.
The instructor is super nice and explains everything very precisely and understandably. So that when we drove to the dive site by car, we knew exactly how to behave underwater.
After putting on our equipment on site, we climbed into the water via a small ladder. The equipment is very heavy on land, but fortunately, you don’t notice it in the water. The first time underwater was quite exciting, but with the help of the instructor, it was no problem at all. Once everyone was underwater and we felt comfortable, we slowly moved on to deeper water. And the visibility and underwater world on Gozo did not disappoint. We saw a lot of fish, and could even dive to 12 metres. The dive was a lot of fun and now I want to get a diving licence next so I can see even more of the great underwater world.
Write to us at [email protected] and we’ll guide you through the whole process of booking your trip directly online.
Are you looking for an official English qualification? The Cambridge Certificate in English might be the ideal certification for your needs since they offer a variety of exams that cover different needs and levels. The Cambridge Certificate is an English language certificate issued by Cambridge University in England for non-native speakers. Every year, over three million people from 130 countries take the exams. The certificate confirms qualified English skills and is recognised internationally by various schools, universities and companies. The exams are set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and are offered in the following categories: General English, Vocational English (e.g. Business English), Academic English, English for Children and Teaching Qualifications. The certificate has no validity date, it is valid for life.
An overview of the different English levels and examination grades:
The Key English Test (abbreviated KET) is the easiest test offered by Cambridge University. It corresponds to level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
The Preliminary English Test (PET) is a test that requires an intermediate level of English. It tests the four skills of writing, reading, listening and speaking, using examples from everyday life.
The First Certificate in English (FCE), sometimes just called First, is the first ESOL exam. The abbreviation ESOL stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages; since 2013 this exam has borne the new name Cambridge English Language Assessment. The First Certificate in English is an internationally recognised certificate and corresponds roughly to the TOEFL test in terms of requirements and level. It is also valid for life.
The Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) is the second-highest ESOL certificate. It enables its holders to study at British universities.
The Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) is the most sought-after certificate. The CPE is aimed at non-native speakers who have reached a very high level of English and can speak confidently and without error in a variety of situations. The certificate is required at many universities for English-language degree programmes, but often the less complex CAE or FCE certificates are also sufficient. As the highest ESOL certificate, the CPE is also one level above the internationally recognised Business English Certificate of the highest level (BEC Higher). With this certificate, it is possible to apply to any English-speaking university in the world.
You can find further information about all the Cambridge certificate exams on their official website.
The Business English Certificates (BEC) are examinations for business English that are based on real situations from everyday business life. They are offered for levels B1, B2 and C1 and can also be taken on the computer. THE BEC is available in three different levels:
The International Legal English Certificate (ILEC) is primarily aimed at lawyers and law students.
The International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE) was designed for the financial sector and is also aimed at students from this sector.
The Business Language Testing Service (BULATS) is an English test that companies and other institutions take to assess the English level of their employees. It primarily tests language skills related to the job in question. The test can be taken on the computer or under strict regulations in the company – both online and in paper form.
The cost of Cambridge exams depends on the level and type of test. However, candidates should expect to pay between 150 and 200 euros. You can only take the test at certified test centres. There are now test centres in over 135 countries around the world, mostly in universities, adult education centres or language schools. Here in Malta, too, there are various institutions where Cambridge exams are taken. BELS not only supports you in your exam preparation but also helps you with your exam registration.
Get personal consultation and a study-plan based on your needs by writing to us at [email protected].
Autumn brings a lot of changes: coloured leaves, pumpkin spice and holidays like Thanksgiving and Halloween. With the change in weather that Autumn brings along, there is no better way to spend an evening than to curl up in a blanket and watch a Halloween movie.
But what exactly is Halloween? When did we start celebrating it and how are pumpkins and evil spirits connected? Before we go into our list of best Halloween movies, let’s look at the story behind the spooky holiday.
Halloween is celebrated every year on the last day of October, the 31st to be exact. The tradition goes back to an ancient Celtic festival called ‘Samhain’, where people would dress up in costumes and light big bonfires to ward off ghosts. Celts lived mostly in parts of what today is known as Ireland, the UK and northern France. Their New Year’s Eve was Halloween, since for them the new year started with the 1st of November. With this date they marked the end of summer and therefore the beginning of the colder and darker months of the year. According to Celtic mythology, the lines between the worlds of the living and the dead blurred on that day, making it easier for ghosts to return to the world of the living. For this reason, they celebrated ‘Samhain’ or now: Halloween.
Most of us have carved a pumpkin before. But why do we do that? The obvious reason is that it looks cool, right? But there is also a history behind the carving of pumpkins, which are also often called ‘Jack-O’-Lanterns’. According to an old Irish myth Stingy Jack tricked the Devil in order to gain more money. When he died, he was not allowed to enter Heaven or Hell, since neither God nor the Devil allowed him in, so he was sentenced to wander on Earth for the rest of eternity. As a result, people in Ireland started to carve scary faces into pumpkins to keep Jack away from their homes and families.
Trick-or-treating developed when Irish immigrants came to America, bringing the old Samhain tradition to dress up, with them. Americans began to go from house to house calling out: “Trick-or-treat”, meaning they want treats (sweets and food) or they will play tricks on the house owners.
If you don’t know what to watch, here is a list of some of the best Halloween movies in English to enjoy
This movie franchise consists of 13 movies. Yes, you did read that correctly – 13 movies! That makes it perfect for a movie marathon. The movie deals with the story of Michael Myers, who as a child murdered his sister. 15 years later he manages to escape from the asylum he was put in and starts to kill people again. These murders occur on Halloween – hence the title. The first movie was released in 1978 and features stars like Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence. Halloween is considered a slasher movie, meaning it involves a killer using sharp or bladed tools like chainsaws, knifes, machetes etc.
Hocus Pocus is a family-friendly Halloween movie about three witches who are resurrected at Halloween time. On Halloween a child is kidnapped in the woods by threw witches – the Sanderson sisters Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy). The child’s brother tries to save her but fails. As a result, the three witches are hanged. Before their death Winifred manages to cast a curse, allowing the sisters to resurrect every year at Halloween. The movie follows Max and Dani who resurrect the witches by accident 30 years later and the chaos that follows. A Halloween classic for the whole family! In 2022 a second movie was released on Disney+.
What to better watch at Halloween than a movie about witches and wizards? Harry Potter is a must – no matter if on Halloween or at Christmas! The movies, which are based on J.K. Rowling’s books, follow the wizard Harry Potter who receives a letter from “Hogwarts”, the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, on his 11th birthday. He travels to Hogwarts on a magic train from a platform called 9 ¾ and meets his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger on his journey. Throughout the 8 movies he has to fight one of the most powerful wizards called Voldemort. The first movie was released in 2001 with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in the leading roles.
With 9 movies to this franchise, Nightmare on Elm Street would also be a great marathon movie! It is considered a slasher movie too but it has a supernatural component to it as well. It deals with a number of Midwestern kids who succumb to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a deformed nocturnal mangler who invades teenagers’ dreams before killing them, which kills them in reality as well. After some research the teenagers begin to suspect that their parents are keeping a secret from them which could be the key to solving the mystery around Freddy Krueger. Will they be able to save themselves in time?
Almost a decade after “Nightmare on Elm Street” came out, Wes Craven directed his next superhit movie – Scream. There are 5 movies in total in this franchise and they follows high school students, who must escape a serial killer in a black robe and a white mask. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her friends start to get unusual phone calls a year after her mother passed away. As the story develops, they discover that the calls are being made by a maniacal serial killer seeking vengeance. He calls the teenagers on the phone and asks them: “What is your favorite horror movie?”, before entering their house and trying to kill them. A movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time!
The 2017 movie written and directed by Jordan Peele deals with Chris, a Black photographer and his girlfriend, Rose on a trip to Rose’s parents. Since they have reached a relationship milestone with meeting the parents, Rose invites Chris to spend a weekend with her and her parents Dean and Missy. When reaching the estate, Chris is welcomed by them in an overly cheerful manner. He reads this as a nervous attempt to handling their daughter’s first interracial relationship, since that’s what Rosie had told him. As the weekend progresses, Chris is confronted with racism and uncovers dark secrets that Rosie and her family have kept hidden from him. A psychological horror film that you won’t get out of your head for some time!
For the little ones, Hotel Transylvania is the perfect movie! The animated movie was released in 2012 with Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez and Andy Samberg voicing the leading roles of Count Dracula, Mavis and Jonathan. Where do monsters spend their holiday? Exactly, at Count Dracula’s “Hotel Transylvania”. Here they can get away from the human world and enjoy a well needed time off. When a human stumbles into the hotel by accident everything seems to end in chaos. What makes it even more complicated is that he falls in love with Count Dracula’s daughter Mavis. Chaos is guaranteed! A fun movie to enjoy with a younger audience but also for those who stay a child at heart!
Even though the title includes the word “horror”, this movie is rather a musical comedy with some horror elements. Released in 1975 it centres on a newly engaged young couple who are on their way to an old friend’s house, when their car breaks down in the pouring rain near a castle. While looking for a telephone in order to call for help, Brad and Janet walk into a castle party nearby, where everyone is dressed in elaborate costumes. They meet the owner of the house Dr. Frank N. Furter, a transvestite mad scientist. The story follows Janet and Brad on their unbelievable party night – worth a watch! Today it is considered one of the greatest musicals of all times with live adaptations all over the world.
Good food is a must for any movie night.. There can be a variety of Halloween inspired foods like “witch fingers” (sausages with almonds as nails), banana ghosts, stuffed miniature jack-o’-lanterns (carved orange peppers), Halloween cupcakes (orange frosting and/or Halloween motives) or a bloody eye punch (red punch with lychees as eyes).
Here are some recipes to check out:
Want to learn some seasonal language? Have a look at our blog about autumn vocabulary and phrases in English.
Autumn – the leaves turn orange and red, the weather gets colder, and you find yourself becoming moodier. There is nothing better than braving the cold, going for a nice autumn afternoon walk admiring the colourful forests, or visiting a pumpkin farm – you can even pick your own sometimes! It is also the time of year activities at home become more popular, whether it is carving pumpkins, watching scary movies, or hosting Halloween parties. Speaking of Halloween – did you know that people used to believe leaving out carved pumpkins – more specifically the scary faces – will ward off evil spirits?
There are numerous other festivities associated with Autumn (or fall as it’s known in America). In America and Canada Thanksgiving takes place in Autumn. It is a holiday that celebrates a good harvest and blessings over the past year. A typical Thanksgiving dinner consists of a turkey with stuffing, vegetables (usually potatoes and beans), cranberries, and gravy. For dessert, there is almost always pumpkin pie. As for when Thanksgiving is celebrated: Abraham Lincoln proclaimed in 1863 that the last Thursday of November should be a national holiday, where people give thanks for a good year – hence the name Thanksgiving Day.
Read about the different festivals around the world that celebrate autumn.
You can see a list of autumnal vocabulary below, which is divided based on the type of word. Knowing whether a word is a noun, adjective or phrasal verb immediately gives you an indication of how they an be incorporated into your day-to-day language. There are also graphics at the end of the blog, with all the vocabulary items, and photos.
Learn all about nouns, how to use them and when in this grammar guide about nouns.
Learn all about adjectives, how to use them and when in this grammar guide about adjectives.
Learn all about phrasal verbs, how to use them and when in this guide about phrasal verbs.
There is something unique about idioms – they only sound good in their respective language. For example, the German “Das ist nicht das Gelbe vom Ei” literally translates to “this is not the yellow of the egg”, meaning it’s not the yolk – the best part – of the egg. Doesn’t make sense in English, right?
With summer coming to an end and autumn starting, here are 8 autumn-themed phrases you can use to make this rainy season a bit lighter.
Have you ever met a person and can’t stop talking or thinking about them? Then you might hear this sentence: “My God, you are really nuts about this person, huh?”. To be nuts about someone, or something, means that you are really interested in them/it, making it almost an obsession.
Another nut-themed idiom is “to drive someone nuts” Here however it is not positive. It means that you get on someone’s nerves so much that they are annoyed at you. When the first fight with that special someone that you were nuts about comes up, they might use this: “You drive me nuts”.
Do you know who likes nuts? That’s right – squirrels. The meaning of the saying “to squirrel away” is more obvious than you would think. Just like squirrels hide nuts for the winter, “to squirrel away” means that you save something in order to use it in the future. That trip you have been saving up for? You have been squirreling away a little money here and there to finally see the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China or your grandma’s smile on the other side of the country.
“To save for a rainy day” also means saving something but in the sense of saving for worse days. For example: Your car breaks down and you must take it to the garage to get it fixed. You might say to yourself: “Thank God, I saved that money on the side. I was saving it for a rainy day – guess this one’s it!”
Speaking of rain, we all have days, when we don’t feel 100% good and think that we might become ill in the next few days. Those are the days you can tell people that you “feel under the weather” when they ask you how you are.
What is the scariest horror movie you can think of? Remember when you were watching it? Chances are that you were “shaking like leaf”. This means, that you were so scared that you were shaking. It can also mean that you were feeling cold, for example: I was in Iceland last week. It was so cold – I was shaking like a leaf”.
When you have had a period of bad experiences or hard times, you are just looking forward to the next chapter of your life, when everything gets better, right? When you do that – start a new chapter – you turn over a leaf. You accept the past and look into the future with hope.
“Maria has had a lot of bad things happening to her in the last few weeks. I’m glad she is turning over a new leaf. I hope she is luckier from now on”
It can also mean that you start acting in a more responsible, better way.
“Amira always does her homework last minute. I hope she turns over a new leaf and starts doing them earlier.”
“You are just like your mother/father” is a sentence a lot of us heard before. “The apple doesn’t fall (too) far from the tree” is another way of saying that. Like the apple is a product of its tree, we are products of our parents. We adapt behaviours and looks from them and might be referred to as a “mini-me” of our mum or dad.
While only a brief season, autumn in Malta is a perfect time to take advantage of the somewhat colder weather and get outside to experience the island’s various attractions. It’s unlike most other Mediterranean nations. It’s not too hot, but it’s also not pouring – ideal weather for a stroll or nature hike without sweating or shivering. At the same time, it’s a low season in travel industry, which means you can enjoy a sunny holiday without paying the summer prices. At the same time, there are fewer tourists, so you can get a feel for the real island life of Malta and Gozo.
Take a trip to Malta and enjoy the warm autumn sunshine, fresh produce, and green surroundings. Be sure to pack a swimsuit, locals are often still swimming up the late November! Write to us at [email protected] to start planning your autumn study-trip.
550 West, St.Paul's Str, St.Paul's Bay, Malta
+356 27555561 [email protected]
Triq Ta' Doti, Kerċem, Gozo
+356 21564333 [email protected]
