The Maltese language faces the risk of “digital extinction” due to a lack of technology support, according to Nationalist MEP Francis Zammit Dimech.

Reiterating the need for the Maltese language to be boosted on digital platforms and applications, Dr Zammit Dimech recalled how he had tabled a series of amendments on a report addressing challenges faced by languages in the digital age to tackle such a problem.

The MEP was addressing the annual Translating Europe Workshop with the topic ‘Digital prospects: support for the online presence of Maltese’.

“The Maltese language is part of our national identity, which makes us proud of who we are. That is why I believe it is important to facilitate the teaching and learning of the Maltese language, which we use in our daily lives as well as on digital media,” said Dr Zammit Dimech.

He said it was everyone's responsibility to ensure the Maltese language was well integrated and used within the digital sphere including on digital platforms and through digital assistants such as Siri and Alexa.

The MEP, reacting to recent news reports, expressed concern that in Malta many young people were no longer able to speak and write well in Maltese and in English and some of them were performing poorly in school as a result.

“Poor learning skills are concerning because if young people are not able to speak languages well, they will not be able to enter the job market. It is only through continuous efforts of teaching Maltese to younger generations that we will be able to keep our language alive and transmit it to the generations to come. The Maltese language is just as important to building human connections offline, as it is online.”

Dr Zammit Dimech went on to say new digital media provide the opportunity to promote the use of Maltese language online to reach as many people across the world as possible and to diffuse the Maltese language. “We must all work together to make sure other digital services will be introduced in the Maltese language,” he added.