ELT association Feltom is campaigning to recruit host families as accommodation strains hit the island during what is predicted to be a bumper year for business at ELT schools, and a busy year for tourism in general.

The contribution English language students make to Malta's tourism sector has dropped on the back of stagnant ELT enrolments.

The English language teaching industry in Malta experienced a decline in student weeks in 2016, according to recently released data from the National Statistics Office.

Maltese education provider EC has unveiled its digital learning platform, Fusion, which allows students to combine self-paced online learning with immersive classroom teaching.

A national body has been established in Malta to promote the internationalisation of education and entice foreign institutions to set up a presence in the country. Education Malta was officially launched last week by the Minister for Education and Employment.

"When you tell your story, start the story in Malta," said Andrew Mangion, explaining his motivation to inspire young Maltese while celebrating EC's 25 year milestone.

The politics of quality control in the English language teaching space are fast-changing and complex; governments now want to dictate the rules but in many cases they lack the sophisticated grasp of accreditation that membership bodies may have, claim stakeholders, resulting in multi-layered approaches. Beckie Smith reports.

Global English language group, EC English Language Centres, is expanding its 30+ offering worldwide, answering growing demand for adult language learning with new schools in New York, Toronto and Malta.