Do Maltese migrants transmit their native language? : a diaspora analysis of Maltese language teaching amongst Maltese migrants of different generations

Abstract

I must admit that I am a proud Maltese teacher and I love everything about our native language, mainly its uniqueness. This love towards the Maltese language is not only transmitted to my native students but also to a couple of foreign students. During a particular lecture, I was surprised to know that the Maltese language is also being taught abroad in around 35 registered and nonregistered schools and classes. Thus, I approached the lecturer himself, Dr. Raymond C. Xerri, a diaspora researcher, and he guided me through various readings until I came up with an interesting research question, until this day, quite unexplored. The main aim of the study is to determine whether and in what way the Maltese language is being transmitted to our diaspora in the Commonwealth of Australia and Canada, Belgium, and Luxembourg and to their generations (focusing on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation). The expected contribution to the field will include the preservation of the Maltese language in the countries where Maltese diaspora have settled, thus making it not just a ‘local dialect’ but elevating it to a more international and global level easily reached and explored by everyone. Historical information about any topic which one happens to be reading about is a must if one wants to obtain a thorough understanding of the subject at hand. To this extent, the first chapter, ‘The Migration Context,’ aims at providing the reader with historical information about the main background of this research, migration and the diaspora patterns of the Maltese people. All this eventually leads to the second chapter, ‘Migration effects on the native language,’ focusing on the other important element in this research, which is the Maltese language. It also contains historical anecdotes about our native language while explaining how the language in Australia, Canada, Belgium, and Luxembourg is being used, taught and therefore transmitted to different generations. As it might seem, a controversial section in this chapter gives a taste to the readers on how the Maltese language is portrayed in this day and age, and the various discussions that continuously take place. The initial chapters provide a substantial background to the research question. An accurate account of how the research question was approached and addressed can be observed in the third chapter, ‘How the goals were accomplished; The Research Methodology.’ In particular, the methodology used interlinks the migration context, the Maltese population diaspora patterns and the transmission of the Maltese language in Australia and Canada and also Luxembourg and Belgium. The statistics gathered through my primary data collection exercise gave rise to the penultimate chapter; ‘A diaspora analysis of the Maltese language teaching in Australia, Canada, Belgium, and Luxembourg – Data Analysis’, were a detailed analysis on what the study focuses about can be observed. This forms the bulk of this work and sheds light on how the Maltese language is transmitted in the mentioned four countries, thanks to the main transmitters – i.e. the teachers. ‘Concluding Remarks and Next Steps’ is the last chapter to be presented in this research. As the heading shows, it mainly leads to further potential research that may be done in this area, but also, actions which need to be taken to try and preserve our native language while trying to transmit it to our diaspora scattered around the world.