The English-Speaking Union of Malta
The English-Speaking Union is an international charity, founded in 1918, to promote English in international public speaking, encourage the enjoyment and constructive use of English through educational programmes and provide a forum for international friendship through the worldwide network of English-Speaking Unions in every part of the world. Some 52 countries now boast of having an English-Speaking Union, from as far afield as Morocco to Mongolia and Chile to Croatia.
In common with the objectives and ethos of English-Speaking Unions worldwide, the English-Speaking Union of Malta is committed to raising standards of spoken English, with particular emphasis on our schools and the University of Malta, fostering the enjoyment and constructive use of English through educational programmes and encouraging cultural activities in English. Given the importance of English to Malta's development in business, commerce, financial services and tourism, the establishment of the English-Speaking Union of Malta is a crucial step forward.
Our programme of work is actively under way. We have started introducing debating skills and public speaking in schools and at the University and we will continue to press for the development of this activity in the months ahead.
Following our success last year, we have just nominated several young people to attend ESU-sponsored scholarships in England this summer, for an International Relations seminar at Oxford University and also for two Shakespeare scholarships.
We arranged for an outstanding speaker, Stanley Wells, a world authority on Shakespeare, to address audiences at schools, the University and at public forums last November. We have already arranged for David Crystal and Mrs Crystal, renowned experts on the English language, to come to Malta next January. It is our intention to invite other top-level English speakers to address audiences here in the months ahead.
In addition, we started an initiative last October to introduce a practical, hands-on English-speaking support programme in primary schools, known as Arm Of Support, starting with Żabbar Primary School. Here, over the past eight months, just under 180 children in Kindergarten 2 classes have been very successfully and enthusiastically exposed to English conversation, through play activities under the guidance of our dedicated volunteer teachers and in close collaboration with the excellent teachers at Żabbar school.
The Centre for Literacy at the University of Malta is kindly assisting us in conducting some research into the benefits of the Arm Of Support programme. We hope to be able to extend the programme to another school very shortly and we are seeking new volunteers to enable this to happen.
ESU Malta started a programme of courses aimed at improving spoken English skills, known as English In Action, which is run from our office in Sliema and is open to all residents of Malta and Gozo. So far, about six concurrent English conversation courses for groups of five or six people, as well as one-to-one courses, are being run. Tailor-made courses are just getting under way in a number of private banks, at the Institute of Tourism Studies and in some hotels. We intend to expand these considerably in the months ahead. We have also run two very successful workshops on public speaking and on diplomatic negotiating skills.
We have the support in all that we are doing of the Minister for Education, who has kindly consented to be our patron, and the opposition spokesman on education, both of whom recognise the considerable added value the English-Speaking Union of Malta can bring to both promoting and improving the all-important use of the English language in Malta.
The International Council of the English-Speaking Union in London has ratified the establishment of the English-Speaking Union of Malta, which will be formally launched here tomorrow by Lord Watson of Richmond, chairman emeritus of the ESU International Council, in the presence of some 60 delegates from around the world.
We are also establishing a most enthusiastic Gozo Branch with effect from next Sunday, with the same aims and objectives, and our visiting delegates will be going to Gozo on that day for the official launch.
The establishment of the ESU in Malta will enable us to benefit from all the splendid educational and other facilities the ESU offers as well as access to over 50 other countries that belong to the union. We are convinced it will act as a catalyst for raising standards of spoken and written English in Malta.
The author is a graduate of Cambridge University and director of education and administration at ESU Malta
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Adrian Borg Cardona
May 27th 2010, 16:29
Why does Mr. Vella consider foreigners who live in Malta and do not learn Maltese as "arrogant"? Is the problem perhaps that these foreigners all speak English as almost all Maltese do? So what is the point of learning Maltese when you can get by in English? An English friend of mine living here was determined to learn Maltese but gave up because whenver she said something in Maltese it was repeated to her in English - or got replies in English! Don't get me wrong - I love the Maltese language but cannot see why we should call foreigners "arrogant". I know that some local councils also provide classes in Maltese and these are well attended. In Gharb last year, I even witnessed an award giving ceremony to those who learnt Maltese - and there was quite a number.
Jesmond Micallef
May 27th 2010, 18:16
Adrian Borg Cardona. I relate your comment here to a form of "psychological insubordination." We all know what happens when somebody tries to grab the bull by the horns in order to challenge established norms. I honestly feel quite surprised when a foregner speaks Maltese to me. Tell me why ?
This is indeed the background to what I usually write here at the timesofmalta.com concerning the english language in Malta. In Germany, the BBC has a dedicated website in German. The Financial Times is alo printed in German, as all major international magazines.
I would expect so, in France too. English magazines are very expensive to buy in these proud unoccupied countries.
lgalea
May 28th 2010, 09:36
Jesmond Micallef you are right. If someone wants to go and live or retire in a foreign country s/he should learn their language and not expect the locals to learn his. According to some it would be logical that those coming from other countries who do not speak English expect that we also learn their language and not the other way round. This does not mean that people should not learn foreign languages and the more the merrier, but foreigners expecting that we learn their language for them to communicate with us in our own country when it should be the other way round is not acceptable. As you say, it is a sign of subordination to everything foreign and should be resisted at all costs.
Jesmond Micallef
May 27th 2010, 11:37
I am always in agreement with initiatives which address further progressive development. Indeed, the English language is the "language", but I do feel concerned with regards to the further development of the Maltese language with equal order. What do I mean to say ?
Judging from my experience on the european continent, Malta is a nation which has indeed a constant tremendous exposure to the English language in its social infrastructure. Indeed, films at the cinema are not translated into Maltese. There are very popular Maltese newspapers written in english, magazines, TV programmes, advertisements,school text books, foreign examinations and awards. These are all very well established in Malta's psychological formulation with its long standing connection with Britain, the native English speaking capital of the world.
Whilst I welcome this initiative, I remain pretty much sceptical if not indeed "pessimistic" towards the enhancement and further progressive development of the Maltese language in a nation which is still pretty much the psychological property of the British Empire.
Furthermore, I also wish to express my dissapointment at foreign people living in Malta and Gozo who do not learn Maltese. I tend to view this as a problem of attitude and indeed integration.
Wenzu Vella
May 27th 2010, 14:39
Jesmond
It is not just attitude it is ARROGANCE...............
Melissa Bagley
May 27th 2010, 15:58
Wenzu & Jesmond
Not all immigrants in the USA speak English for a number of reasons - does that make them arrogant?
Jesmond Micallef
May 27th 2010, 17:50
Well people, I'll put politeness aside now. Germany is a nation that lost two world wars. Was it occupied by the great victorious nations ? Was english, french, or russian imposed upon it ? German is the official language of Germany. French is spoken in France. English is spoken in Britain, Britain has nukes, but also France has nukes. Nobody imposes a foreign language upon these nations. Nobody. They have the nuclear option, they don't exist, nothing else should !!!
Consider my message to both passionate and emotional. Mother languages are pretty much so. Any captain of a French Nuclear submarine can understand that and can sympathise with me too.
By the way, I speak Maltese, English, German and Italian. I am very proud of my German, even when considering my formation in anotherwise ex British colony. I am very glad that Germany retained its own pure language. I am very happy for Germany. I am also very proud of my Italian and happy that the Italians do not speak German just like the French.
I am happy for these "proud" nations that made me "proud" too. I am gratefull indeed. Enjoy.....