It was reported (The Sunday Times, August 5) that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi during his visit to Melbourne took a lot of interest in the teaching of the Maltese language in Australia because "he wants to ensure a linguistic link with the migrants".

I am afraid he is very much mistaken as he is pursuing something that is not only unachievable but also not worth achieving.

First of all, the comparatively few thousands of Maltese settled and dispersed all over Australia are not going to affect Australine life culturally or linguistically.

Secondly, Maltese migrants are integrated totally into Australian life, which after all, is what is desired by the first generation, so much so that children of Maltese migrants hardly know any Maltese and keep alive their interest in and curiosity about Malta through their parents' sentimental link. Thus with further generations and inter-marriages the Maltese connection is completely lost, no matter what the Maltese government may do with Australian co-operation.

On the other hand I am amazed that while officially there is this misplaced interest in the Maltese language in Australia, there is absolute disinterest and lack of appreciation for the Maltese language in Malta. Every time I visit Malta I am sadly struck by the many Maltese who speak to their compatriots in English or broken English and Maltese.

I expected that with the attainment of independence, when we were freed from the strong colonial influence, we would proudly express our individuality by succeeding to survive on our own, which we did, and by being proud of our language, which we are not.

Speaking in Maltese has almost acquired a denigrating social status and many try to speak English and Maltese together with the result that they speak neither language properly.

But recently I have observed a deterioration in this language question, directly from higher quarters. It has become customary to popularise a Notte Magica or a Notte Bianca and now we are going to have SmartCity. Is it possible that we cannot evolve a good Maltese word for these occasions, and are we going to allow names of places in Malta to be not Maltese now that we are independent?

All languages are not static but have to evolve with the times, but they should never be dominated by other languages. To ensure that the language is developing on the right lines in conformity with material progress and new needs, an official group of Maltese experts should keep a constant watch on and monitor Maltese language requirements, evolve the right Maltese word for the new need and impose and spread it around in the newspapers, on the radio and on  TV.

Once it becomes familiar in the media then people will take it up without much difficulty. But please stop the invasion of English words in our language as we are creating a linguistic crisis.