While Malta may be home to many languages only a very small fraction are actively learned, leaving most silent. This reflects gaps in policy, opportunity, societal attitudes, and modern reliance on English or technology.
Linguistic diversity exists, but fewer Maltese citizens are actually multilingual. Let's break this down. Many Maltese students study a foreign language at school (ranked roughly by popularity: Italian, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Russian and Mandarin Chinese). However, after compulsory education, very few continue using these languages. Maltese students leave school with basic knowledge of Italian, French and so on but cannot hold a conversation as adults.
C'est la faute du curriculum, or rather, not exactly. Here's the situation: Malta is a bilingual country by policy, not officially multilingual. Bilingualism is institutionally supported through education, government, and public life. Diversity may well exist in the curriculum, but multilingualism fades in practice. It is bound to be so because Malta's language policies are all designed to prioritize mastering both Maltese and English rather than other languages. That appears to settle the matter - though perhaps it does not.
Arguably, a perception exists in Malta that learning foreign languages other than English is unnecessary or excessively difficult. This view, like any other perception, is largely shaped by culture and attitude rather than objective reality. Because English is widely understood in international business, science, media, and travel, speakers may grow up with the impression that English alone is sufficient.
It is commonly accepted that attitudes toward language learning are also influenced by education systems. In Malta, informal foreign language exposure begins in upper primary. Many state primary schools offer a Foreign Language Awareness Programme (FLAP), where children get fun, introductory exposure to languages like Italian, French, or German around Year 5 or Year 6 (ages approximately 9 to11). Similarly, church schools and private schools offer language taster sessions where young learners are introduced to foreign languages through games and interactive activities. The goal is to build familiarity and openness to other languages and cultures.
Fin qui, tutto bene. Then, foreign language study formally starts in secondary school (around age 10 to 11). Taught with an emphasis on grammar over communication or framed as an academic challenge rather than a practical tool... this can foster the belief that languages are inherently difficult and reserved for the "gifted," rather than a skill anyone can acquire with exposure and practice.
Notably, foreign language uptake at post-secondary level in Malta is low and continues to decline, both in comparison with previous years and with some European counterparts.
By contrast, in multilingual societies, learning multiple languages is seen as normal and achievable. Children grow up hearing and using different languages daily, which reinforces the idea that language learning is natural rather than exceptional. This contrast shows that difficulty is not intrinsic to languages themselves, but to the way societies value, teach, and talk about them.
The favourable news is that perceptions are not fixed; they evolve with knowledge and experience. The latter two can be catered for in a dedicated national school of languages and communication that serves also as a hub for seamless multilingual experiences. Es un momento más que nunca para actuar. Now more than ever, we need to embark on tangible solutions that make multilingualism useful, accessible, and enriching. Only then is language learning more likely to be perceived as both achievable and worthwhile.