Bilingualism and the educational system in Malta

Abstract

Malta is known to be an officially bilingual country, but can the Maltese school children be considered as such? In an attempt to determine the answer to this question, a survey was conducted which forms the basis of this dissertation. This survey asks a number of questions regarding the most frequent language used in everyday life as well as other questions regarding the educational system. Among these, the children were asked i) whether they like the current English and Maltese grammar books used during such lessons, ii) to rank the four language skills practised most during their English and Maltese lessons and iii) the rating of their own linguistic performance in written and spoken English and Maltese. The survey was conducted by the help of 300 children from 5 different localities around Malta. The interviews took place in religious institutions because undoubtedly the children would feel more comfortable to answer certain questions without the supervision of their school teacher or their parents. The present researcher also addressed a number of questions to the Minister of Education, Dr. Louis Galea. These were based on the results of the interviews conducted earlier on, amongst others concerning the educational system in Malta.