Friday, 8th August 2008
Is there need for the Maltese language?
I have been following with great interest the polemic regarding proposed changes to the written Maltese language. Malta has been struggling with this problem since before the Second World War. The politics at the time hinged on whether the dominant language in Malta was to be English or Italian. Maltese at the time was a "splintered" language. Those who favoured the English language introduced many an "English expression" and likewise "Italian expressions" by those who preferred the Italian language.
I have been a regular visitor to Malta. I speak and write Maltese. And when visiting Malta I always speak Maltese to Maltese merchants, who invariably respond in English. During my visits I did not fail to notice the big changes that have taken place in conversational Maltese, and it is only thanks to my knowledge of Arabic and Italian that I have been able to keep up with these changes. During one of my visits I was greatly annoyed at the word obbvju that seems to have crept predominantly into every day talk. It was in such great use that the spoken Maltese seemed to revolve around this one very word.
There seems to be a nationalistic fervour to establish a Maltese language at a time when Malta now forms part of Europe and when the Maltese are already blessed with some degree of English.
Why is there a need for a language that just about everyone agrees to be so difficult to learn and even more difficult to write?
Take Italy and the Italian language, as an example. A national language "Italian" was necessary since people in the various provinces spoke dialects of great variance with one another. This is not the case in Malta where people from every corner of the island communicate quite comprehensively with each other. It is my experience that in personal correspondence, the English language is the one most commonly used at a personal or family level.
And is there an economical or communication need of a Maltese language? How much use is the Maltese language to students who struggle with this subject to gain entrance to a University? How useful is a Maltese language going to be in the prospective Smart City?
Let's put the Maltese language where it belongs - a romantic art form, not unlike Latin. And what use is there of a Maltese language to students who eventually emerge into a world of English language technology and communication.
The spoken Maltese could at best be only considered as a dialect. Possibly closer to Sicilian. Stop trying to make it a language. The people of Bari, Sicily, Calabria,etc. learn Italian but still speak their original dialects. Likewise the people of Malta speak their dialect but English is by far their choice language of written communication and expression.
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However, just as an opinion I have respect for the expression of Mr.Zammit's own views, which, in my case, has only strengthen my belief that we should treat each language of our civilisation as one of the pieces of a beautiful pearl necklace.
PS- Obbvju doesn't really exist in Maltese.... we say OVVJU.
"And why is it that we have so many busybodies trying to tell us, Maltese, what we should or should not do? .... And lastly, isn't it about time that these pseudo-emigrants from Malta decided once and for all to detach themselves from what may have once been their country and just focussed on REALLY living in their 'new' land?"
Ouch!!! First of all, the man was expressing an opinion, not telling you what to do. His opinion may be ill-considered, inappropriate, or even offensive, but it is, nonetheless, an opinion. You are free to ignore it. Secondly, please do not tar all emigrants with the same brush. Some of us do take a keen interest in our homeland, most of us still have close relations in our homeland, and some of us are actually Malta's best ambassadors in the cities around the world where we now reside - at no cost to the Maltese taxpayer.
@Maria Festri
I would assume that in Brussels one would find another Maltese to converse with in Maltese. After all, we do have a very expensive Malta house there, staffed by Maltese.
If you asked a question in English and they answered you in French, it of course means that they understood English, no?
When in Brussels , I had no problem communicating in English several times to different people. Same in Holland, Germany, and even that staunch self language promoting country, France.
always conducted business in China, Japan, Korea in English and not through an interpreter, either. In all hotels especially. Writing an address in Chinese for the taxi driver is a common thing in China and will get you to where you are going in no time flat.
So, let us face it, English is the predominant language globally and one will always find an English speaking person somewhere. But one who speaks Maltese, unless they are Maltese, the chances are slim to none.
He said that although he speaks Maltese to Maltese merchants (here probably he meant shop keepers), they invariably responded in English. As Marion Barbara wrote here, they, seeing that he was not good at speaking Maltese, helped him by using English. In Malta, as we speak other languages besides Maltese, we tend to reply in the Mother language of the person we are talking to.
Mr Zammit also mentioned that the word obbvju (or ovvju?) was in great use in Malta. This is probably because Mr Zammit only spoke to the same circle of people who happened to have the habit of using that word in every sentence. He also said that the Malta University should not cumber the students with the use of the Maltese language. Well, our university prepares our students for future work in Malta, those who prefer to work abroad surely know other languages well.
Finally, advising us to discard the Maltese language is like telling us to forget that we are Maltese and so proud of our own language.
Mr Hesselman please consider yourself as a real Maltese and when you are in Malta be proud for your contribution in support of the Maltese language. Well done to all those who posted their comments condemning this letter and to others like Mr Franco Farrugia who gave so much of his time deffending our language.
When I visited Brussels, I did find someone to communicate in Maltese, while asking your way in English was kind of a problem. IF there was an answer, it was mostly given in French...
And this about the "capital" of the EU! My sister visited China and assured me that communication was a serious problem. English was not even spoken in the hotel they stayed! And to use a taxi, one needed someone to write the street name for you in Chinese.
Sorry, but for Maltese A-levels you don't have to read any Qawsalla, but poems from the poetic anthology compiled by Oliver Friggieri (in fact only the chapters starting from Dun Karm, not Caxaro, what I find strange, as in my country we had started from the Middle Ages, and here in Greece they start with Antiquity, of course), + 2 works of prose + 2 works of theatre + 1 books of linguistics. I was given this syllabus by the MATSEC office, as I intend to take this exam in the future, to get at least some official qualification in Maltese.
Now, this is not "one and only book" of literature. And to be able to handle 9 hours of exams, you cannot have read just the books of the syllabus, of course. It's just those you will need to know every detail about.
And, sorry, graduating from school without any literary paper in the national language?!? Do you think in other countries you get to university this way?!? Here in Greece they even have at least 4 papers of Greek, all compulsory: Composition, Modern Greek Literature, Modern Greek Language, Ancient Greek.
" If you travel around a bit you'll notice that you can GET BY using English, especially in the areas popular with tourists. Move a bit off the beaten path however, or merely stick around and listen and, barring places like Australia, the UK, the US etc., very few people speak English."
@ Ramon Casha
I suppose you forgot that in Canada they speak English as well. :-)
But aside from that, I have a question for you.
If during your travels you were to move off 'the beaten path' do you think that if you speak to the ones around you in Maltese they would answer you unless they too were Maltese?
One is bound to find someone who speaks English (off the beaten path, mind you ;-)) than one is bound to find anyone who speaks Maltese.
Now please do not assume that I agree with Mr. Zammit.
Most countries like China, Japan, Korea and a lot of other countries have English in their school curriculum, since it is the global business language. Maltese is used only in Malta, despite the fact that Maltese is a recognized language at the EU.
Having travelled around Australia, especially in the most populated cities, I can assure the readers of this paper that most migrants would be equally horrified at John Zammit's lack of respect for what makes us Maltese, besides the history and culture: our beautiful language, which we're proud to speak and read at every opportunity.
Believe me, ma'am, most students 'hate' a lot of subjects.
Still, I would agree that the exam in question should be divided into two exams - one for LINGWA (which would be obligatory for uni entry) and the other for LETTERATURA, similar to the EN exam.
All this having been said, there is always an amount of sacrifice that has to be given and we cannot spoonfeed our teenagers. Make their lives easier, yes, by all means because they have a lot to study. But everything has its limit.
- Moderator's note:
Mr Borg, maybe you would care to enter a valid telephone number next time you comment?
Regarding point 5, I think that the learning of Maltese is becoming too complicated making students loose heart, maybe not obtaining the results they should, thus making them hate it. The most important thing when learning a language is Grammar and spelling. Making our students study numerous literature books, which do not make pleasant reading, does not help.
I remember, in my schold days, studying poetry by Anton Buttigieg, which was a pleasure as it was easy to understand and light hearted, and poetry by Ruzar Briffa, which was a nightmare as the poems were very pedantic and difficult to understand. What I mean to point out by this comparision is that the easier we make our language to study the more appreciated it would be.
@Mario Aquilina
what we do not realise is that we are slowly killing our language by introducing words like 'trejn' instead of Vapur ta' l-art (semetic) or ferrovija (romantic)
@Mr. Zammit
If you call Maltese a dialect then what would you call the English spoken down under ....... not a language for sure
SHAME ON YOU MY FRIEND!
The Australian Govt. knows the value of educating bi/multilinguals, therefore community language schools were created.
Another thing: as soon as Maltese became an official language of the EU, the Irish people starting working to get their language - Gaelic, which they didn't use often enough - recognised. This shows how much a language is important for its people.
Yet another thing: in similar fashion, some Spanish people started insisting on CATALAN being officially recognised as an EU official language. It's good to know that they brought in the excuse that since Maltese was so recognised and only a few thousand ppl spoke it, Catalan should have likewise been also recognised, as various millions of ppl speak it. Well, the EU said that since Maltese was a national language and Catalan was not, there could be no comparison!
Mark Tanti - we have already answered him adequately enough. L-ikbar trux min ma jridx jisma'. There, you see - that's Maltese for you!
Mark, your conclusion is very noteworthy and we had better heed what you say and protect our language - it is what binds us together, what gives us our identity. It's what we have left, by the way.
have you reached. Who are you to tell us were to put our language. Yes we are blessed
that the majority of Maltese citizens can read and write in English and other
languages but this does not give you or anyone else the right to question the
use of our Language. Yes we are blessed that we can read your letter so that we can
understand what you wrote so that the majority of the Maltese can condemn you
for hurting them so badly. Next time you visit Malta you can go around
Identifying yourself as the person who want to abolish the Maltese Language.
My last comment goes to all Maltese at all levels. Are you going to accept this
insult ? Reply firmly to this person.Do not try to convince him with valid
arguments but just condemn him firmly. We can disagree on many subjects but
we should unite in such issues and defend at all costs our language.
Besides ,I don't know how many people you spoke to in English whilst here,but the fact of the matter is, that most have very little idea of how English should be spoken,but simply translate word for word,with laughable consequences.
Would you kindly explain - briefly - how I should pronounce the first letter of the English alphabet if I encounter it in a word? That should be the easiest bit right, the A-B-C?
http://www.campusfm.um.edu.mt/pages/webcastspages/kollumalti.htm
5. The ‘pressure’, as you describe it, which is exerted on our students to do well in Maltese in no way keeps them back from also being proficient in the English language. To be honest and candid with you, only a fool would think that by studying Maltese, our students are finding it difficult to focus on English. So much so that nearly all students in Malta and Gozo are strongly encouraged by our educational system to study, not only Maltese and English, but also at least a third European language. Some schools insist on a fourth European language. This FACT shoots down your assertion.
At what price, you ask? At any price. The Maltese language is our inheritance from our forefathers and we continue developing it with updated grammar, updated literature, and updated glossaries and terminology so as to make it even more easy to use in a plethora of areas.
It’s useless to blindly and foolishly repeat the rhetoric of VIVA MALTA ad nauseam if in the same breath we continue to denigrate that which is more or less our only common characteristic and link to one another, as Maltese.
Apologies for writing so long.
4. This question is a repetition of the second part of your third question – No, indeed, the study of the Maltese language in no way hinders students from being proficient in the English language – which will remain, for us, a foreign language, by the way. It is extremely important for us, being Maltese, to know the Maltese language perfectly because it is OUR LANGUAGE. It is the language of my mother and father and it is the language which I will always cherish and practice. However, being proficient in the English language is equally important, especially for Maltese people because of two reasons: English is a very, very important language worldwide; and because of this and because of the fact that we are a small nation, a small population, our Maltese language has its limitations ABROAD.
2. Having your own language leads you to have a united people. A language leads you to appreciate the fact that you are who you are – it’s not blood that matters, politics, belief – all these, with time, will change or even disappear. But the language remains, whether is is official or not. And today, our Maltese language is declared official by the European Union as much as any other ‘great’ language. The EU could have easily declared some languages to be the only official languages, the languages that it would have worked with. It would have saved quite a lot of money – translators, interpreters, etc … However, since its inception, the EU admitted that maintaining all European languages is one of its priorities.
3. It is a fallacy to claim that in the Global Village, ‘the only international language is English’. Please refer me to some official source which claims this. For instance, French is the language used mostly in diplomatic circles; German is the language generally used in theological essays, papers and studies. German is generally spoken in industrial circles. (Please, I am not in any way downplaying the importance of the English language!)
PART 1.
‘Debates’, as you call them, are fine. But when you debate and debate ad nauseam, then, that would be another matter. But, to answer your queries:
1. The main purpose of a language is to unite a people together. The Maltese people have their own language; some used to call it a dialect but it has since been proved, again ad nauseam, that it is, indeed, a language. A language also manages to identify one people from another. That is why the EU is all in favour of maintaining all European languages, with the belief that thanks to this enrichment that we have in Europe, the different cultures emanating from different peoples can be maintained and enhanced, for the benefit of all.
Many tell me I have an "accent" when I speak Maltese but they still respond to me in Maltese. Please know, that especially in the past, many (not all) Maltese living in Malta used to speak English simply to show off and to show superiority and would look at Maltese speakers as inferior. Those days are gone but you seem to want to revive them.
You say Maltese is a dialect: Do you consider Italian a Latin dialect? You also state that Maltese is difficult. It's not anymore difficult than the English language or other language. All languages are difficult if one doesn't know them.
We are proud to be so tiny and have our own language, a pride which is not shared by John Zammit and some others. Please John, don't be so dogmatic. If you don't like your mother tongue, use whatever language you want but don't insult those who treasure their own language.
Does Mr. Zammit know that besides communicating, a language also serves as the only real means to fully understand the culture and metalities of a civilisation?
I also wonder who are the merchants that speak back to you in English. To me it seems that the grasping of English language locally is low..
"There seems to be a nationalistic fervour to establish a Maltese language ". Well, in other countries it's not considered "nationalistic" to speak one's own language, but simply normal (while it's just absurd and abnormal to prefer an ex colonial master's idiom!)
"Why is there a need for a language that just about everyone agrees to be so difficult to learn and even more difficult to write?"
Nonsense, I'm a German speaking person, and I assure you that I find Maltese more difficult than Greek, but still easier than English :p
Bqajt bla kliem, imma mhux se noqgħod nissapna l-ħmir...
Maltese has nothing to do with English or Italian, and neither is it splintered. A dialect is not written, is not spoken nationally, and is not recognised as an official language. Maltese is spoken both domestically and profesionally. In Malta, English is a replacement to Maltese and not vice versa,
You do not need to be so Capitalistic, Mr Zammiit. Besides, comparing Maltese to Latin is the most ridiculous claim anyone's ever used to describe Maltese... or Latin. Mind you, I'm not obliging to the fact that Maltese is inferior to Latin. I'm referring to the fact that your expertise in the subject is as failing as your contradicting article.
And I am not a fervent patriotic inhabitant of Malta.
Get your facts right, and try not to sound like an overwhelmed immigrant who left Malta to discover things he never thought even existed... other languages and cultures.
A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος, dialektos) is a variety of a language that is characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers.[1] The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors, such as social class.[2]
In popular usage, the word "dialect" is sometimes used to refer to a lesser-known language (most commonly a regional language), especially one that is unwritten or not standardized.[3] This use of the word dialect is often taken as pejorative by the speakers of the languages referred to since it is often accompanied by the erroneous belief that the minority language is lacking in vocabulary, grammar, or importance.
That's exactly what I seem to remember from my long passed school days.
Mr. Zammit, thank you for your baffiling suggestion, but, thanks but no thanks. You see, we love our language, we are proud of it and no other language will replace ours. We can live with knowing Maltese, English and Italian as a minimum and always put Maltese ahead of the rest.
One should ask:
1) What is the main purpose of a language?
2) Where does it lead you to?
3) In this "Global Village", where the only international language is English, does it make sense to give such importance to Maltese, often to the detriment of learning the English language.
4) Do our students who are not so proficient in the English language succeed as one would have hoped in this "Global Village" ?
5) Should the pressure exerted by our society to impose the Maltese language on our students be at the expense of learning English ?
I am in favour of having our own identity through the Maltese language, but at what PRICE???
VIVA MALTA.
I've been living in the UK for the past 7 years, and "obbvju" (that's a word I never heard while in Malta!), speak mostly English, but LOVE it when I get back home and start speaking Maltese to the wife.
My brother and brother-in-law work with me, and guess what? We speak Maltese to each other, even though we work in an Italian restaurant. If anything, the British respect us for being able to speak Maltese, English and Italian fluently.
We love going back to Malta, and being able to speak the language of our parents and grandparents.
Please, think next time you put 'pen to paper', to be honest I doubt that you speak good Maltese, or people would answer you back in Maltese rather than English.
A language is more than just a means of communication.
A language is one of the core attributes of a nation’s identity and without it a nation is less than it could be. This applies even more in the Maltese case where our native language contains embedded within it much of our history and traditions, most of which will be forgotten forever with the death of the language.
I guess that he has become so used in talking in a foreign language that he is seeing OUR LANGUAGE as an obstacle if he decides to retire in Malta.
I hope that you are not one who has 'lost' his language and twists his tongue to speak after a few days down under.
As far as we hear and notwithstanding the difficulties of learning Maltese, children and children's children of Maltese emigrants are seeking to learn the language in order to secure a better understanding of their roots.
I still cannot understand how such conclusions are brought about: "Stop trying to make it a language." In my years at University I have encountered many people whose lack of knowledge of Maltese will definately be a hindrance to their future. How will such people work in legal offices, public sectors and a myriad of other institutions without a very good knowledge and understanding of Maltese? Sometimes as I walked around the corridors of university, I would be ashamed by the sort of language that echoed off those corridors and walls, especially when one remembers that these people will have to advise others on important matters in the near future
And why is it that we have so many busybodies trying to tell us, Maltese, what we should or should not do?
And lastly, isn't it about time that these pseudo-emigrants from Malta decided once and for all to detach themselves from what may have once been their country and just focussed on REALLY living in their 'new' land? This business of bishops and politicians visiting Australia and all this nonsense of Maltese emigrants keeping their Maltese traditions alive ..... all this is utter rubbish!
It is a strange concept which goes against "is-sewwa maghruf !", against centuries of history.
Maltese was "il-kelma li hadna minn ommna". For many, many generations!
It does not need to be established as much as protected, preserved, propagated, taught properly, studied avidly... simply because it is an essential part of our national identity...enough reason I would think!
Unlike your suggestions, Maltese is a very useful language in a large number of different situations - and I am proud to know and use such a beautiful and unique language.
I actually think we should do MUCH more to promote wider use of Maltese in everyday life, including business life and our studies - we have a gem of a language which is underutilised and disrespected; there is so much we can do to give it the life it deserves!
Mr. Zammit, kindly keep your extremist linguistic opinions to yourself.