Local language schools were hit hard in 2011, but prospects for the new year are positive because of work secured from emerging markets, according to operators.

I think the work we did this year will reap fruit next year

The number of students visiting Malta to learn English dropped substantially this year, primarily due to a 60 to 70 per cent drop in arrivals from the Spanish market – the strongest performer in 2010.

The Spanish chose competing countries such as the US, the UK and Ireland to study English after the Spanish government reduced the scholarship amount that students receive to study English in Malta by €500, while increasing the grant for these competing destinations.

Alex Fenech, president of the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations Malta, told The Sunday Times that although all indications pointed to a major drop in student arrivals, the year was positive for the language teaching industry which sought to tap emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, Turkey and Colombia.

Throughout this year, the schools were pushed to review their operations.

“The Spanish scholarships gave us a boost so this year we had to come out of our comfort zone and look for new programmes and markets,” Mr Fenech said.

“In terms of numbers, 2011 was not a particularly good year but it was still a good year for the way schools approached the decrease in numbers. They looked into markets which were untapped and the results are looking good,” Mr Fenech said.

The results make him confident that 2012 could be a good year, especially since these emerging markets were filling the shoulder months, and with long-term students.

Nearly 73,000 foreigners studied at specialised English language schools in Malta last year, an increase of 5.5 per cent over recession-hit 2009. Indications show this increase had fizzled out in 2011.

“However, prospects for 2012 look positive. It all depends on the economic climate, terrorism and any other catastrophes which could affect us, like Libya did this year. Otherwise, I think the work we did this year will reap fruit next year,” he said.

Spanish students were offered €1,200 to pursue a three-week English course in Malta this year, down from €1,700 last year.

On the other hand, the Spanish government offered students €1,700 to go to the UK or Ireland and €2,200 to study English in the US. Destinations that offer more funding leave them with more spending money.

Regarding the visa issue, a hot potato for the industry, Mr Fenech said schools saw a marked improvement in obtaining visas for prospective students particularly in Turkey, with the opening of a consulate in Istanbul.

He said it was positive that Brazilian students who visited the island for up to three months did not require a visa while prospective Colombian students were going through the Spanish embassy in their country to obtain the necessary documentation to visit Malta.

Mr Fenech pointed to the rising cost of living in Malta which was affecting students, closing up the gap between visiting Malta and the UK.

Mr Fenech said the situation in Libya had impacted bookings for junior levels, particularly from the Italian market, because Malta was in the limelight when bookings were usually secured. However, schools believe Libya has a lot of potential and have already started looking at the possibilities in the North African country.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if some people decide to open schools in Libya so Libyans won’t need to travel,” he said.

The Olympic Games in London in 2012 might also be good news for Malta because of logistical problems that may be created because of the influx of English language students. The British authorities are issuing special visas which take precedence over all others.

Although the situation at Air Malta was not having a direct impact on the industry, he said, it could have an effect if the national airline took catastrophic decisions with a reduction in routes.

On the other hand, Air France’s decision to introduce direct flights between Malta and Toulouse was “very good news” for schools, Mr Fenech said.