Joseph Scicluna, Tarxien
That rather old language question
I refer to the letters on the language question by Frans Sammut and Josephine Grech (March 3 and 7 respectively).
In 1945 I was awarded a British Council Scholarship by virtue of which I, with two other students, attended a course of studies at Nottingham University, leading to a Diploma in English Studies and a Certificate of Proficiency in English.
One of the subjects in the latter was translation to English from a foreign language. A number of languages were prescribed, but the Maltese language was not included.
Because of this omission, we three students complained to the dean and pleaded that the Maltese language was discriminated against. Also, as other students could use their language as foreign we could not, but would have to use another foreign language. This was an uncalled-for decision.
Our complaint was passed on to the examination board who, seeing reason in our plea, accepted to introduce the Maltese language with others and, henceforth, future Maltese scholars would be on the same level as other foreign students.
However, as we had already sat for this subject, we asked that as a good gesture we would be additionally examined with the inclusion of the Maltese language, which we did and our certificate has the Maltese language included.
I remember that when Ġużè Cassar Pullicino came to know about this case, he praised our initiative and recommended that such initiatives be taken up by the government bodies.
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cassar paul joseph
Apr 4th 2010, 00:10
By denying the use of the Maltese language (especially in courses related to Maltese Studies) the University is definitely not appreciating what is ours, what is unique, and what is perhaps very at heart to others. Linguistic rights all over the world stress that nobody could be denied to use his/her chosen language - no matter what reason/excuse is brought forward. And this is crystal clear - just google "linguistic rights" and see for yourselves.
Pule' Carmel
Apr 3rd 2010, 00:17
I just want to thank my own parents who gave me and taught me how to use total freedom to learn whatever I wished. Persons who want to learn theEnglishLanguage on their own, and be their own examiner, all they wants to do is to start writing comments in the Times and then weigh the standard of their contribution, by the comments they receives through other contributors. They will certainly tell you where you are, in language use.
Higher education is totally different from primary education, in that at primary level the teacher transfer knowledge, but at higher education the lecturer or tutor recognises a student’s potential and BRINGS out and EXTRACTS the student’s own talents without transferring the tutor’s own characteristics. This is how a nation grows, this is what the UNIONS and DOCKYARD MANAGEMENT should have done. I am proud to say that, I recognised the superpower in some of my students and without question I trust them. I now have my students as my head of department, and my pro-dean, about 6professors in USA and a few more in UK and three or four in Malta. A university recognises good students by their voluntary contributions,not by forcedexaminations.
Pule' Carmel
Apr 2nd 2010, 15:54
There are so many ways to educate people, depending what one wants to finish up with. A good teacher offers his shoulders to a good student so that the student can reacher higher. When Albert Einstein in his orignial work on atomic energy he went over to the American President with his orignial concepts which no teacher or no educational institution ever heard of before, the American President asked no questions about the abilities of Albert Enstein, and trusted him impicitly with the Manhatten Project.
Once when one retiring Professor at MIT was asked why the institution has grown so much he said , It is simply because retiring Professors take out so little with them and new students bring in so much."
As a Professor serving at Malta University, for 40 years I have recognised that the potential of some Maltese students is better than mine, and I give them every opportunity to invent and research in directions that I am not capable of, and believe me thay reach the highest grades locally and abroad. Such is the manner to motivate good students, trust them, empower them and let them be responsible. It is the only way we grow.
Alfred Farrugia
Apr 2nd 2010, 15:01
I have not read John Edward’s book mentioned by Frans Sammut. But I have read that identity (together with recognition and security) is a basic human need, and it has to be satisfied if conflict is to be avoided.
I have not seen the reasons of the university authorities for the changes being discussed. If the authorities in Malta want to strengthen the use of the English language, they need to do a few things. The teaching of English in primary and secondary schools needs to be improved. The Department of English at the University needs to “support non-native speakers of English” – both Maltese and foreign, as is done in universities abroad. Some of the comments appearing frequently on this paper show that there is room for improvement in the use of the English language all round. The Education Department and the media could be instrumental in providing such improvement.
http://eli.gmu.edu/gmu_comm/SupportServicesSP10.pdf
http://www.gmu.edu/depts/unilife/eli/
The quality of the Maltese language also needs attention. Flowery expressions by some lawyers are not necessarily good Maltese. Our schools and university, the Department of Information, and the Attorney General’s Office need expert professionals of the Maltese language.
Jesmond Micallef
Apr 1st 2010, 23:06
The question of "nations". Individual land areas, nations, have their own geographical architecture, make it geology, environment, natural resources, even specific human DNA. Igloos are not skyscrapers, straw huts are not concrete buildings, neither rivers are oceans or seas, mountains or meadows, forests or deserts, marshlands or lakes. Local habitats with local food, clothing, traditions, lifestyles, cultures etc etc....
As long as the notion of "nations" remains, then there is no question about the language.
What I really question here is why in this long time ex-British colony, Malta, with daily exposure to the english language, whether its a newspaper, cinema, magazines, TV, radio stations etc, people seem to be reporting the poor level of the english language !!!
I have indeed seen traditionally english newspapers such as the Financial Times in German, not to mention all of the other international magazines. Even the BBC has a website completely in German. Furthermore, do people know how expensive english magazines are in Germany ?
Any contributions here, please ? Logic seems to fail me somehow.
Franco Farrugia
Apr 1st 2010, 21:09
@ C. Pule: Forgive me, but I cannot refrain from reacting to your comments:
1. You could not offer 'a prestigious technical paper or publication' in Maltese, either because there was none in your time or else because you didn't deign to look for one. That is not the situation today.
2. You say that you were your own examiner and your own invigilator. Once again, please, do not take this as an insult - I don't mean it as such - but ... I cannot fathom which serious educational institution would ever stoop so low.
Frans Sammut
Apr 1st 2010, 20:23
@Franco Farrugia
Din l-ewwel darba li qiegħed nikteb bil-Malti f’ġurnal bl-Ingliż, imma la inti għażilt li tagħmel hekk, se nitlob lill-moderatur jieħu ftit paċenzja bija wkoll.
Tiħux għalik, imma bħala edukatur missek taf li l-grammatika tgħidilna li għandna ngħidu: “Jien wieħed minn dawk li tista’ tiddeskriviHOM bħala ‘militanti’ tal-lingwa Maltija.”
It-tieni, ma naqbilx ma’ dak li għidt lis-Sinjorina Miriam Cassar. Jiena naqbel magħha li s-suġġeriment tagħha jkun jiswa mitqlu deheb lill-istudenti. Jiena ma naqbilx ma’ miżuri bin-nofs jew bil-biex. La l-UE wkoll laqgħet il-Malti bħala wieħed mill-ilsna uffiċjali tagħha, m’għandu jkun hemm l-ebda limitu għal dak li jista’ jsir għat-tisħiħ u għat-tkattir tiegħu.
Jisgħobbija ngħidlek li l-attitudni tiegħek lejn il-potenzjal tal-Malti hija waħda mxekkla minn nuqqas kbir ta’ għarfien lingwistiku li kienu jbatu minnu wkoll l-għedewwa tal-Malti ta’ dari. M’għandniex xi ngħidu m’iniex ngħid li inti wieħed minnhom imma jkolli nistqarr li tbati min-nuqqasijiet tagħhom. Tistagħġeb xejn, Ġużè Muscat Azzopardi nnifsu kien iħobb ħafna l-Malti u ħadem għalih bil-kbir, b’danakollu kien jaħseb li l-Malti ma kellux jidħol fil-qrati. Iż-żmien tana parir differenti. L-istess jaf jagħmel dwar is-suġġerimenti tas-Sinjorina Cassar.
Pule' Carmel
Apr 1st 2010, 19:32
I did not follow a secondary school programme as I followed a technical education at the Local Dockyard School and then proceeded to continue at the Dockyard school in Chatham. It was at this place that I knew I could go to university so I asked my Dockyard teachers if it was possible for me to sit for the Oxford and Cambridge GCE examination at the Dockyard school, as it was never held there before. The principal looked at me, smiled and called me a “Trouble maker” and he accepted to give me that concession. I sat a few scientific subjects including language examinations as English, Italian, Maltese and French. It was an interesting situation as Mr Fearless had explained, I was the only one in the Dockyard school who understood the Italian, French, Maltese and he said that I may act as my own invigilator during those examinations. I am such a lucky man to have always lived with reasonable and sensible people and these arguments as to language being given political importance, never entered our minds. WE all spoke what was necessary to speak, especially in engineering, science and technology!
Pule' Carmel
Apr 1st 2010, 19:30
During my final undergraduate year at Newcastle University I was required to show proficiency in translating from technical languages which were in those days, French, German, and Russian. I asked my professor to introduce the Maltese language and he simply said, “Show me prestigious technical paper or other publication written in the Maltese Language and I shall accept Maltese as a Technical Language.” Obviously I could not. Then I suggested that the Italian Language should be considered, which of course he accepted, but when the examination time came, he forgotten to set me an examination paper in Italian. He did not fret, and asked me to return the next day to the departmental library where he gave me a few pages of a book written in Italian to translate; he left me all alone and came back 12 hours later!!! He said that I had caused him a problem as he had no Italian examiner to correct my paper. He knew me very well, and after looking at me in the eye he said, “Please Pule’ get me out of this problem and correct your own examination!!” I read it to him and he agreed on a PASS!!!
Frans Sammut
Apr 1st 2010, 18:32
This question of language and national identity is a key topic in sociolinguistics.I am surprised and amazed that the Department of Maltese and particularly the Institute of Linguistics up at Tal-Qroqq should remain silent on the matter as they have done to date. Rather than going into the whole rigmarole, may I suggest that the readers who have posted the interesting comments on this board consult John Edwards’ Language and Identity, An introduction. The language we use forms an important part of our sense of who we are, i.e. of our identity. The book outlines the relationship between our identity as members of groups, ethnic, national, religious and gender, and the language varieties important to each group. The book seeks to answer the following questions: What is a language? What is a dialect? Are there such things as language ‘rights’? How have languages been used to reinforce the national identities of the speakers of different languages? Edwards’ book goes a long way to satisfy queries on the relationship between the national language – Maltese – and our national identity as Maltese.
Franco Farrugia
Apr 1st 2010, 17:21
@ Miriam Cassar: Jien wiehed minn dawk li tista' tiddeskrivini bhala 'militanti' tal-lingwa Maltija. Imma l-kumment tieghek huwa assolutament barra minn loku, m'hu reali xejn u huwa bazikament esagerazzjoni, u dan, kemm f'li tghid li l-awtoritajiet Maltin 'iridu jtemmu hajjet l-Ilsien Malti', li m'hu minnu xejn, kif ukoll f'dak li tixtieq tara li certi suggetti akkademici jigu mghallmin bl-Ilsien Malti. Jien ukoll edukatur, u nassigurak li dakl i qed tissugerixxi int, mhux talli hu holma fantastika imma talli, li kieku kellna nippruvaw nippjanaw biex inwettquh, inkunu qedin naghtu servizz hazin lill-istudenti. Ma naqbel xejn mieghek u mal-kumment li tfajt.
@J Camilleri and Gatt: I fully agree with the reason that the University of Malta gave, with regard to the English language medium being used for the sake of foreign examiners. No, I do not believe that there is some 'agenda' to destroy the Maltese language. It is rather a question that the authorities want to strengthen the use of the English language within the academic sphere, which to me, makes some sense.
paul spiteri
Apr 1st 2010, 15:15
@ Tony Gatt
Well said Tony - in one sentence you summed up the agenda behind this issue!
Tony Gatt
Apr 1st 2010, 15:01
It seems the British were more tolerant to Maltese than the present "home grown" government is!
gatt, m
Apr 1st 2010, 11:29
Sur Scicluna,
Jiġifieri inti taf kemm bl-Ingliż u kemm bil-Malti hux hekk? U naħseb li inti kompetenti fit-tnejn hux hekk? Għax l-għorrief ta' Tal-Qroqq u l-Ministru qed jgħidu li l-istudenti jridu jipprattikaw l-Ingliż tagħhom u għalhekk ma jistgħux jiktbu bil-Malti - anzi l-Malti narmuh ġol-Universita. Il-Malti tajjeb biss għal ġod-Dipartiment tal-Malti u daqshekk. U mbagħad joħorġu jgħidu li m'hemmx aġenda kontra l-Malti - mela mhux hekk? Kieku ħarġu b'din il-ħrafa llum fl-Ewwel ta' April kont ngħid li forsi xi ċajta imma .... sfortunatament din mhi ċajta xejn.
Prosit Sur Scicluna - pero naħseb li issa rrealizzajt li f'dan il-pajjiż flok sejrin 'il quddiem sejrin lura. Inti semmejt lil Cassar Pullicino - nistgħu nibqgħu nsemmu - Dun Karm, Mikiel Anton Vassalli, Manwel Dimech .... u n-nies kollha li ħadmu favur il-Malti u li tagħhom għandna ruxxmata monumenti u ismijeit ta' toroq - pajjiż tal-kuntradizzjonijiet tgħid?
j camilleri
Apr 1st 2010, 11:04
Mr Scicluna,
In 1945 you were praised for your deed in favour of the Maltese language. In 2010 Maltese University students might be penalised for using the Maltese language! They are being denied to use their native language and this with the blessing of everybody (it seems). Oh what would Guże Cassar Pullicno say re this matter? Are we moving backwards or forwards? Judge for yourselves!
Miriam Cassar
Apr 1st 2010, 10:40
Mr.Scicluna, l-awtoritajiet Maltin jridu jtemmu hajjet l-Ilsien Malti (ie.l-Gvern u l-Universita'). L-unika triq li fadal ghal min jixtieq jitghallem bil-Malti f'PAJJIZU (l-illitterati u forsi grupp zghir ta' tfal) - hija li napplikaw ghal Skola Etnika Maltija. Dawn huma skejjel fejn it-taghlim isir bil-lingwa ta' kommunita zghira li tghix f'pajjiz. Jigifieri s-suggetti kollha inkluz il-Matematika, x-Xjenza, l-Istorja, il-Gografija u l-kumplament, jigu studjati bil-Malti; l-Ingliz jigi mghallem bhala t-Tieni Lingwa. Minn dawn l-iskejjel (Ethnic Schools) hemm 30 fl-Ingilterra biss. Dan jirrifletti l-Etnitajiet differenti li jghixu hemm. Ahna l-Maltin lanqas din l-GHAZLA m'ghandna! VersAghtini Il-Kelma Maltija (IKM) hija wahda mill-ftit Ghaqdiet li qed tahdem sabiex izzomm haj l-Ilsien Malti. Grazzi