English continues to top the attractiveness surveys of our country. English has emerged as the international language of business communication, particularly in certain industries such as travel, hospitality, engineering and construction, information and communication, healthcare and finance. Of the seven billion people in the world, approximately two billion people speak English. We are among this privileged minority. This places our country among the top business minded countries of the world.
Nevertheless, like everything precious we should protect and safeguard the use of English. Complacency and lack of discipline with the way we use English has, over the years, started to erode the quality of English in the Maltese islands. Moreover, the advent of modern fast means of communication has contributed to this decline. The damage comes in the form of bad spelling, to bad grammar, to wrong pronunciation.
Undoubtedly, the internationalisation of this country has over the past 200 years been underpinned by the presence of English on which trade connections have been built. More recently, English has been responsible for the attractiveness of tourism, foreign direct investment and education. The present and the future continue to depend on our English as a firm basis for the oncoming expansion of financial services and high-value added industry in our country. Without our strong attachment to English we would have been unable to attract such sophisticated sectors such as the fund industry, wealth management companies, ICT organisations, life science and research and development projects, to mention just of few of the smartest areas a country would hope to attract to its shores in the foreseeable future. This is one way to survive the prevailing world economic dilemma and, again, English is an important catalyst.
The importance of English in the world is emphasised by the efforts all countries make to speak it. People who want to explore success in their respective fields consider English as the platform on which to achieve it. Globalisation has increased the importance of English. Ironically, as much as I am keen on diversification, for many countries the lack of adoption of the English language has kept them aloof. Now, with the advent of globalisation, we experience a continuing spread of the language. Eastern European countries, for instance, are making English a compulsory subject in primary education.
In Malta we do not have to deal with this learning curve. We are already up there. However, down is fast and we do not want to go that way. For us, English is pride and a sign of distinction. As such, let us uphold it and speak it and write it right. Let us not be shy and stay away from places that help us perfect our English whoever we are and whatever our profession, work or background. Let us make use of our schools, colleges and places like the recently formed English Speaking Union (www.esumalta.org) and other similar organisations on the island. Let us look for such places and refresh our good use of English.
As we go along in this country we are going to need the smarter use of English because of the influx of very English-based business. The capital markets of the world, becoming more represented in our country, work in English across the globe. Don’t we owe it to our country that we give back our guests the best of English they can come across in the world? As a result, they will cherish their decision to come to Malta and entice others to our shores. This translates in nothing other than employment and wealth. English is therefore wealth for us. Let’s use it correctly.
The author is Ernst & Young publisher of the Malta Attractiveness Survey and treasurer of the English Speaking Union’.