English Gap Year Destinations

The English language is the most spoken language in the world. It is spoken in 94 different countries and is the most international organizations' official language of choice. The importance of the English language is however not only vastly growing in the areas of school and work, but most people will agree that it is becoming more and more imperative to be able to read and speak English in their every day personal life. Sprachcaffe courses will help you improve your English no matter whether you have no prior experience with the language or whether you're seeking to improve upon your current knowledge.

How about a gap year in England, Malta, Canada or the USA? Take a long term English course while getting to know the country, the culture and the people that surround you during your stay. You can thereby apply your newly gained or improved language skills at any time during your stay. Being able to practice your speech and reading abilities everywhere will increase your linguistic confidence and enable you to become fluent more quickly than you would imagine.

You will not only learn quickly and effectively, but also have a lot of fun and time to relax and enjoy your stay along the way. Sprachcaffe combines your learning experience with a lot of holiday activities, which makes it an all round very special travel abroad.

You choose a country and city and we'll take care of your flight, accommodation and board. On top of that we offer a variety of free time activities in our program with which you'll always have something to do if you don't already have your own plans.

As an EU citizen you are required to bring a valid Identification card (ID) and passport. It is possible to travel from the age of 16 and upwards, but a letter of permission by the Student's parents is required.

If you stay for longer than three months you might be required to submit a proof of enrollment at the Educational institution. Sprachcaffe is happy to provide this document for to you.

We advise that you check whether you already have a personal travel insurance for going abroad and how long this is still valid for. In case you are not yet insured for travelling abroad we recommend that you obtain such an insurance for yourself.

Enjoy the bright summer sun by the ocean and at the beach, what more could you ask for? If you want to learn English and want to stay for the duration of a gap year or sabbatical, there is hardly any better place than Malta. You'll be learning the English vocabulary in nice and warm weather as the climate barely changes all year long and the sun remains your constant companion. You'll find yourself in the midst of the Mediterranean flair of Malta in which the official community language is English!

Our language school is located in St. Julian's, which is a picturesque town by the East coast of the island of Malta. A little port still stands in the town as a reminder of what the little fishing village, which is now St. Julian's used to look like. The area is filled with very distinct and beautiful sights such as the old fashioned houses that face the sea and little colorful fishing boats. Nowadays, St. Julian's is most commonly known for its nightlife in the town's area of Paceville, in which you will find countless clubs, bars and pubs. If you are interested in diving, Malta and its smaller sister island of Gozo are ideal spots for you to go for a trip to.

As Malta is a member of the EU, citizens with EU passports are allowed to stay there for longer periods of time without needing a special permit in order for you to be able to stay in the country for a longer duration. In case you do not own an EU passport you will need to apply for a visa in your country's local Maltese consulate, unless you already have a permit to stay in the Schengen Visa areas. For more information you can contact the Maltese consulate or the responsible embassy.

It is important that you inform yourself about whether and for how long you will be insured abroad. If you do not yet have a travel insurance we advise that you ensure you have one before beginning your journey.

Malta also accepts the European Health Insurance Card which is to be carried with you to all doctors and hospital visits. Your health insurance company should provide this to you. With your European health insurance card, basic health care services are taken care of in the 8 largest cities in Malta and one in Gozo. There are also 47 local ambulant clinics to take care of your needs.

Information about what the visit and stay requirements of Canada for citizens of your country can be found on the Canadian Government page, on which you will be able to find relevant details about what you may need to consider before your visit. You will need to carry a valid passport and may also need to apply for the 'Electronic Travel Authorization' (eTA). We recommend filling in your eTA application as soon as you book your journey and no later than 72 hours before your journey begins. The Canadian administration may not be able to process your application in time if you submit it with less than three full days to go until your booked travel date. Your application will incur a charge of 7 Canadian Dollars, which covers your eTA for 5 year. You will need a valid passport, and email address and a credit card (Mastercard, Visa, American Express) in order to pay for your application.

Depending on which travel documents you have and for how long you want to stay, you may be required to obtain a Visa for Canada. Note that there are different types of Visas. All Visas are issued by the Canadian embassies and consulates upon request. These documents count as diplomatic representation abroad and can be requested at the Canadian embassy or consulate located in your country.

If you want to take one of our long term language courses Canada and are below the age of 18, you will need a letter of permission from your parents.

We recommend making sure you have a valid travel insurance before starting your journey. Check for how long your travel insurance will still be valid and if the amount of time is shorter than your chosen duration of stay in Canada you may want to acquire a new travel insurance that covers the entirety of your stay.

Canada's health care system is very good and offers plenty of medical facilities. The hospital fees are however very high for foreign visitors. Our advice is to pay with your credit card, request to receive your receipt and then send it to your health insurance (if applicable) once you get back to your home country. This is beneficial to both you and the hospital staff as further processing of your bill might otherwise be necessary, which is more time consuming for you and them.

Please note that you will require a passport that is valid for the entire length of your stay abroad. In addition you will need to apply to an online-based travel permit. We recommend completing your application as soon as you can as you need to leave at least 3 full days for your travel permit to be processed before you begin your travel. You can complete your application with the Department of Homeland Security (ESTA), where you will be charged 14 US Dollars. In order to make the payment you will need a valid passport, an email address and a credit card (Mastercard, Visa, American Express). After your application and payment of your travel permit has been processed you will want to print out these 'travel authorization' documents and keep them in your hand luggage at all times as it is Valid for two years and allows you to make multiple trips to the USA.

Depending on which citizenship you own and for how long you plan on staying in the USA, you might need a travel Visa. In order to obtain the correct Visa you need to fill in an application form for the non-immigration Visa, make an appointment at the American embassy or the American consulate near you and prepare all of the required documents, as mentioned above, for your appointment.

It is possible for people at the age of 16 and above to book a gap year language course with us in the USA. However you will require a letter of permission from your parents as well as a proof of child custody.

Before you begin your journey it is important that you check whether you have a valid travel insurance and health insurance, as well as for how long these documents will still be valid for. You want to make sure that they are valid for the entirety of your stay, otherwise you will need to obtain new ones before you begin traveling. It is also important to ensure that your health insurance documents are valid abroad.