Educational tourism in Malta : an analysis of English Foreign Language (EFL) students : motivation, learning preferences and experience

Abstract

Educational tourism in the form of learning English is on the rise all around the world and Malta has established itself as one of the main centres for learning English as a foreign language. Therefore, this research aimed to look at this niche market by identifying its current and potential future key markets; students' motivation for learning English and choosing Malta as the destination in which to embark on this study experience; their learning preferences which are a form of attraction; and their overall experience in Malta. This research took the form of a quantitative study involving conducting surveys in the form of questionnaires to 155 respondents. Findings from this research can be summarised as follows; main current markets were Japan, Russia and Germany whereas future markets could include China and Brazil which form part of the BRIC countries, Turkey as well as a possible greater market share of the Russian market. The main reason for embarking upon an educational trip was due to the importance of the English language at the workplace whereas Malta's climate and prices was the greatest 'pull factor' for Malta. Learning styles differed amongst certain cultures but the overall view was that students preferred to work in groups with visual learning methods. Amongst the respondents Malta seemed to be an attractive destination, a destination they would travel to in the future as leisure tourists instead of educational ones.