Boosting our English skills before moving abroad.

Learn about the experience of this Swiss couple, Philippe and Nicola, who came to take English for beginners courses.

My name is Nicole and this is my husband Philippe. We come from Switzerland, the French-speaking part. We have a basic level of English and that’s why we decided to come to Gozo to improve our English.

What was your goal in learning English?

We are planning a sabbatical which will take us to Canada. While French is well-spoken there, we will also be talking to English-speaking people. So, English could be important in relation to this. Apart from this, English is also useful for traveling elsewhere. So, it’s something we would like to develop for various reasons.

Why Gozo?

On a previous trip, we had already discovered Malta, which we really liked. The fact that everyone speaks English in Malta and Gozo is a great help. We particularly like the peace and quiet. We love the sea, the walks along the sea with the cliffs, magical places, magnificent places, incredible sunsets, beautiful landscapes. And then there’s also history, there’s a lot of things that we started to love about Gozo in the end.

Why BELS?

Before we left, we made some inquiries in Switzerland. We were then advised to go to BELS, which we have also had good feedback on. Our first day here was really pleasant. The welcome was wonderful, relaxed, they made us feel at ease! We received a very personal welcome and it was immediately clear that they care about people and take good care of their students. It’s very intimate, everyone knows each other here so it’s really like home.

How were the courses?

About the courses, there are really a lot of advantages, you feel really good. The school took our needs into account and these are things that are important. The quality of the teaching is also to be noted, whether you are a beginner in English or an expert. The teachers are really great, the premises too and especially the team behind the school. Really, we only have positive points to mention. Everyone is kind and smiling, even when we just walk past, it’s simply lovely to be here.

If we had to describe BELS in three words, we would say that BELS is welcoming, personalized, and professional. In any case, no negative word, it’s impossible to find a negative word about BELS.

Watch their testimonial in French here:

 

Meet Seoyoon, who joined us from Ireland.

She decided to visit BELS Gozo to enjoy the sunshine, nature and also focus on improving her English.

Hi all, I’m Seoyoon. A few months ago, I was studying English at BELS on Gozo. I was looking for a trip to a sunny country and I also wanted to improve my English because I currently live in Ireland. Gozo was the perfect choice for me because it seemed like a great place for travels and also for English courses…the lessons, the teachers, the islands and of course the sunshine… it was one of my most memorable experiences.

I heard about Malta because it’s a very popular destination to visit in Europe, with a warm climate and fine weather throughout the year. The summer in Ireland isn’t a real summer, so going to a country with sunny weather sounded great. But actually, it was more than just that…

Usually, people always talk about learning English in Malta. But I chose to go to Gozo for my English courses because I wanted a place that was not too crowded with tourists. When I got there, I knew I made the right choice when I picked BELS Gozo. I studied in Gozo for the whole month of June and every day, there were clear blue skies and sunshine… lovely weather of around 25 degrees (so it wasn’t too hot either). It was just perfect weather for me, exactly what I was looking for when I was planning my holidays.

Firstly, upon booking I received all the necessary information about the school itself, the English courses and general things like local bus timetables, maps of Gozo and leisure activities available… etc. I found this very useful as I could plan my leisure time and routes ahead of time since the central location of the accommodation was a great starting point to my adventures. My accommodation, the BELS Gozo countryside residence was very spacious, comfortable and very clean too.

Secondly, BELS has a lot of quality activities available for all students to choose from for after the English courses. If you wanted to do any water sports or book any type of activity, you can simply book through the admin team within the school. I sure did and tried to take part in as many school activities as possible.

Most importantly, you can meet lovely people here. BELS has a social activity, the ‘welcome party’ which new students and old students can have dinner in a local restaurant and enjoy each other’s company whilst getting to know each other. Dyeneffer (another BELS student) was a lovely person to meet. When possible, we went out together, went sightseeing, took nice photos in all the picturesque places and tried delicious local meals.

I will never forget the time I spent in Gozo… and to anybody looking to learn English in Malta or Gozo whilst enjoying various ways of spending their free time, I would highly recommend BELS Gozo.“

Here’s her original article on her blog in Korean:

 

Meet Karla, a Brazilian student who studied in Gozo twice.

Read to find out about her summertime experiences at BELS Gozo and the general lifestyle.

Hi everyone, my name is Karla, I am Brazilian. I come from Belo Horizonte – Minas Gerais. I am 40 years old and I love travelling. A few years ago I was looking for something new and I decided to change my around and do an English course. So I started looking for a place and the first few places that came up were Canada, US or England. Then I found Malta – it was a place with a great climate and beautiful natural places.

In the beginning, I was indecisive, I could not decide between going to Canada or Malta. Honestly, I cannot explain why I chose to learn at an English school in Gozo.  When I mentioned this during a conversation with a friend of mine, I found out that another friend of hers was learning English in Malta at the time and she was really enjoying her time there.  She gave me her contact number, and that’s how my story with BELS Gozo started. It’s all a wonderful set of coincidences that led to one of the best experiences of my life.

I started negotiations with an agent, who was the one that recommended BELS and specifically their school in Gozo for me. That’s why I came here the first time.  At first, the agent recommended Malta to me. But when she sent me pictures of the accommodation, I noticed that on one of the adverts there was an address in Gozo. So I looked it up and fell in love with all the photos online.  I called her and asked about Gozo – she told me that there is nothing in Gozo, but if I like nature, quiet life and not being around Brazilian people, so it’s actually the perfect place for me. That’s how I decided that BELS Gozo was the school for me. Because there is more greenery, remote beaches and it’s just a beautiful place to be. The weather is great, there are endless fields and rustic farmhouses. There’s a slower pace of life here, it a quiet, calm, and safe place to be.

I felt very lucky because apart from being an on an amazing island, I was also in an amazing school. There are excellent teachers (Kevin is my favorite!) here and the whole team is very professional and friendly at the same time.

About my experience there, I can say that I am an adventurous person.  I like to expose myself to new challenges.  For me this is the most important experience that you can have to expand your life.  I had no expectations about what I could find here.  But now I can say that my gut feeling was right when it told me to go there and I am glad I followed through with it.  The reality I found at the school was better than anything I could have ever imagined.

That’s all I have to say for now. I recommend you all to come and try to change our life and learn new things. Thanks for listening to me!

 

Meet Veronika, who joined us from the Czech Republic

On her second trip to learn English, Veronika chose Gozo. Here’s why!

My name is Veronika, I am from Prague in the Czech Republic and I visited BELS Gozo in September of 2018 for 2 weeks. During that time I was working for an international company, where I needed English. But my motivation for going to Gozo was personal. I was single at that time and I find interesting to travel alone to a foreign country, meet new people, to learn and to relax by the sea.

This was my second stay in Malta. The first time I studied in St. Julians, which is a very busy place with a lot of bars and music clubs. I enjoyed that stay. But when it came to my second time, I chose Gozo, because I wanted to be in nature, by the sea, in a quiet place with an atmosphere this time. And it fully happened.

I remember that I booked transport from Malta to Gozo via school. Everything worked as planned, the taxi was waiting for me and travel on the ferry was an interesting experience.

After arrival and accommodation in Xlendi (with see view, you must know, I love the sea), I decided to go for a walk and find the school. That was Sunday. That day I didn’t succeed. So on Monday, the first school day, I rather took the bus. At school, I met people and made friends right away. We walked to our residence together, and they showed me the way for walking back to Xlendi. The school is in a quiet place, has a nice small terrace for student’s breaks. The atmosphere is warm and friendly.

In our advanced class, we were just 3 students and our teacher Pam. So they were almost like private lessons, which was great for interactions. I appreciated a lot of conversations in lessons. Pam is a clever English lady with a good sense of humor. I became great friends with Roland, my classmate, we become friends and we are still in contact. The people at the reception were always willing to help with my questions.

I can recommend BELS Gozo to the other students, who want to combine studies and quiet leisure time. You will find a lot of new friends from other countries and learn English in school and in the “pubs” as well. Gozo is small, but it has a lot of nice places, which you can visit. I remember for example ‘Ta Mena’ farm. Excellent food and wine. I bought a lot of presents there. And their local tomato pastes to take back with me, yummy.

Hope you can enjoy the lovely nature, tastes and English school in Gozo as I did.

 

Weeks of diving, sunshine, and English courses.

Meet Robert, who joined us at BELS Gozo last summer.  He came here to improve his level of English between jobs and enjoy the sun and sea on Gozo.

Hi everyone, I’m Robert from Switzerland and I’m 29 years old and I’m writing this during the last few days of an amazing trip to Gozo.

I spent 8 weeks here this summer and am really glad I decided to do this. My mom recommended visiting this beautiful island to me because she went on a similar trip herself 27 years ago to get her diving license. That’s why I’m here now.

I spent 6 of my weeks here attending an intensive course at BELS. So I spend my mornings and early afternoons at school. Then after three in the afternoon and on weekends, I enjoy this beautiful island and all its wonderful beaches. For the last 2 weeks, I attended a diving course. It’s the perfect island to combine the two activities.

At the moment, during Covid-19 Gozo is one of the only places you can learn English with a school while also being in a safe environment. When I was researching my trip, I found the BELS website online and got in touch with them there. Everything was very easy and clear and after exchanging a few emails my whole trip was planned. Apart from the course, I also booked the accommodation with the school and was quite pleased with my own room and also because there’s the option for a private bathroom. At the same, I could meet other students in the residence and made some friends to spend time with after the classes.

I like the classes here and how the teachers always give a lot of great examples to explain things. Everything we do includes practical examples, and we do many exercises to practice using the language in real-life situations we find in our daily lives. So this is very valuable.

In my opinion, BELS is perfect for anyone who wants to learn English while enjoying a beautiful and silent island. You can do a lot of nice things in your free time like snorkeling, diving, hiking, biking, diving, or stand-up paddling.

And you will get a nice welcome from the whole team there, especially Ryan! Hope you enjoy the photos and maybe you will experience a similar trip with the school.

Watch Robert’s video testimonial in English:

Watch Robert’s video testimonial in German (Swiss):

 

Furthering my English Education in Gozo.

Hi everyone, I’m Anita from Finland and earlier this year I spent two weeks at BELS Gozo to focus on my English education.

First of all, I must say this time at BELS Gozo was a really great experience. I couldn’t believe how fun learning a language as an adult can be. My own language study memories related to English education are from my school days, more than 35 years ago. At that time, studying was really hard work and not very fun. Now I work as a principal and adult educator, so I think I can evaluate my experiences also from a professional perspective.

I can warmly recommend BELS to all adult learner. The whole staff in BELS did their job with all their hearts and it showed in everything. The staff at the office and front desk were really friendly and helpful. If necessary, the team organizes accommodation, airport transfers, bicycles as well as leisure program for students. What a complete service! The atmosphere in school was great.

We met teachers from all over the world. The level of English education and academic competence of the teachers was top notch quality. In my opinion, the most versatile language is learned under the guidance of native teachers because they know best all the nuances of the language. You will also learn to understand the different dialects of the speakers from different parts of the world at the same time. The enthusiasm of the teachers also keeps the students engaged and the lessons had an open atmosphere that supported learning. The study material was also very interesting and fascinating. We used also a variety of study methods in our studies.

Getting to know each other in the group was also important. Grouping methods we used and the opportunity to spend free time together helped to get to know other students. It was great that the school organized various leisure programs for students.

I hope I can come back someday to continue furthering my English education. I gained a lot more courage to use the English language, but two weeks was such a short time. My two weeks in BELS made me hungry to learn more. Thanks to all of you!

 

 

Staying in Gozo, enjoying the island, and learning English.

My name is Anne, I live in Switzerland and I’m currently staying in Gozo for 7 weeks.

I usually work as an Educational Psychologist for children with special needs.  Although most families I assist are German, I sometimes give support to families from other countries and it is very helpful to have the English language to communicate better with them. But basically, I usually work with German-speaking families.

Right now, I am enjoying my sabbatical year and decided to stay in Gozo for a while to enjoy the island and develop my English.  When I finish my English course at BELS, I‘ll be better prepared to use English at work. Anyway, the main reason to study English is, that I want to use the language in my everyday life and on holidays. I grew up in the eastern part of Germany and I learned Russian instead of English, which was common there at that time of Germany.  Now that my children are adults, I would like to spend more time traveling and I want to feel more confident during my adventures.  Besides that, as a musician, I’d like to profit more from the many workshops in English and better understand lyrics and announcements during concerts. I feel that English will allow me to learn and share more different music communities all over the world.

In 2015, I booked an English language course in Malta. I chose Malta to combine studies and holiday. I still remember, the day we travelled to Gozo. I saw the impressive Azure window and that bright turquoise blue water of the Blue Lagoon, which looked exactly like the photos I‘d seen in travel guides.  I felt positive energy and the peace of that island, and I was sure I would come back to stay in Gozo for a longer period. And it happened. Three years later I decided to study in Gozo for seven weeks. I found the Bels school in Kercem on the internet.

On my first day at school, I was surprised by the friendly atmosphere. The school is small and familiar, the average age is 30, much older than in Malta. I have met very nice people and we could have deeper and more personal conversations. I used to walk along the coast and I’d always find a nice spot by the beach to study.

That experience motivated me to come again. Right now, I am staying in Gozo for four months. I prefer to come in the springtime. It is wonderful to see the green island compared to the dry rock Gozo in the summer. Gozo is a wonderful place to relax and to observe nature with the great colourful flowers and the unique light in that time. The school has fewer students, the classes are smaller. Well, in fact, it is always a good decision to stay in Gozo, whether in spring, summer, autumn or winter. Each season is beautiful in a different way.

In my first time, I attended a morning and afternoon course for seven weeks. It was very good for me to study all the grammar forms. We had different teachers, but I can say, that every teacher was very friendly and competent. And now in my second time in Gozo, I started with private lessons to work on topics more connected with my business and to improve my speaking skills. It is also very helpful to make time for spontaneous questions and to work out a problem whenever I struggle with something. My teacher Leticia is very open to my needs. She always gives me suggestions and ideas to improve my skills. Also, she supports me in respecting my learning style. I’d like to take the opportunity to say thank you to Leticia.

But also the staff at school is very kind and helpful if you have questions or problems. In general, everybody is interested in the student’s progress and well-being.

I am incredibly happy, that I have the possibility to teach Pilates and Yoga at school. Students or teachers may join to activate their muscles and to get more relaxed –  after all the mental work in the lessons. I am very grateful for the opportunity.

All in all, I recommend the BELS school on Gozo. If you want to meet more younger people from over the world and go to parties after the class, you should choose the BELS school in Malta. If you prefer to stay in a more quiet place, in a familiar atmosphere, with some nice music bars and if you like nature, you should stay in Gozo. But of course, you should make time for a visit to Malta, so you don’t miss out on historic temples and nice places there.