Table of Contents What is Maltese, really? The language between East and West Learning Maltese: For which expats does it really make sense? Language course or self-study? Your learning options in practice Cost and Time: What does learning Maltese really cost you? Integration without Malti: Why English is often enough My recommendation: When you should learn Maltese (and when not) Frequently asked questions Are you wondering whether, as an expat in Malta, you should learn Maltese? Let me cut to the chase: For 90% of international expats, a Maltese language course is a complete waste of time. But for the other 10%, it can be the key to true integration. After two years on the island and countless conversations with expats from all over the world, here’s what I know: The question isn’t whether you can learn Maltese, but when it’s really worth it. Spoiler alert: If your bus driver snaps at you in Malti because you have the wrong change, no language course in the world will help you. What is Maltese, really? The language between East and West Maltese – or Malti, as the locals call it – is a linguistic Frankensteins monster. Imagine Arabic had a wild fling with Italian, while English watched and occasionally gave advice. The result? A Semitic language (yes, actually related to Arabic) written with Latin letters and packed with Italian and English loanwords. The basics: Why Maltese is so tricky for Germans Malti works with Semitic language rules. That means: The main meaning is in three consonants, and depending on which vowels you squeeze in, the meaning changes completely. K-T-B, for example, is about writing – kiteb (he wrote), ktieb (book), kitba (the writing). If you’re a German native speaker, it’s like trying to play the piano backwards. Possible? Yes. Intuitive? Absolutely not. The pronunciation: When x becomes sh This is where it gets fun: The Maltese x is pronounced like sh. Mixli (to go) thus sounds like mishli. The għ, on the other hand, is silent – għaqli (intelligence) is just pronounced akli. Why? Ask the Maltese; theyll just shrug. Maltese letter German pronunciation Example x sh xemx (sun) = shemsch għ silent għasfur (bird) = asfur ħ hard h ħobż (bread) = hobz q glottal stop qalb (heart) = alb Language blending in everyday life The crazy thing? In real life, most Maltese people speak a wild mix of Malti and English anyway. A typical sentence: Ħa nimxi għas-shopping centre biex nixtri xi ħaġa nice. (Im going to the mall to buy something nice.) Thats like saying, I’m going to the supermarket pour acheter something cool. Learning Maltese: For which expats does it really make sense? Now for the million-dollar question: For whom is a Maltese language course really worthwhile? I divide Malta’s expat community into three categories – and only for one does Malti really make sense. Category 1: The Transients (0-12 months) You’re Anna, 29, a remote project manager from Berlin, planning a ten-day sprint by the sea? Or Luca, 34, a UX designer looking to test the waters for six months? Forget about Maltese completely. Why? Let’s do the math: A basic Maltese course is 3-6 months of intensive study All official matters can be done in English Your Maltese landlord probably prefers English (or Italian) anyway At the supermarket, Għandi bżonn tal-ħalib (I need milk) won’t help – the guy at the checkout is from Bangladesh Better invest your time in an Italian course – that’ll get you further in Valletta and with older Maltese people. Category 2: The Long-term Optimisers (1–5 years) Planning to stay longer, working remotely, or found a local job? Now things get interesting. Maltese can help you, but it isn’t a must. Pro Maltese: Real appreciation from locals (Malta only has 520,000 inhabitants; every foreigner who speaks Malti is a sensation) Access to local WhatsApp groups and Facebook communities Better bargaining power with tradesmen and local service providers Understanding cultural quirks and humour Contra Maltese: Huge time investment for limited practical benefits Many young Maltese will reply in English anyway You don’t need it in international expat circles Category 3: The Permanent Residents (5+ years or forever) You’re Dr. Mara, 61, a retired physician from Zurich, and bought your dream apartment with a sea view? Planning to retire here? Then you should learn Maltese. Why? Because integration in Malta is a two-class society. One class lives in the international expat bubble and pays tourist prices for everything. The other class is accepted as “one of us” and has access to local networks, better prices and real community. Special case: Professional necessity You work in a Maltese company serving mainly local clients? Want to go into politics or public service? Run a B2B business with Maltese partners? Then Maltese is a must. A friend of mine, a German lawyer, told me: Since I speak Malti, I earn 40% more. Not because I do better work, but because Maltese clients trust me more. Language course or self-study? Your learning options in practice Have you decided to learn Maltese? Respect. Now comes the next decision: How do you do it most efficiently? Option 1: Classic face-to-face course The University of Malta offers Maltese courses for foreigners. The Institute of Linguistics has specially developed programs for international students. Cost: about €200–400 per semester. Advantages: Structured progression with academic foundation Native-speaking teachers Contact with other motivated learners Official certificates possible Disadvantages: Set times (often mornings when you work) Academic approach, little everyday language Slow pace Waiting lists, especially in Autumn Option 2: Private language teachers Via platforms like Preply or local Facebook groups, you’ll find Maltese private teachers. Cost: €15–30 per hour. My tip: Look for a retired teacher or a linguistics student. They usually have patience and didactic experience. Hands off native speakers without teaching experience – speaking a language doesn’t mean you can teach it. Option 3: Self-study with digital tools This gets tricky. Maltese is not a mainstream language, so resources are limited. Platform Quality Cost My verdict Duolingo Doesn’t exist – Unfortunately not Babbel Doesn’t exist – Unfortunately not Memrise Basic vocabulary Free OK to start YouTube (Learn Maltese) Average Free Unstructured, but better than nothing Gabra Dictionary Excellent Free Indispensable as a reference Option 4: Immersion through local contacts The most effective, but most difficult way: Befriend a Maltese family. Join a club, attend a local church (yes, even as an atheist), or join a village festa committee. Advantage: You learn real Maltese, not textbook language. Disadvantage: You need a thick skin for cultural faux pas and lots of time for small talk about football and politics. My hybrid recommendation If you truly want to learn Maltese seriously: Months 1–3: Private teacher for basics and pronunciation Months 4–6: University course for grammar structure Months 7+: Local contacts for practice and dialect Cost and Time: What does learning Maltese really cost you? Let’s do the honest math. Learning Maltese is like a relationship: At first you underestimate the effort, and in the end, you wonder if it was worth it. The bare numbers Direct costs for 12 months of learning: University course (2 semesters): €400–800 Private lessons (once a week): €720–1,440 Materials and books: €100–200 Online platforms: €50–100 Total: €1,270–2,540 The hidden costs This is where it hurts: Your time. Realistic study time for basic skills: 300–500 hours. At 1 hour daily, thats 10–16 months. At an hourly rate of €30 (conservatively estimated), learning Maltese “costs” you an extra €9,000–15,000 in opportunity costs. For comparison: With the same effort, you could become fluent in Italian or Spanish – languages much more useful worldwide. The return on investment When does the investment pay off? I asked three expats who speak Malti about their break-even point: I save about €100 a month with tradesmen because they don’t charge me tourist prices. Plus, I found a €200 cheaper flat through Maltese friends. My course costs paid off after 8 months. – Sarah, 32, marketing manager from Munich For my career it was worth it immediately. I can now win Maltese companies as clients that I’d never reached before. First year turnover boost: about €15,000. – Thomas, 41, IT consultant from Hamburg Honestly? Financially it’s not worth it. But I feel at home since I can chat with my neighbours in Malti. Thats priceless. – Elena, 58, retired from Bologna Cost trap: The “I’ll do it on the side” pitfall Many expats start with free YouTube videos and a second-hand Malta grammar book. After six months of frustrating self-study, they give up – wasted time and motivation. My advice: Do it properly or not at all. Maltese can’t be learnt “on the side” like basic Italian for holidays. Integration without Malti: Why English is often enough Here’s a reality check: You can live perfectly integrated in Malta without speaking a word of Maltese. I know Germans who have lived here for ten years, run local businesses, have Maltese partners – and except for Grazzi (thanks) and Bonġu (good morning) know no Malti at all. Why English is different in Malta Malta isnt like other Mediterranean countries where English is a foreign language. Here, English has been an official language since 1936. That means: All laws and contracts are available in English Universities teach in English International companies work in English Many young Maltese speak with each other in English All official procedures work in English The expat bubble: blessing and curse Malta has a huge international community. In Sliema, St. Julians and parts of Valletta, you basically live in an English-speaking parallel world. You’ll find: German doctors and lawyers International supermarkets with German products Expat WhatsApp groups for everything (flat-hunting, childcare, restaurant tips) Networking events and social clubs German/Austrian/Swiss regulars’ tables The problem? You live in a bubble. You pay higher prices, miss local secrets and will always be “the foreigner”. The Italian alternative Here’s a secret tip nobody will tell you: Italian will often get you further than Maltese in Malta. Why? Malta was virtually part of Italian culture until 1964. Older Maltese (50+) speak fluent Italian, watch Italian TV and have family in Sicily. Especially in traditional trades, hospitality and local administration, Italian opens doors. Bonus: Italian is easier to learn and useful throughout Europe. When English isn’t enough There are situations where not knowing Maltese can be a problem: Local tradespeople: Especially older electricians, plumbers, etc. often speak only Malti and some Italian Rural areas: In Gozo or Maltese villages, English sometimes won’t help you Emergencies: In stressful situations, many Maltese slip back into Malti Festa culture: At village festas and traditional events, no one will speak English with you Family and friendships: Maltese grandparents generally don’t speak English The compromise: Survival Maltese Instead of a full language course, often 20–30 basic phrases are enough for daily life: Situation Maltese Pronunciation Greeting Bonġu / Bonswa Bon-ju / Bon-sua Thank you / Please Grazzi / Jekk jogħġbok Grat-si / Jek joi-bok Sorry Skużi Sku-si Don’t understand Ma nifhimx Ma ni-fim-sh Where is…? Fejn hu…? Fein hu…? These basics show respect, earn you goodwill and only cost an afternoon’s practice. My recommendation: When you should learn Maltese (and when not) After two years of Malta experience and countless conversations with expats, my conclusion is: For most international expats, learning Maltese is an expensive hobby with little practical benefit. But there are exceptions. Here’s my clear-cut decision matrix: You SHOULD learn Maltese if… You plan to stay at least 5 years and want real local integration You work with Maltese companies or in the public sector You have a Maltese partner and want to understand their family You live in rural areas or Gozo You run a local business with Maltese clientele You love languages and see it as an interesting intellectual challenge You should NOT bother if… You’re staying less than 2 years – not worth the effort You work remotely or in international companies You live in the expat bubble of Sliema/St. Julians You’re short on time and have other priorities You already speak Italian – that’s more useful here You only see it as “nice to have” – without real motivation, you’ll fail The golden middle-ground strategy For most expats, I recommend the 3-step model: Stage 1 (first 6 months): Learn 30 survival phrases. Investment: 2–3 hours. Stage 2 (after 1 year): If you stay, learn basic vocabulary and simple grammar. Investment: 50–100 hours. Stage 3 (after 2 years): If you stay for the long term, invest in a professional course. Investment: 300+ hours. This way, you don’t waste time or money on something you might never need, but you’re prepared if your plans change. What I would do in your place Honestly? I would rely on English and basic Italian for the first year. Test Malta, see if it really fits. Make local contacts. And then decide. Because let’s face it: If you realise after six months that Malta isnt for you after all, you may have spent €500 on Italian courses – but you can use those anywhere. €500 for Maltese? Gone. If you do decide to go for Maltese: respect. You’re one of the 10% of expats who really want to integrate. It’s a beautiful path – just not everyone’s cup of tea. Frequently asked questions about learning Maltese Is Maltese harder to learn than other languages? Yes, definitely. As a Semitic language with Arabic roots, Maltese is one of the hardest European languages for Germans. The complex grammar, unusual pronunciation and limited learning resources make it especially challenging. How long does it take to speak Maltese? For basic skills, you need 6–12 months of intensive study (1 hour per day). For fluent conversations, expect 2–3 years. That’s much longer than with Romance languages like Italian or Spanish. Can I work in Malta without speaking Maltese? Absolutely. Most international companies, tech firms and service providers work exclusively in English. Maltese is mainly needed for local businesses, traditional trades or the public sector. Which language is more useful in Malta: Italian or Maltese? It depends on your goals. More Maltese people (especially older generations) understand Italian, and you can use it across Europe. Maltese gives you real local connections, but is only useful in Malta. Are there good online courses for Maltese? The options are very limited. Duolingo and Babbel do not offer Maltese. The best options are private teachers through Preply or in-person courses at the University of Malta. YouTube videos are free, but unstructured. Do young Maltese people speak Maltese or English with each other? It’s mixed. Many young Maltese constantly switch between both languages or speak “Manglish” – a blend of Maltese and English. In cities, English often dominates; in rural areas, Maltese prevails. Do I need Maltese for Maltese citizenship? No, Maltese is not a requirement for citizenship. The language requirement concerns English as an official language. Maltese skills are, however, seen positively. How much does a Maltese language course cost? University courses cost €200–400 per semester, private lessons €15–30 per hour. For a year of intensive study, plan for €1,000–2,500, plus your study time as hidden cost. Is Maltese really related to Arabic? Yes, Maltese is a Semitic language with Arabic roots, but greatly influenced by Italian and English. It has Arabic structure, but is written with Latin letters and lots of European loanwords. Can I get by as a tourist in Malta without Maltese? No problem. All tourist areas operate in English. Even bus drivers, restaurant owners and shopkeepers speak English. You don’t need Malti at all as a tourist.