Learning Maltese in a bilingual country

The Ministry for Education and Employment recently proposed changes to the curriculum for the teaching of Maltese in secondary schools that distinguish between the Maltese being taught now and Maltese as a foreign language. It also distinguishes between so-called “academic” and “applied” Maltese.

We disagree that Maltese citizens can take their MATSEC exam in their national language as a foreign or second language. We also disagree that students with a foreign parent or guardian may take their exam in Maltese as a foreign or second language. Our position is based on four reasons.

Firstly, these distinctions run counter to what is stated in the Maltese Constitution which establishes Maltese as the sole national language of Malta, and Maltese and English as our official languages. They also run counter to the Maltese Language Act which states that “Maltese is the language of Malta and a fundamental element of the national identity of the Maltese people.” The Maltese State “shall make provision in such manner that the study of the Maltese Language in its linguistic, literary and cultural manifestations shall always be given primary importance in both state and other schools from the very first years of education of all Maltese citizens.”

Secondly, the measures proposed by the Ministry will have a negative effect on bilingualism in our country. In the light of extensive research that highlights the benefits of bilingualism for the intellectual development of individuals and the socio-economic advantages it brings with it, we believe that Maltese citizens should not sit for MATSEC exams of Maltese or English as a foreign or second language. If there are sections of the population that are either distancing themselves from balanced bilingualism or are not exposed to it, we need to make a greater effort, and certainly not a smaller one, to strengthen the teaching of Maltese and English to all those who live in Malta.

We therefore agree with the recommendations of: (a) the document on A Language Policy for the Early Years in Malta and Gozo (2016), the Language Education Policy Profile for Malta (2015) and the National Literacy Strategy for All in Malta and Gozo 2014 - 2019 (2014) that acknowledge that bilingualism must be practised in all years of compulsory education;

(b) the Language Policy Unit of the Council of Europe ( Language Education Policy Profile - Malta, 2015) advises that Malta should build on its bilingualism, and multilingualism, and steer away from the institutionalisation of separate monolingual groups.

Thirdly, we understand that different syllabi at the same level, the Maltese ordinary level, will result in differences and inequalities between students who would have taken different routes to study the Maltese language. This goes against the aims of a certificate based on a common curriculum that serves as a framework for employment and postsecondary education. We believe that the teaching of Maltese and English, which deserve the same commitment and energy, should serve as an excellent means to foster social inclusion and integration, rather than segregation, among all those living in Malta and Gozo. No child or young person should find themselves in the situation that they are excluded from a sector or other of our society because they lack a good command of Maltese and English.

Fourthly, Maltese, the language of a small community, is spoken by half a million people, with a limited presence in the digital world. The Maltese State, according to the Maltese Language Act, “shall lead in the creation of all possible opportunities for the development of the National Language and to assert its merited dignity.” This cannot happen if students, wherever they come from, sit for an exam in Maltese as a second or foreign language, but if both students and educators are given the right means and resources so that all students in Malta acquire the best possible linguistic skills in both Maltese and English. We need to foster a culture in which languages are used in the best possible way, in all institutions. Both of our languages need to be more visible in every sector, includ- ing road signs, public spaces and the internet.

In brief, we propose that: a) MATSEC certification The certification of Maltese and English for foreigners and for different areas (so-called “applied”) cannot take the place of the certification of essential competences in Maltese and English for those who go through our compulsory education system. The certification of Maltese as a foreign language cannot be pegged at the same level, MQF 3, as the MATSEC Maltese O’ level exam taken by students today at the end of their compulsory education.

b) Resources for the Development of a Renewed Pedagogy The education authorities need to work closely with the National Council for the Maltese Language, the University of Malta, and other entities to invest in the development of resources and pedagogies for the teaching of Maltese to Maltese students, including the development of a pedagogy and resources for the teaching of Maltese, and electronic dictionaries and spellcheckers. The Government needs to continue helping and investing in writers and publishers in Malta, such as by giving financial incentives as well as a greater exposure to the publication of research, educational books and literature, at a time when this sector has never been as strong and dynamic as it is today.

c) More educational programmes We have a great opportunity to develop new resources for the teaching of Maltese to foreigners of different ages and from different linguistic cultures. We need more comprehensive educational programmes that use books, audio-visual and electronic resources to teach Maltese so that teachers and students of Maltese will have the tools to learn. Teachers and foreign residents in Malta have been asking for such resources for years, as these are crucial for the development of both our education as well as social and cultural in- tegration. The less we have to distinguish between the “Maltese” and “foreigners”, the more just and equal our society will be.

d) Languages in different areas

The Learning Outcomes Framework has already catered for different levels and any other proposal is superfluous. We disagree with the introduction of “Applied” Maltese because the new system that has already been set up by the Education authorities has already taken into account the situation of students with different levels and skills. Instead, the authorities should invest in the development of a renewed pedagogy and the creation of resources for the teaching of Maltese and English in different areas. The knowledge of these languages in different areas should not replace the acquisition of language and literature in both Maltese and English which is a right of all citizens that live and work in our country.

Signatories: L-Akkademja tal-Malti Department of Maltese, University of Malta

L-Istitut tal-Lingwistika u t-Teknoloġija tal-Lingwa, l-Università ta’ Malta

Department of Maltese, UM Junior College L-Għaqda tal-Malti – Università Għaqda tal-Qarrejja tal-Provi tal-Malti Għaqda Poeti Maltin Dr Mario Aquilina (Department of English, University of Malta)

Prof. Ivan Callus (Department of English, University of Malta)

Dr James Corby (Department of English, University of Malta)

Dr Sarah Grech (Centre for English Language Proficiency) Dr Chris Gruppetta (Publisher) Dr Ġorġ Mallia (Department of Media and Communications, University of Malta)

Ms Ann Marie Schembri (Head of Department, Maltese, Church Schools)

Ms Claire Zerafa (Head of Department, Maltese, Church Schools)

Dr Ġorġ Mallia (Department of Media and Communications, University of Malta)