Language schools in Malta are full of teenagers in July, and that image keeps many adults over 50 from booking. The official figures tell a different story. In 2025, students aged 50 and over were the only age group whose numbers grew at Malta’s licensed English schools. Here is what the data shows, and how to plan a stay that suits an adult learner.
What the numbers say
The National Statistics Office (NSO) publishes an annual release on English language teaching, based on returns from every licensed school. Its figures for 2025 show:
- 76,063 foreign students in total, down 4,883 on 2024.
- 7,836 students aged 50 and over, about one student in ten.
- An increase of 599 students aged 50 and over compared with 2024, or 8.3 per cent.
- A fall in every other age group over the same year.
At the other end of the scale, students aged 15 and under made up 29.2 per cent of the total, and those aged 16 and 17 another 20.9 per cent. Half the students in Malta are 17 or under. The adult market is smaller, and it is the one growing.
Choose your dates with care
July was the busiest month in 2025, with 16.5 per cent of the year’s attendance, followed by August at 15.8 per cent and March at 9.6 per cent. If you prefer quieter corridors, smaller cafés and lower summer heat, look at the months outside the July and August peak.
The NSO table on length of stay points in the same direction. Students who started in January stayed 7.9 weeks on average, against 2.6 weeks in August. Winter and spring courses attract students who come for longer and study at a steadier pace.
Ask the school the right questions
Before you book, ask each school in writing, and compare the answers side by side:
- What is the age mix in adult classes on my dates?
- Do you run classes or courses reserved for adults, or for older learners?
- How many students sit in one class, at most?
- How many lessons per week, and how long is each lesson?
- Is the school on the official list of licensed schools?
The last answer you verify yourself, in five minutes, with our guide to checking a school’s licence.
Pick a pace you will enjoy
In 2025, 72.9 per cent of students chose a General English Standard course and 19.2 per cent an Intensive course. A standard course leaves your afternoons free for walks, museums and conversation, which is practice too. Cambridge English lists age among the factors that change how long progress takes, together with your learning background, the intensity of study and exposure to English outside class. Our article on how long it takes to improve your English in Malta turns those factors into a plan.
Adults who already use English at work often get more from a course built around a goal: business English, a specific exam, or conversation. The NSO groups business English under English for specific purposes, which accounted for 1.5 per cent of students in 2025, a small but available option.
Where to live
The choice of housing shapes the stay more than the course. Three options suit adult learners:
- A host family: meals in English every day, and a local contact for questions. Our guide to living with a host family explains what to expect.
- A hotel or residence: privacy and services, with less daily English at home.
- A rented flat: independence for a longer stay. Read our guide to renting a flat in Malta as a student before you sign anything.
A checklist before you book
- Dates chosen outside the July and August peak, if you prefer calm.
- Written answers from the school on age mix, class size and lessons per week.
- The school found on the official licensed list.
- Housing chosen and its contract or booking read in full.
- Health cover documents and prescriptions packed.
- A plan for the afternoons: a club, a class or a walking group where you will speak English.
Health and daily comfort
Bring your health cover documents and any regular prescriptions with their generic names. Our guide to healthcare in Malta covers doctors, pharmacies and what EU and non-EU visitors bring. In summer, plan lessons in the morning and outings late in the day, and carry water.
Practise outside class
Use your life experience: start conversations with shop owners, guides and neighbours, and every one of those exchanges counts as practice. Our list of ten habits for practising English outside class in Malta works at any age.
The short version
About 7,800 students aged 50 and over came to Malta in 2025, and their number rose while every other age group fell. Avoid July and August if you want calm, ask schools about the adult age mix and class size, choose a standard course if you want time to enjoy the island, and pick housing that gives you English at home.
