Continuing a long-lasting relationship : reflections on linguistic and cultural encounters of Italians living in Malta

Abstract

The Italian language and culture have always had a special relationship with countries which are geographically close to Italy, especially with those in the Mediterranean basin including Malta, where physical contacts and exposure to Italian via various means of communication have rendered the language familiar to many. Recently, large numbers of Italians have settled in these countries and although most Italians move - primarily for work - to countries in Northern and Central Europe, but their presence in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea is also on the increase.

The perception of Italy, Italians and of the Italian language in the Mediterranean has been strongly influenced by television, especially during the 1970s and 1980s. This is very much the case in Malta where Italian TV programmes were extremely popular up to a few years ago and where, despite a decrease in television viewership especially among the younger generations, television still represents one of the most direct contacts between the two countries. In fact, a feature that distinguishes Malta from many other countries in the Mediterranean is represented by Italian being, to a greater or lesser extent, the ‘third language’ of the nation, as its sociolinguistic features are not all readily associated to those normally assigned to foreign languages because of constant contact, rendered easy through geographical proximity and shaped by historical events. As a result of this, while Maltese and English are today official languages of the islands, Italian maintains an important role especially through the many Italianisms in the Maltese language and because it is widely present in the country’s linguistic landscape. Nevertheless, the challenges faced because of the worldwide importance of English, which has significant effects on the way Italian in Malta is perceived today and on the readiness of youngsters to learn it, are also very real.

In this contribution I firstly provide some general information regarding Malta, with special attention to how sociolinguistic developments shaped its history through contacts with Italy. I also refer briefly to the Maltese language, as its structure and composition are the result of contact with Sicilian and Italian, among other languages. I then turn to the present situation by focussing on the recent increase of Italian nationals who reside in Malta. Social, cultural and linguistic reflections regarding Italians in Malta today will made by providing quantitative and qualitative empirical data.