Malta as the perfect place for the TEFL industry : a student’s perspective

Abstract

The TEFL Industry worldwide has always been a big market, but has grown more in recent years due to more rapid globalisation. Malta has established itself very well in this industry and can now be considered as one of the main hubs to learn English as a foreign language. This study aims to identify main reasons for students’ decisions to travel abroad for the TEFL Industry, why they chose Malta as oppose to its competitors, and also what they thought of Malta as a destination and the package of their stay including the TEFL course and the accommodation. The research was in the form of a quantitative study in which 82 respondents answered to the questionnaire. The research found out that there are a number of different factors which influence the decision making process of potential students, including price of studying abroad, destination of TEFL course and also the quality of the TEFL course. Reasons why students wished to travel abroad were mostly because they believed that studying in a country where English is a national language will benefit them in the form of practising with the local population and also to be able to immerse themselves within the language and culture of a new place.