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News article (
14th Feb. 2010 )
Exploring St, Julian’s and its surrounding areas, you’ll find a mixture of old and new, from traditional churches, to the Spinola waterfront, to the vibrant nightlife in the area known as Paceville. Restaurants of all types serve the town’s many visitors, cafes abound, and the Bay Street area offers shopping from some of the world’s best known retailers. The island’s only skyscraper, the ‘Portomaso Tower’ is also located in St. Julian’s, close to the recently developed marina, another area where visitors are invited to while away the hours at the cafes and restaurants which form part of this exclusive area.
Located on the coast North of Malta’s capital, Valletta, the town of St. Julian’s is a popular and lively town frequented by locals and tourists alike. St. Julians, or ‘San Giljan’ as it’s known in Maltese Informally encompasses the areas of Paceville, Ta' Ġiorni, Tal-Għoqod, and St. Andrew's, as well as the regions surrounding St. George's Bay, Spinola Bay, Balluta Bay, and Il-Qaliet cliffs. Many of the island’s finest hotels are located in St. Julian’s, its reputation for high-end services running alongside the town’s reputation as the centre of nightlife and entertainment on the island. Bus routes serve St.Julian’s well, with services running from the capital Valletta and all stops along the way. The neighbouring town of Sliema is another centre for shopping and café life, and a coastal promenade stretches between the two towns making it a lovely walk.
Named after Saint Julian, widely known as ‘Julian The Hospitaller’ and ‘Julian the Poor’, the town has a mixed history; its status as a comfortable residential area for the well-to-do only really surfacing under British rule. Before that, St. Julian’s was a town of little note, the church from which it derives its name is thought to have been built in 1580, at which time, only the building known as ‘Spinola palace’, a few fisherman’s huts, and farmers’ homes dotted the otherwise unpopulated countryside. The patron saint, St. Julian’s, belonged to the famous order of ‘The Knights Hospitaller’, also known as ‘The Knights of Malta’, and although his feast is celebrated on February 12, one of Malta’s famous summer ‘festas’ celebrates the life of St. Julian with characteristic Mediterranean flair on the last Sunday of each August.
The effect of this on modern day Malta is a legacy of linguistic ability and familiarity throughout the island, and EFL schools have been increasing in number steadily as word has spread of both the nation's academic standards, and its beautiful location. As the number of schools has increased, major franchises have shared the market place with a number of smaller, privately owned schools, and the choice for students has become wider and more comprehensive, which in turn has increased the island's appeal in both Europe and globally.
New markets, such as the Far East, and South America are discovering Malta's schools, and major numbers of students are arriving to learn English in Europe. In the past, Malta's major language markets were located much closer to home, with European neighbours sourcing most of its EFL clients, but nowadays, Malta's definitely extended its reach, in line with the nation's own political and social transition into the European Union in 2004, and adoption of the Euro as its official currency in early 2008.
- This article was published in collaboration with Elanguest Language Centre, located in St Julian’s
- Photo by Marcus Pettersson
Source/Author: Tom West - elanguest.com
Published: 14th Feb. 2010 |
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