In Gozo (and the rest of Malta) you will find that almost everybody you run into will cheerfully speak at least some English, which is one of the official languages. Shopkeepers and everyone else you will do business with are quite fluent for the most part. So many Gozitans have spent years in North America and then returned with their teenaged children that it is not unusual to hear English being spoken with an American or Canadian accent. Almost all government services are provided in both English and Maltese.

Maltese is a fascinating language that is rooted in Arabic with strong Italian influences. It is handy to have a rudimentary understanding of how the language is pronounced so that you can recognize street names and so on. Read on for more useful details about the Maltese language.