Maltese English

Abstract

English in Malta is the outcome of a colonial past but educational, social and demographic developments have now distanced it from this era of Maltese history. It retained its important role also following independence: it is a widely used written medium and is spoken by most Maltese nationals, although with varying levels of competence. This is generally better among Maltese of high socioeconomic status, by whom it is used to mark in-groupness. More recently it has become a lingua franca, because of the extent and diversity of recent immigration in Malta: it is used both by theMaltese to communicate with the many non-nationals who reside and work on the island and by immigrants of different nationalities. The fact that English is spoken in Malta constitutes an incentive for some immigrant communities to settle on the island, including those who relocate with young children, incentivised by the opportunity to frequent schools where English is used extensively as a medium of instruction. English is an essential communication tool to establish social and commercial relationships, whether personal or institutional, with foreign counterparts. It is especially important in the tourism sector, not only because it serves as a major enticement both for incoming and outgoing tourism, but also because it enables locals to interact with foreigners, thereby covering functions that, understandably, cannot be accomplished through Maltese. The presence of English is therefore deeply rooted and it is effectively part of Malta’s social bilingualism, also giving rise to a variety, Maltese English, with specific characteristics that clearly distinguish it from British English and other varieties worldwide.