It is a generally accepted fact that Malta has acquired a reputation as one of the leading English language teaching destinations in Europe. This has not come about by chance but is the result of sound strategic decisions over the years, highly-qualified personnel, quality accommodation and a welcoming population.
It is also the direct consequence of a population who in its majority speaks English, albeit to varying degrees of competence. This was also confirmed in a Eurostat study which was published in September to coincide with the European Day for Languages and which confirms that Maltese students are the EU’s most proficient English speakers outside the UK.
This is in fact a unique selling point for Malta, making it even more attractive to whoever is seeking a full-immersion learning experience. Bilingualism is probably one of the most important factors attracting investment and business to Malta as attested by various international attractiveness surveys. The growth of Malta as a hub in various industries, including financial services and ICT, is also due to our bilingualism.
This underlines the importance that our teaching system continues to invest in the necessary resources for quality teaching of English. We are blessed to have a system whereby practically all children are bilingual from an early stage. However, there is no room for complacency. This concept must be nurtured, strengthened and reviewed periodically. It needs to be anchored in our National Curriculum Framework and our wider vision for education. While understanding the importance which has to be given to our native language, the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations in Malta believes that it should not come at the expense of dedicating less importance to the teaching of the English language. Any investment towards improving Malta’s bilingualism is also an investment in Malta’s attractiveness as an English teaching destination.
The teaching of English as a foreign language is a sector which is growing steadily and contributing heavily towards the economy.
The economic aspect of having a bilingual population to sustain this thriving industry should not be underestimated
Up to 82,000 students chose Malta for their English language training last year, representing an 18 per cent increase over the previous year. On average a student studying English in Malta spends 19 days compared to the nine days a tourist spends on average. In fact, in 2012, a total of12 per cent of total nights spent in Malta by tourists were accounted for by students studying English in Malta. Contributing to Malta’s coffers around €135 million, they also accounted for 10 per cent of the total money spent by tourists in Malta. These numbers do not include the significant multiplier effects Malta benefits from in this regard. The figures illustrate quite clearly that the economic aspect of having a bilingual population that is confident and able to speak fluent English to sustain this thriving industry should not be underestimated. Investing in literacy and bilingualism should be a priority for Government and all stakeholders as they both contribute directly to our investment and tourism attractiveness together with better prospects for Maltese children in an ever more globalised world that is yearning for English.
Our vision should start from our schools and teaching institutions. We should aim towards having a bilingual society that is fluent and confident. We should have an educational system that does not discriminate in favour of one or another language.
Languages are complementary to each other and we believe that an approach that exposes children to bi-lingual teaching not only facilitates their ability to develop language skills but in the end, will also continue to strengthen Malta’s competitive edge in all aspects of tourism and beyond.
Genevieve Abela is the CEO of the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations in Malta, FELTOM.