In the November International English Language Gazette, there was a news item entitled "Malta's English scrapes a pass".

Anyone in the English as a Foreign Language sector reading it must have flinched. We promote Malta as a safe, English-speaking destination, yet this article, published in a magazine targeted at the EFL sector, reported that our students are not achieving desirable standards.

Its opening statement was "English A-level results among Maltese students have improved this year, though the grades are still causing concern about language proficiency in Malta".

The underlying issue is not simply exam results, but whether we are still a bilingual nation. We need to 'care' for the English language more. Cultural perceptions of some towards those who speak English need to be eradicated, as it is through constant practice of the language that we can improve on it.

Realistic objectives need to be set and achieved. It is useless asking students to sit for the English A-level when they cannot grasp the basics, like punctuation and spelling.

"Spelling mistakes are to be found in virtually all the scripts" - English A-level Matsec examiners' report, p. 2, 2006.

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