Bilingualism : the Malta experience

Abstract

Malta is today faced with the need for a thorough-going bilingualism (or even mutlilingualism) cherished through education. It is a need that arose from historical circumstances and is being sustained mainly by the social, political and economic conditions in which Malta is finding itself in this last decade of the century. We have two official languages, Maltese and English, recognised by the Constitution of Malta. Being a small island whose capital wealth is to be found in its human resources, we have always laid widespread emphasis on the learning of foreign languages. Maltese (the mother tongue) and English (the second language) are taught from the very first classes in primary schools and two other language options are later on introduced at the secondary level. The choice of foreign languages has to be made from Italian, French, German, Arabic, Spanish, Russian and Latin. [excerpt]