The perennial debate on the level of English used in Malta and Gozo is in full swing. It is indeed useful for the authorities and society in general to focus from time to time on the standard of English in Malta, given both its status as an official language and its global importance in various fields such as communication, education, industry and entertainment.

For an informed discussion to take place, one should ideally first establish where we are now. This is easier said than done.

There appears to be considerable anecdotal information about errors in speech and writing made by students at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education, and by their teachers. Errors sometimes also creep in to official documents and the media.

These stories prompt commentators to draw a gloomy picture of current levels of English. Yet, empirical evidence is hard to come by. Indeed, if one looks at ordinary- and advanced-level results over, say, the last 20 years, one will probably draw a different picture: the number of passes has been generally increasing from year to year, which could suggest that the level of English is actually rising.

Sceptics will then question, for good reason, whether the level of examinations has been maintained by examination boards over the years, an issue that would raise the argument scientifically and professionally. To my knowledge, no research has been done so far on how consistent the level of local English exams, including marking criteria, has been over the years.

The point I wish to make is that the present, widely perceived dip in the level of English has not been properly supported by empirical evidence, and therefore it should not be taken for granted.

The latest Matsec reports lament, as they do every year, the variety of mistakes noted in English papers, but unless these are quantified and compared to other years, they cannot form the basis of a sound argument.

Those senior readers who are tempted to compare nostalgically present standards with their own secondary school days should not overlook the fact that up to the 1970s, the majority of children did not even attend secondary schools and did not sit for O and A levels, and so one wonders what the level of English of these ‘others’ was like.

The widely perceived dip in the level of English has not been properly supported by empirical evidence

Irrespective of the real trend in attainment levels, it is always advisable for one to adopt the healthy outlook that there is ‘room for improvement’ in the level of English used in Malta and Gozo.

Commentators attribute blame for the perceived low standards to one or more of the stakeholders, including the education authorities, the university, the school system, teachers, parents and the students themselves. Issues that come up are bad or absent policies, poor training, ineffective syllabuses and methodology, lack of parental support and poor reading habits.

While each of these areas needs to be evaluated from time to time, it is difficult to treat one in isolation from the rest. Many clamour for better teachers and teaching methods. Yes, we all do, and not just in Malta. What is required for that to come about? Better lecturers and courses at university, and better in-service training.

And once you have better-prepared teachers, properly motivated, what can help them operate effectively? Better policies at the school and directorate levels, better curricula, more motivated students, supportive parents... Education is indeed an intricate organism whose organs cannot be treated in isolation.

The implication of this complex scenario, in general terms, is that we have to keep on doing what we have been doing for years, but in the best way possible. For this purpose, from time to time all stakeholders in the teaching of English should undertake a structured and informed reflection exercise – followed by the implementation of related measures – to find out whether objectives and practices need to be changed or updated according to the social and cultural changes taking place locally and globally, in terms of factors such as communication needs, reading trends and language exposure.

For example, the setting up of clear, realistic and actively followed language policies in schools is, in my view, a battle worth fighting; it could encourage the practice of good spoken English while discouraging the nuisance of code-switching and code-mixing.

One hopes that the current public debate will bear some fruit – essentially, some good ideas towards the improvement of standards and the implementation of practical measures.

In this process, it will be wise first to distinguish the givens from those areas that are subject to change and development. It is there that our efforts should be concentrated.

George Camilleri has a master’s degree in education.