Learning Maltese independently is set to become significantly easier thanks to the launch of two new interactive online courses developed through a collaboration between the University of Malta and language-learning platform Verbivore.

The courses, Maltese for Beginners A0-A1 and Maltese for Beginners A1-A2, will be officially launched on 24th June during an interactive event at the University of Malta's Valletta Campus.

Designed specifically for people learning Maltese as a foreign language, the courses are the first comprehensive self-study programmes of their kind, combining lessons, exercises, games, interactive videos, audio recordings and other digital resources that allow learners to progress at their own pace.

A screenshot of the dictation lesson 

The initiative comes at a time when interest in learning Maltese is growing among expatriates, foreign workers and individuals with Maltese heritage living abroad. Earlier this month, the University's Department of Maltese also partnered with Maypole to provide practical Maltese language lessons to non-Maltese-speaking employees working in the company's retail outlets, highlighting a wider effort to make the language more accessible in everyday settings.

The new online courses were spearheaded by Iona Douglas, founder of Verbivore, a digital learning platform specialising in independent language study.

Although British by nationality, Ms Douglas has strong Maltese roots through her grandmother and great-grandmother and has lived in Gozo for several years. Her own experience of learning Maltese revealed what she described as a gap in modern, professionally structured learning resources for those wishing to study the language independently.

That experience led her to approach the University of Malta's Department of Maltese in 2025 with a proposal to develop a new generation of self-guided courses built on recognised language-learning methodologies, including Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL).

An official agreement between Verbivore and the University was signed in July 2025, and less than a year later the first courses are ready for launch.

The academic team behind the project is led by Maltese language Professor George Farrugia and includes lecturers Paul Abdilla, Theresa Tabone Abdilla and Thomas Pace.

The courses also feature professional voice recordings by actors Simone Spiteri and Mark Mifsud.

A word search that teaches students the broken plurals in Maltese 

Among the resources already available to the public are the online games Tombla and In-Naffar, which can be accessed free of charge.

Students enrolled in Verbivore's programmes will have access to the full courses, while selected materials will also be integrated into Maltese as a Foreign Language programmes offered by the University and made freely available through the department's portal.

Earlier last year, the company was selected to join the latest cohort of the Malta-based SuperCharger Ventures accelerator programme. Verbivore was one of three Maltese startups chosen for the 12-week initiative, which provides founders with access to international mentors, strategic partners and investors while supporting business growth and expansion into new markets.

As Malta continues to attract international residents and workers, initiatives such as these are increasingly being seen as important tools for integration, helping newcomers engage more deeply with the country's language, culture and community life.