It is in the nature of ambitious scholars to attain perfection in the use of the English language especially when it comes to teaching others.

Etymologically, individual words change in meaning, in intonation and in pronunciation over time. In Chaucer’s time the word ‘nice’ meant silly. Nice woman now has a different connotation.

The British themselves pronounce words according to the regional registers. The Welsh, the Irish, the Scots and the British speak the same language. So do the Geordies and the Cockneys. Even with our English background it is difficult to follow their trends of thought let alone the language.

The French, the Italians, the Indians and the Maltese are influenced by their own syntax, sentence structures, accen-tuations including cadencesand intonations.

National and ethnic habits are not easily changed when one emigrates to another language. Only faddists think that the ‘British’ standard should satisfy all. Is it Oxonian English?

Speaking of Oxford reminds me of on Italian visitor asking for Magdalen Bridge, pronouncing the word as written. He was haughtily reminded that the word is Maudlin Bridge. He repeated the expression and was congratulated by “Jolly good, old boy! That’s splendid!”

On visiting London he was surprised to read the headlines of an evening paper: ‘Cavalcade Pronounced Success.’ His confusion was worse confounded.

Back to Malta, one word is surely pronounced correctly in English and that is ‘bowl’.