Language values and identities : codeswitching in secondary classrooms in Malta

Abstract

Secondary education in Malta is imparted through two languages: Maltese and English. Both languages are taught as subjects in all schools in Malta, and they are also used to varying degrees and in varying ways as media of instruction across the curriculum. Codeswitching between Maltese and English is a common feature of communication between teachers and learners in secondary classrooms. In this chapter, I will be arguing that we need to look closely at these codeswitching practices and place them against the historical and social background of the islands in order to arrive at a fuller understanding of how language choice and codeswitching reinforce the different values associated with each language within the linguistic economy of Maltese society. [Excerpt from Introduction]