English language schools and cosmopolitan Paceville

The Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations - Malta (FELTOM) would like to address some of the issues raised by John Guillaumier in his letter of August 16, Babel By Day, Babylon By Night.

Mr Guillaumier laments the changes he has seen in Malta over the last 60 years or more and attributes many of them to the arrival of tourists on our shores, in particular those coming here to learn English.

The first important point to note is that change happens everywhere. Some changes we deem positive, others maybe less so. The whole world has changed over the last 60 years. Modern means of transport and communication have accelerated this rate of change in all corners of the globe. Why should Malta be any different? The factors contributing to change are vast and to suggest that changes in Malta and Maltese society are the result of incoming tourists is a gross fallacy.

On the positive side one has to understand that tourism is a major contributor to the Maltese GNP - in the region of 25 per cent. Over 40,000 jobs are linked to the tourism industry. The government collects millions of euros in taxes each year as a result of this industry. Sixty years ago Malta was a colony, dependent on the United Kingdom. Today we have no one to fall back on. We have few natural resources and the ones we do have, must be exploited fully. We enjoy a temperate climate, a rich cultural heritage and the use of the most widely used language on the planet. Together these have been utilised to create an industry which is a major contributor to the Maltese economy and on which the livelihood of thousands of Maltese depends. This does not equate with a deterioration in the quality of life in Malta.

Unfortunately, there are instances when the enforcement of our laws is quite lacking. Language schools cannot be blamed for this. Nor can they be blamed for instances when alcohol is sold to underage clients. Alcohol consumption by minors also affects Maltese youth, and not just visiting students. Why is no mention made of those who are deliberately flouting the law and doing such a disservice to the tourism industry and to Maltese society in general?

Where there is insufficient transport to meet demand, particularly during the peak summer months, the answer is not to cut off the hand that feeds so many, but rather to address the situation and ensure that supply meets demand. Malta needs a solid infrastructure that can cope with the demands of this important sector of the economy.

Every country has its modern entertainment zone, it does not take the arrival of tourists or language students to create it, though it may help sustain it to the benefit of the local population, as owners are able to invest more in their establishments. Paceville is not just about sleaze and alcohol, it also includes some of the island's first class establishments. It is not all five-star, like everywhere else there is a range in the quality of services provided. There is something to suit every pocket and taste.

There is also a cosmopolitan feel to the area which provides a welcome alternative to the limitations of a small island society. It is unlikely that the majority of the Maltese population wish to be cut off from the rest of the world. Accepting change and adapting to it is the only way Malta can continue to develop into a modern independent state in the 21st century.

Isabelle Pace Warrington executive officer, Feltom, Sliema