Spend Christmas in Malta and Learn English with Gateway School of English GSE
Christmas may still feel a little way off, but at Gateway School of English (GSE) we are already looking forward to one of our favourite times of the year!
If you are thinking about doing something different this festive season, why not spend Christmas and New Year in Malta while improving your English and meeting people from all over the world?
Christmas is a wonderful time to visit Malta. The islands take on a special festive atmosphere, with beautifully decorated streets, Christmas lights, traditional cribs, seasonal events and celebrations taking place throughout December. At the same time, Malta’s Mediterranean climate makes it an attractive alternative for anyone who would prefer to escape the much colder winter weather found in many other parts of Europe.
And there is another important reason to choose Malta this Christmas: Gateway School of English GSE remains open during Christmas week and New Year’s week.
We are open during Christmas and New Year
Unlike many people might expect during the festive season, learning at Gateway does not stop for the Christmas holidays.
GSE is open during both Christmas week and New Year’s week, giving international students the opportunity to continue improving their English while enjoying Christmas and New Year in Malta.
Our English lessons continue from Monday to Friday throughout the festive period, apart from public holidays.
This makes Christmas an excellent time for a short English language study holiday. Instead of choosing between travelling for Christmas and studying English, you can combine the two!
Spend your mornings improving your English and then use your free time to discover Malta, experience the festive atmosphere and practise the language you are learning with international students and new friends.
Christmas in Malta is for every generation
One of the things we particularly love about Christmas at Gateway School of English is the variety of students who join us.
Christmas in Malta is not only for young adults. It can be a fantastic experience for students of practically every generation, including adults, mature students aged 50+, parents travelling with their children and young learners.
Gateway welcomes students from many different countries and backgrounds. This international environment means that English is not something you practise only during your lessons. It becomes the common language you use to communicate with the people you meet.
At Christmas, that international atmosphere becomes even more special. Students can share stories about how Christmas and New Year are celebrated in their own countries, make new friendships and experience Maltese Christmas traditions together.
Our special 50+ Christmas and New Year Programme
For mature students looking for something different this festive season, our 50+ Programme in Malta is an excellent way to combine English learning, travel, culture and socialising.
For 2026, our special Christmas and New Year 50+ Programme runs from 18 December 2026 until 3 January 2027, covering the Christmas and New Year period.
The programme is particularly suited to mature students who want to improve their English while sharing their Malta experience with other international students in a similar age group.
Christmas is a lovely time for 50+ students to visit Malta. Rather than spending the darkest and coldest weeks of winter at home, you can enjoy Malta’s milder Mediterranean winter, practise your English and discover the culture, history and festive traditions of the Maltese Islands.
It is also an excellent choice for people travelling alone. Joining an international programme gives you the opportunity to meet other people, communicate in English and share your Christmas experience with fellow students.
You can come for the Christmas period, New Year or enjoy the full festive experience with us.
A Christmas family holiday with a difference
Christmas is, above all, a time for families. That is why Malta and the Gateway School of English Parent and Child/Family Programme can be a wonderful combination for families looking for a different kind of Christmas holiday.
Instead of simply taking a conventional winter holiday, parents and children can turn their Christmas break into an experience that is both enjoyable and educational.
Parents can study English while their children also have the opportunity to learn and practise English in an age-appropriate environment.
The great advantage is that the whole family gets to experience Malta together.
After lessons, parents and children can explore the islands, see the Christmas decorations, visit Malta’s historic towns and cities and enjoy the festive atmosphere together.
For families coming from colder parts of Europe and elsewhere, Malta can also provide a welcome change. You can still enjoy a genuine European Christmas atmosphere, but with a milder Mediterranean winter climate.
It is a chance to spend quality time together as a family while giving both parents and children something valuable to take home with them: improved English, greater confidence, international friendships and wonderful memories of Christmas in Malta.
Young Learner English courses for children aged 4 to 10
Gateway School of English also offers Young Learner English courses for children aged 4 to 10 throughout the year, not only during the traditional summer season.
This makes the Christmas school holidays a particularly interesting opportunity for younger children.
Children have time away from their normal school routine, while parents may also be taking time off work. Families can therefore use the Christmas holidays to travel together without having to wait until the following summer.
Young children can continue learning and using English while meeting children from other countries, and parents can enjoy knowing that their holiday has an educational element as well as being fun.
For a child, using English to communicate with children of other nationalities can also make the language feel real. English becomes more than a subject studied from a book — it becomes the language they use to make friends and communicate with the world around them.
Combine this with the excitement of Christmas, travel and discovering a new country, and it can become a very memorable learning experience.
Improve your English with students from around the world
One of the greatest benefits of studying English in Malta is the international environment.
At Gateway School of English, our students come from different countries, cultures and age groups. In the classroom and around the school, students have opportunities to communicate with people they might never otherwise have met.
This is particularly valuable for language learning because it encourages students to use English as their common language.
During the Christmas period, there is something especially enjoyable about bringing different nationalities together. Everyone arrives with their own traditions and experiences, yet everyone shares the same goal of communicating, learning and enjoying their time in Malta.
You may arrive in Malta knowing nobody and leave with friends from several different countries.
That international experience is an important part of what studying English abroad is all about.
Discover the Christmas atmosphere in Malta
Malta may be famous for its sunshine, sea and summer holidays, but the islands also have a strong Christmas tradition.
During the festive season, towns and villages are decorated with lights and Christmas decorations, while churches, streets and public spaces celebrate the season in traditional Maltese style.
Valletta is particularly beautiful during the Christmas period, while historic places such as Mdina provide a wonderful setting for a winter evening. Across Malta, visitors can discover Christmas activities, decorations, traditional cribs and seasonal events.
And because Malta generally experiences a milder winter than much of continental Europe, exploring the islands during December can be very pleasant.
You can enjoy Christmas without necessarily having to spend your entire holiday wrapped up against freezing temperatures!
Turn your Christmas holiday into an English learning experience
Whether you are 7, 27, 57 or 77, Christmas can be a fantastic time to learn English in Malta.
You could come as an adult student looking for an international Christmas experience, join our special 50+ programme, travel as a family and study together, or give your child the opportunity to practise English during the school holidays.
Whatever your age, the idea is simple: combine a memorable Christmas holiday in Malta with an English language learning experience.
At Gateway School of English GSE, we want our students to improve their English, but we also want them to enjoy Malta, meet people and return home with memories and friendships that go far beyond the classroom.
Spend Christmas and New Year with us at Gateway School of English
If you have been thinking about visiting Malta or improving your English, why wait until next summer?
Come and experience a different side of Malta this Christmas.
Enjoy the festive atmosphere, take advantage of the milder Mediterranean winter, meet international students, practise your English every day and welcome the New Year in Malta.
Gateway School of English GSE is open during Christmas week and New Year’s week, and we would love to welcome you.
Whether you are travelling independently, joining our 50+ Programme, visiting as a parent with your children or looking for an English course for your young learner, there is an opportunity to make this Christmas both enjoyable and rewarding.
Make Malta your home this Christmas and make Gateway School of English your gateway to new friendships, new experiences and greater confidence in English.
We look forward to celebrating Christmas and New Year with you in Malta!
Gateway School of English GSE
St Julian’s, Malta