Application of linguistic principles to English language teaching in Malta : an investigation

Abstract

This thesis sets out primarily to investigate the linguistic and pedagogic problems which are most likely to be encountered in Malta in the teaching of an English Language programme based on modern linguistic theory. In an attempt to narrow down the scope of such an investigation, this thesis will be concerned in particular with the teaching of English Secondary School third formers in the Private Schools. The choice of this particular subject has been governed in the main by my experience with third formers having taught this group of students for many years. The Private Schools to-day cater for a large proportion of the Maltese student population, making the group studied in this thesis not as numerically restricted as might be expected. Moreover, I believe that the sociolinguistic background of private school children differs from that of students who tend the state schools. Different home and school environments, where a non-standa form of English is usually spoken by such private school students, present a different challenge for the Maltese English language teacher. This situation, in my opinion, deserves the separate study that I have tried to carry out in this thesis.