Use Bubblegum for Maltese reading Poppy writes at your level, or Duostories for short, ready-made scenes. As you understand more, add illustrated school stories, TVM News, Tokis programmes, and Campus 103.7 recordings. These resources give you different kinds of Maltese to work with.
Comprehensible input means reading or listening you can mostly understand. Try about one unfamiliar word per sentence as a starting guide, while you can still follow the meaning. If you need to check nearly every line, choose a shorter or simpler passage. An isolated top-500 word list leaves out the sentence and the sound; meet common words in passages you can read and hear.
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Maltese. You learn from Maltese you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, what you can read and what you want to talk about. For example, ask for a brief scene about visiting a relative. She writes it for you, and you can read it with audio and ask about an unclear line.
Maltese dictionary coverage is still limited, so check an important word with a teacher. Bubblegum is not a fixed course or a person to talk with. Use a class for a taught sequence and practice with a person for live replies.
- Read and listen to lessons, stories, and news at your level.
- Choose topics from your interests and goals.
- Ask Poppy for an explanation as you read.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You cannot import an existing book, article, or video.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Read and Listen to Learner Stories
Duostories
Duostories gives each exchange a clear situation. In Bonġu, a character asks, “Fejn hi ċ-ċavetta tiegħi?” — “Where is my key?” That line gives you a question to recognize in a scene, rather than a word to memorize alone.
Try the story once with its questions. After you know what happens, use listening mode and check whether you still understand the exchange. These are unofficial community translations of Duolingo stories.
- Read short Maltese scenes and answer questions about the story.
- Use listening mode to replay the scene without questions.
MobileWeb
Listen With Bilingual Lesson Text
Bluebird
Bluebird suits learners who want an audio lesson with text to follow. Choose a beginner lesson on a familiar topic, read its bilingual text while listening, and replay a short part. Once the meaning is clear, listen again with less help from the translation.
Its listening format gives you practice with phrases and sentences. Add a teacher or partner when you want someone to hear and correct a reply of your own.
- Hear lessons recorded by Maltese speakers.
- Follow bilingual lesson text and change the playback speed.
MobileWeb
Use Pictures to Support a Short Story
Malta's education site hosts Il-Fulu, an illustrated Year 1 story as a PowerPoint file. Open it in a slide viewer, look at the picture, and read one page at a time. Ask a teacher about a line you cannot follow.
This is school reading for Maltese-speaking children, so a school year does not tell you an adult learner's level. Use it when the pictures and text help you follow the scene. It does not provide the same reading-and-audio setup as the apps above.
Read a Familiar News Report
TVM News publishes Maltese reports on current events. Pick one about an event you already know, such as a sports result or local announcement. The topic gives you a way to check what the Maltese paragraph means.
Read a brief part before watching any linked video. Some reports include video, but the article is not necessarily its transcript. Keep the written report and the recording as separate tasks, and begin with the part you can follow.
Watch a Short Programme Scene
Tokis offers Maltese programmes through a GO TV subscription. Check location eligibility if you are outside Malta. Try a brief scene from a listed programme, such as the sitcom Alla Mgħana, whose people and action help you follow the exchange. Replay a brief exchange before continuing through the episode.
Ordinary television speech can be difficult at the start. Check each video's subtitle options; Maltese subtitles are not guaranteed. If the scene stays unclear after a replay, return to a learner story and try television again later.
Listen to a Topic You Know
The University of Malta's Campus 103.7 archive includes programmes about Maltese language, history, and culture. Start with a subject you already know. Check the episode's language and whether its player works before choosing it for listening practice.
An archive category is not a promise of beginner Maltese or a matching transcript. Take a short part you can understand and summarize it aloud. A teacher or partner can help when the topic is familiar but the wording is hard.
These counts cover menu choices. Bubblegum lists its 74 menu languages; Bluebird and Duostories list English in their Maltese iPhone entries. The languages used for text, explanations, and other platforms can differ.
| App | Supported Display Languages | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 74 | Full list
|
| Bluebird: Learn Maltese | 1 | Full list |
| Duostories | 1 | Full list |
Common Questions
Which Maltese app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Maltese, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or try the first set of Duostories for short free scenes. Save TVM News and television for passages whose meaning you can already follow.
Where Can I Hear Recorded Maltese Speakers?
uTalk has recorded phrases. For longer speech, try TVM videos or Tokis programmes when their speed and topic fit your level. Duostories audio uses text-to-speech rather than recorded actors.
How Do I Know Whether a Passage Is Suitable?
Read or hear a short part and explain what happened. A few unfamiliar words are workable if the meaning stays clear. If you cannot tell what the scene is about, choose something shorter or ask for a simpler lesson. Our study-plan guide helps you combine input with a course and speaking.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Bluebird: Maltese audio lessons
- Bluebird: Lesson text, speed controls, and free/premium access
- Duostories: Maltese story collection
- Duostories: Volunteer translations and text-to-speech audio
- Malta University Language School: Maltese for Beginners
- uTalk: Maltese course and recorded phrase samples
- uTalk: Application language choices
- TVM News: Maltese news from Malta's public broadcaster
- Tokis: Maltese television and on-demand programmes
- Campus 103.7: Maltese language, history and culture archive
- Duostories: Bonġu, the first Maltese story
- Malta education resource: Il-Fulu illustrated Year 1 story
- Duostories: Maltese iPhone listing
- Bubblegum
Checked on October 11, 2026 against each app's own pages.
