An Italian nod to English

Bilingualism in Maltese schools offers the advantage of strengthening young people’s English capability, which is useful when using modern technology, when working abroad or in cultural exchanges, said Professor of Italian Joseph Brincat during his recent presentation entitled L’italiano e le altre lingue at the Italian Cultural Institute in Valletta.

In an acknowledgement of the importance of English in many sectors of modern life, the Politecnico di Milano will start to conduct certain science and technology courses entirely in English as from the coming academic year, a decision that certainly raised a few eyebrows, Prof. Brincat admitted.

During his talk, Prof. Brincat referred to the importance of languages in culture from biblical times to the present day and how language becomes part of the fabric of a country. He included a quote from a famous speech by Winston Churchill at Harvard University: “The power to dominate the language of a people provides far greater gains than the provinces and territories taken away or crushed with exploitation. The empires of the future are those of the mind.”

Prof. Brincat’s talk was followed by an exchange of views about the role of Italian versus English in the 21st century. After his presentation, guests were treated to wine and pizza in a relaxed evening reception at the institute during which the discussion continued in a more informal way.

The presentation was the first of the La Scatola Magica (Magic Box) programme of monthly events scheduled to take place at the institute on the initiative of its director Salvatore Schirmo and Italian lecturer Anna Porcheddu.

The next event is a presentation by Nadia Bianchetti, of Sale e Pepe restaurant, on the topic Cibo e vini italiani, on April 9 at 6.30pm.