Once in a while we get a reminder that the Maltese language, though rich in its own right, with a full-blown literature and a lexicon that is mostly up to date, even in technological terminology, is only a language spoken by a very small nation. And only a part of that, if truth be told.
The recent Eurobarometer survey indicating that only 6.5 of Maltese internet users browse, read and communicate in their language is not really a surprise and this is for a number of reasons.
The Maltese are essentially bilingual. And even if this state of affairs has slipped somewhat in the last few decades, there can be no doubt that, at least, the Maltese have a strong command of English as a second language. Again, in some communities on the island, English has even become the first language. Add to this the fact that, according to the Internet World Stats, by the middle of last year, English usage had a language penetration of the internet of 27.3 per cent. This means it was by far the language most used, with Chinese following at 22.6 per cent. This probably also indicates that the majority of the 255 million websites that were on the internet last December are in English.
On the face of it, it seems that here English has established itself as the main language of communication, both in e-mails, social media interactions and text messages. Of course, the short-missive abbreviations that have become almost a by-language norm in English do not yet exist in Maltese except in a limited way. Even people whose face-to-face communicative language of preference is Maltese tend to go for English for quick communications.
So, on the one hand, it is almost logical that most Maltese would browse for English-speaking websites, and in English, and as a direct result also construct their own websites in the language they feel will reach as many people across the world as possible.
On the other hand, it is, of course, a pity that such a magnificent opportunity to diffuse the Maltese language even further through this worldwide vehicle is being wasted. As suggested by the study, having a bilingual website would be ideal but it is difficult to agree with the 82 per cent who suggested that this should be made compulsory.
The native language is, thankfully, not yet at a stage where it needs to be legally protected, as so many minority languages are around Europe. It is very much alive and, though monitoring its development and usage is useful and is being done quite thoroughly by the National Council for the Maltese Language and others, the imposition of a legal obligation to design Maltese versions of websites would merely amount to an unnecessary financial burden on all those who have theirs made by professionals. It could also potentially inhibit the production of websites, lessening the frequency of the island’s voice among the much more strident cacophony of other nationalities.
What is needed is the will to make sure there is a supply that will then, hopefully, nurture a heightened demand for browsing in Maltese. No stone should be left unturned to devise ways and means to attract more web users to sites in Maltese. Schools, where IT use and internet access are becoming increasingly widespread, can play a leading role here. The education authorities and the National Council for the Maltese Language can devise common initiatives too.