English as spoken by a four-year-old

Primary schoolchildren from Żabbar are singing in English... They normally only speak Maltese at home and at school but, thanks to a pilot project by the English-Speaking Union, they are being exposed to the spoken language early.

It is only in Year I that these children would start learning English formally, so the exercise at four years old should put them in a better position to grasp the language by then.

That is the idea behind the Arm of Support project to promote English oracy, which is being tested in the nine classes of Kinder II at the Żabbar primary within St Margaret College.

The thinking was that any inculcation before the age of six leaves long-term gains, said ESU steering committee member Bernie Mizzi, who is responsible for educational programmes.

ESU is in the process of setting up a Malta branch, which should be launched in May 2010, and a steering committee was formed last December. Its aim is to create international understanding through English at a time when it is becoming the working language of the global village.

A decision on whether to roll out the programme to other state and Church schools would follow an analysis at the end of the term, Ms Mizzi said.

"We are trying to expose the children to good models and separate the two languages," she said, adding that more volunteers would be required to expand the project.

If it is well received, it will be devised and structured by the University's Centre of Literacy.

"At this stage, the children would be doing little English, if any at all," Ms Mizzi said, highlighting the significance of state schools opening up to such initiatives that allow ESU to support the teacher's programme.

She toured the classrooms, accompanied by ESU education director Martin Mulloy from the UK, to observe teachers and the four voluntary assistants putting the emphasis on spoken English, an exercise that started at the end of October and is being carried out twice a week.

Now it is time to talk about shapes: the children know their faces are round but one even specifies that it could be "oval".

They read from books that have been bought through a €2,000 donation by Rotary Club Malta, and other fun learning equipment purchased through the funds will be making its way into the classrooms shortly.

English was the language of technology, Ms Mizzi insisted, highlighting its importance in today's world and for future generations.

It might not come naturally to these children but they were catching on, said the assistant head in charge of Kinder, Ethel Cachia.