Josephine Grech, Qormi
Is Maltese not our national language?
How can our university prohibit students from using their native language in their assessment tools? I am not saying that Maltese should be the medium used when there are external examiners involved or people who are not fluent in Maltese. That is quite understandable and unquestionable. But what is the problem if the examiner is Maltese and can read the language?
While the European Union has accepted Maltese as one of its official languages, the University of Malta is kicking Maltese out politely and "legally". Where are those responsible for protecting our native language?
This "legal" action is very undemocratic and unconstitutional. Our constitution clearly states that our official languages are both English and Maltese. We are not questioning the importance of the English language here. We are asking our leaders to protect our language and explain what is happening.
We cannot let these issues pass by unchallenged and we hope that the University and its senate come out with a definite reply for this question: 'What is wrong with allowing a student to use Maltese in an exam where no external examiners are involved?' After all, it is not only one of our official languages but also the country's one and only national language. Is this how our pride and identity are measured?
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GiovDeMartino@ J Abela
Mar 9th 2010, 18:02
Ejjew nifirhu l-ahwa ghax go Malta l-Kostituzzjoni ta' MALTA hija bil-Malti. U anki l-qrati bil-Malti. Mur obsor!
Id-dip. tal-Gvern normalment jindirizzawna bl-Ingliz. Jien iva nibaghtilhom kollox lura u nitlobhom jiktbuli bil-Malti. L-avvizi kollha li tara, avolja ndirizzati lejn il-Maltin, ikunu bl-Ingliz. L-universita ta' Malta, il-Posta ta' Malta, l-ETC, il-MEPA, fabriki Maltin, supermrkets Maltin Ghases tal-pulizija, sptar, clinics, dip. tal-gvern, banerk...kullimkien qiesna qeghdin l-Ingilterra. Meta nimla c-cekkijiet bil-Malti jibdew iharsu lejja qieshom raw lil Lazzru! Ikkomunika bil-mopbajl ma min trid...ikellmuk bl-Ingliz. Dejjem, dejjem. U zgur li l-Inglz huwa lingwa internazzjonali u mnalla ahna hazin jew tajjeb nitkellmuha. Imma bejnietrna l-Maltin imissna nisthu.
o.galea
Mar 8th 2010, 09:32
Maltese is our national language HOWEVER.... i would consider myself to be bilingual and living in a country that's (thankfully) bilingual.
We have only one natural resource in this country... and that's US... THE PEOPLE.
One PRIMARY reason that foreign investors are attracted to our island is the FACT that
the majority of its citizens speak English. And we can thank our lucky stars too.
If there are no foreign examiners there should be no reason to not allow students to submit their work in Maltese.
the idea that we are not being patriotic for not using Maltese is codswallop. Ultimately, knowledge of the English language (or italian for that matter) is what made the maltese person so successful abroad.
Accept it and be proud to be bilingual.... i am !
Francis Bellizzi
Mar 8th 2010, 08:02
How about asking foreign examiners to learn our language as well or is that too much to ask? After all the EU recognises our language as European. Must we always try to appease other people before us? Are we not equal members of the EU?
k baldacchino
Mar 8th 2010, 06:17
Xi pride & identity - l-Universita qed turi bic-car kemm ma tharisx lejn il-Malti bi kburija anzi qed tistmah bhala lsien "mhux ta' livell"! Dwar l-identita nahseb li dik inhalluha ghal fuq l-i.d. card biss. Dan il-poplu dejjem kien ihares lejh innifsu b'sens ta' inferjorita grazzi ghall-hakmiet li ghadda minn tahthom. Hekk kien, hekk ghadu, tghid hekk se jibqa'?
J Abela
Mar 8th 2010, 04:42
@DeMartino
Il-kumment shih tieghi kien intiz biex, u rnexxielu, jmerik. Mieghi qablu bosta.
Issa jekk m'intix kapaci tinduna xi pprovajna nispjegawlek, dik problema tieghek. Jien anke tajtek ezempji.
Biex tahseb li int u l-opinjoni akbar mill-Kostituzzjoni ta' pajjizek li ikkwotajtlek... ma nafx jien...
Ghadek tghix fi zminjiet tal-konfrontazzjoni personali, tikteb b'ittri kbar ecc. ecc. Irtira f'rokna, irrifletti fuq li qed nghidlek, u ohrog meta tkun lest. Nissimptizzaw mieghek, tinkwetax.
lgalea
Mar 7th 2010, 22:32
J. J. Borg They should be provided with a translator.
GiovDeMartino Prosit Sur Demartino ghax qed turi kif l-istituzzjonijiet kollha risponsabbli ghalihom il-Gvern qeghdin jinsultaw l-ilsien Malta bil-laghaqizmu taghhom lejn ilsien barrani. Meta kien hemm dipartiment tal-Gvern li kitibli bl-Ingliz ktibt lura u ghedtilhom biex iwegbuni bil-Malti ghax jiena Malti u hekk kellhom jaghmlu u hekk ghamlu.
Adrian Borg
Mar 7th 2010, 20:08
@GiovDeMartino
Ha ha ha! Leq l-anqas kelma wahda ma merejtek ... qtajtlek l-ghatx bil-perzut? Ghatx ghall-verita m'ghandhekkx int, ghax mohhok maghluq!
GiovDeMartino@Adrian Borg
Mar 7th 2010, 19:59
QWtajtli l-ghatx bil-perzut Sur Borg. MA MEREJTX kelma wahda milli ktibt jien. U anqas imeriha hadd ghax dik hi l-verita.
Adrian Borg
Mar 7th 2010, 19:08
@Giovanni DeMartino
I wonder why when you go to www.gov.mt you find that the website is in Maltese. You have an option to switch to English then, because as I said we have TWO official languages: Maltese and English. One of the MITA guideline for governmental websites is that they must be provided in both languages.
Regards adverts. All the junk mail I receive issued by Governmental Departments are both in Maltese and in English, Malta's Official languages because they are binded to do so by the Law. I think they issue one purposely for your household in English only as you don't recognize the Maltese language!
As regards to private companies, well I suppose they use a recognized international language, not the country's official one!
Well, as we have become part of your much beloved European Union, you must accept the fact that we have facilitated foreigners to come and take up the job of Maltese ... that's why you had to speak to a foreigner in his, and NOT OUR, language!
GiovDeMartino@Adrin Birg
Mar 7th 2010, 17:56
Nisfida LILEK tmeri kelma wahda milli ktibt jien haw taht. Semplici.
Adrian Borg
Mar 7th 2010, 16:57
@GovDeMartini
We have two officially recognized national languages: Maltese and English. Unfortunately it is people like you who destroy the former one. The One which gives us identity.
GiovDeMartino @ J Abela
Mar 7th 2010, 16:03
Nisfidak tmeri KELMA WAHDA milli ktibt jien haw taht!
J. J. Borg
Mar 7th 2010, 15:21
Yet another useless, uninformed polemic. How are foreign examiners supposed to read students' exam papers if these are written in Maltese? Foreign examiners contribute to making University of Malta degrees credible and so allow our children to apply to the best universities overseas.
J Abela
Mar 7th 2010, 12:04
Teorija ohra minn ta' DeMartino...
Il-ligijiet u l-Kostituzzjoni? miktuba primarjament bil-Malti
Il-Qorti? Lingwa uzata: il-Malti
Il-Gazzetta tal-Gvern? pubblikata bil-Malti
Guramenti? Amministrati bil-Malti
Nista nkompli imma naghzel li le.
Il- Kostituzzjoni ta' Malta, Art. 5 li jghid car li L-Ilsien Nazzjonali ta' Malta huwa l-Ilsien Malti. Billi l-uzanza tippermetti l-uzu ta' l-Ingliz dan ma jirrelegax lil Malti bhala lingwa mhux nazzjonali.
Miriam Cassar
Mar 7th 2010, 11:57
IL-Ilsien Malti jinsab f'din il-qaghda tal-misthija ghaliex min jikkmanda - sew jekk hu l-Gvern, d-Dipt. tal-Edukazzjoni jew l-Universita, IRIDU HEKK.
Josephine, nistiednek tattendi u tappogga l-attivitajiet tal-ghaqda VersAghtini Il-Kelma Maltija (IKM) li hija fost il-ftit ghaqdiet Maltin li bil-fatti qed twassal is-sbuhija tal-Ilsien Malti fid-diversi forom li jinsab- il-Letteratura, l-Ghana u d-Djaletti. Bhalissa ghaddejjin bir-Rakkonti l-Hadd ghat-tfal; waqt li l-ahhar festival li ghamilna fi Frar fil-Marsa kien 'Ballati, Hrejjef u Leggendi' Taghrif: marla@onvol.net Grazzi
Borg Mary
Mar 7th 2010, 11:44
L-aqwa li nifirhu u niftahru li l-Malti hu lsien ufficjali tal-Ewropa! X'ilsien nazzjonali hu??? Dak ghal fuq il-karta u x-xinxilli siehbi
Jonathan Spiteri
Mar 7th 2010, 11:41
The University of Malta is kicking the Maltese language out politely - there is no doubt about that, no doubt my friends! Do your H.W!
S Caruana
Mar 7th 2010, 11:38
@ Josephine
"We are asking our leaders to protect our language and explain what is happening."
Keep asking, keep asking .... what is happening????
GiovDeMartino
Mar 7th 2010, 10:50
I answer your question: NO, Maltese in NOT our national language. In practice, at least. Govt. depts. address us in English, All notices all over the island are written in English; when I contacted the Soc Ser Dept in Valetta I was asked to address whoever answered the telephone in English bec he spoke no Maltese; all notices issued by MEPA and found on building sites are in English; magazines addressed to us, Maltese, are normally in English
The majority of adverts are in English....and then we expect to address the Germans, french etc in....Maltese..
Franco Farrugia
Mar 7th 2010, 10:43
I am no spokesperson for the University, but a comment recently published here claimed that the reason was due to the use of foreign assessors. This would be a plausible reason.