Following the 90th anniversary since the Maltese language became recognised as an official language of the Maltese islands earlier this summer, this newsroom reached out to Maltese language organisations to discuss the empowerment and preservation of Maltese language locally.

The Malta Independent sent questions to the Centre for the Maltese Language (ĊIM), the National Council for the Maltese Language and the respective university student organisation for Maltese students, L-Għaqda tal-Malti (GħMU). Out of these three, the National Council for the Maltese Language did not respond.

The university students said that "the extent to which Malta is actively preserving and empowering the Maltese language varies across different sectors". They noted that while voluntary organisations, such as themselves, and the academic sector play a vital role in fostering a deeper appreciation for the Maltese language and cultural heritage, "there are significant concerns at a broader level, particularly with regard to the role of government entities".

GħMU told this newsroom that "more robust support is needed to bolster language and literature within the national context".

"For example, government communications often contain substandard Maltese," the university students described. "There is also a pressing need for greater investment in local literature, including the establishment of more bookshops, among other initiatives."

Additionally, the students highlighted the issue surrounding the recently-founded Centre for the Maltese Language and its lack of recognition; despite being set up in 2023, ĊIM is not recognised by seven Maltese language organisations. GħMU also spoke critically of the Centre's appointed CEO, Norma Saliba.

"We strongly condemn the appointment of a chief executive who lacks the appropriate qualifications for the role," the student organisation stated. "This lack of meritocracy, and clear promotion of nepotism, is not only an insult to our language but also to those dedicated to promoting Maltese."

In response to our questions, the Centre's CEO, Norma Saliba, emphasised the significance of engaging the younger generation in all efforts to empower and preserve the language. Acknowledging that ĊIM is still in its infancy after being set up by the Culture Ministry last year, Saliba noted that her Centre has taken up numerous initiatives to safeguard and strengthen the Maltese language.

Saliba told this newsroom that "to keep a language alive, you need to nurture it" and said it was greatly important to invest in today's younger generation. Saliba detailed that the Centre's initiatives to safeguard and strengthen the Maltese language are mostly constructed through signed agreements; while many such agreements are signed with the government agencies, other signatories include partners from the private sector's media industry.

The CEO described that in ĊIM's first year, six agreements have been signed with public entities. These agreements aim to promote the Maltese language by targeting different sectors of the population and by trying to improve the language's online visibility through the use of digital resources that aid in the development of digital Maltese language tools.

"Together with the relevant stakeholders, ĊIM shall leave no stone unturned to ensure that we do not only preserve, but also strengthen our national heritage," Saliba said.

Saliba added that ĊIM will be launching new projects and initiatives, such as a national campaign, to emphasise the benefits of bilingualism among children, parents and educators. She remarked that this campaign will focus on the pros in using both official languages - English and Maltese - in day-to-day communication.

When asked what practices should be improved upon to better empower and preserve Maltese, Saliba mentioned the national campaign, referenced ĊIM's public-private partnerships with media companies (where it offers proofreading services for subtitling and voiceover scripts). She added that her Centre has been "vocal" in advocating for Maltese to be prioritised in both internal and external communications within the Public Service sector.

'There is still much to be accomplished' - GħMU

While Saliba acknowledged that "the challenges are many" in this mission, the University student organisation spoke much more critically on what is desired.

The association stated that efforts to support the island's unique language and its vernacular require robust support from both the state and the private sector.

"While voluntary organisations play a valuable role, their impact is inherently limited," the student organisation remarked.

The university students thus provided suggestions to boost Maltese across five categories: reading, writing, media quality, language professionals in government entities and audiovisual language professionals.

The youths first said that "reading should be considered the soul of a nation, impacting our social and political life" and thus stated that "promoting reading should be a national priority" throughout all stages of life, not just in education. The students thus said that "it is concerning that there isn't a single bookshop offering a variety of books at the University of Malta".

In December 2023, university students, led by its student council (KSU), organised a memorial styled demonstration at the site of what was labelled as the last bookshop around the area - Minerva Bookshop. The site that once held this bookstore is now set to host an 11-storey hotel. KSU's organised "funeral" was supported by 20 other student organisations at the time.

To improve Maltese writing, GħMU called for the government to provide financial support for translators and writers to be able to work full-time and contribute to the literary landscape.

On media quality, the students suggested that newsrooms employ full-time proofreaders. GħMU noted that "national broadcasters must significantly improve the quality of their content". Using some of the island's most popular television series as examples, such as Love Island and MasterChef, the students called for the shows' producers to further prioritise the use of proper Maltese.

"This does not mean we expect poetic language, but a respectable level of Maltese is necessary to avoid presenting language as a mere mix of expressions," said GħMU.

The students also suggested that all government institutions hire language professionals within each entity. They also expressed their disappointment that the domestic scene has not followed upon the linguistic support observed at the European Union's institutions, despite Maltese only becoming an official EU language in 2004. Maltese was deemed the honour of being an official language of the Maltese islands 90 years ago, on 16 August 1934.

The students' final suggestion called for the country to invest in professionals who are skilled in audiovisual language work, such as subtitling. They said that this would benefit bilingualism, support the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, and build on existing projects since this practice can be extended to cartoons.

Supported by the Centre for the Maltese Language, a Maltese children's streaming platform entitled Perlina TV will be available for use come this November. According to Saliba, this platform "will be brimming with audiovisual content solely in Maltese".

Safeguarding bilingualism amid contemporary challenges

Through the popularity of social media and the influxes of foreign workers inflating the country's population, both the student organisation, as well as Saliba, commented on the importance of promoting bilingualism.

The student organisation even went a step further from Saliba's mentioned bilingual policy, arguing that parents should not have to choose between speaking to their children in English or Maltese. Instead, they believe parents should communicate in both languages, along with a third.

The youngsters described that knowing multiple languages, "especially with Maltese as a foundation, offers cognitive, educational and economic benefits". Additionally, in today's globalised and increasingly interconnected world, Maltese society's widespread bilingualism/multilingualism can provide us with more opportunities.

They maintained that "maintaining our unique language while embracing others allows us to contribute more meaningfully to international dialogues, enriching our own experiences and those of others".

"Although the debate often centres on English and Maltese, it should expand to include multilingualism as a whole," said the students. "Learning additional languages broadens cultural understanding, leading to positive outcomes in various sectors, including tourism, literature, the legal system and beyond."

On bilingualism, Saliba noted that it is "crucial" and that "upholding an equilibrium (between Maltese and English) remains key".

"While the use of the English language is increasingly gaining ground, there is in principle nothing wrong with that - bilingualism is crucial," Saliba said.

To maintain this equilibrium, ĊIM has agreements in place to provide foreign carers working at the St Vincent de Paul Residence with courses on basic Maltese as well as on the country's rich history and culture (supplied by Heritage Malta).

The students from GħMU highlighted growing concerns among locals that the recent and ongoing influx of foreign workers could lead to the Maltese language being overshadowed by the country's other official language, English. Secondly, many migrants see Malta strictly as a place for work, and therefore, do not bother as much to engage in local culture. To address this, the students said that "the Maltese language should be prioritised and actively promoted by the government authorities to ensure it remains a central part of life on the island".

To this extent, a survey commissioned by ĊIM this past February found that 84.3% of Maltese citizens agree that foreigners who live in Malta should learn the Maltese language, Saliba highlighted.

When questioned about maintaining the Maltese language's unique vernacular, the chief executive told this newsroom that "this is definitely not something that ought to fall squarely upon ĊIM's shoulders". Instead, she is of the opinion that certain jargon should be taught to children during their formative years and that certain appropriate terminology should be sought on the media.

Both the GħMU and Saliba agreed that we should be proud to have Maltese as our own unique language. While Saliba highlighted the Maltese language's unique characteristics, adding that it is a privilege for our small nation to have its own language, and a luxury for Maltese to be recognised officially at local, international and at EU level, the student organisation responded with a more historical perspective.

GħMU told this newsroom that "the Maltese language is a living testament to our history, reflecting centuries of influence from various cultures that have shaped the island". The students also iterated that having a unique language fosters a local sense of belonging and community among its speakers, strengthening social bonds, and acting as a strong social connection through our shared identity.