From time to time, we are reminded that command of the English language is slowly deteriorating among the Maltese population (‘English is key to success’, The Sunday Times of Malta, January 5).

This, we are told, is of serious concern as it lowers the commercial (or career) advantage we have so far enjoyed by our proper use of English.

I am not averse to commercial advantage but I think losing our familiarity with English is far more serious than that.

Knowing English beside allowing access to a lingua franca with a global dimension is also a portal to one of the world’s greatest literatures and that is of satisfaction to all and particularly to elderly citizens with more time to read.

Old folk are a sector of the population growing in numbers, struggling to find life worthwhile and hoping to be spared the plight of mental decay.

I feel there is no better way to do this than to dig into the riches of English literature, added to keeping abreast of events of the day by combining acquaintance with foreign languages with the use of the computer.

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