Última actualización Miércoles, 12/03/2025
Growing up in Malta, I’ve always navigated a multilingual landscape, seamlessly switching between Maltese and English, with a sprinkle of Italian and French phrases picked up from the Italian TV stations that filled our living room. This wide sphere of languages shaped my identity and experiences.
‘Oh, You’re Maltese?’ – whilst on a taxi ride in Malta.
One memorable day, I found myself in a taxi, engaging the driver in English. When I switched to Maltese, his face lit up. “Oh, you’re Maltese?” he exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face. At that moment, I brushed it off; after all, Malta has seen its heavy baggage of tourists. However, as time passed, I began to notice a recurring pattern: many locals seemed to have mixed feelings about English speakers.
As a journalist, I created a video feature on the phenomenon of turtle nests in Malta, about 4 months ago. I interviewed a Maltese expert on the topic I was focusing on for the feature but asked to speak in English – my comfort zone – and not surprisingly, the first comment on Facebook read, “tkellem bil-malti jekk jogħġbok” (‘Speak in Maltese, please’).
This was just one instance of the pushback against English in favour of Maltese that I’ve encountered.
The Identity Crisis Of The Maltese Language
This leads us to a deeper issue: the identity crisis surrounding the Maltese language itself. While Maltese is only one of Malta’s official languages, many locals take immense pride in their native tongue.
And I can understand why: Maltese is a Semitic language spoken by over 500,000 people – mostly in Malta but also by anyone who loves good food and sunshine! Its roots trace back to Arabic during the Arab conquest from 870 to 1091. Over time, it absorbed influences from Latin, Sicilian, Italian, and English – talk about an identity crisis!
However, are the locals hounding on the language because they really love it or is it just their ego? For example, it’s common for locals to address waitstaff in Maltese – even if their proficiency is limited. This behaviour isn’t rooted in exclusion but reflects a collective effort to maintain linguistic heritage.
One instance is a recent situation in class, where we were asked to prepare for a debate in teams. The question, ‘Can I speak in English or Maltese?’ arose, but it was already floating around in the room. The teacher affirmed that it had to be in English which ironically started a small debate in class.
This was centred on the fact that there were two foreigners in class and the opposing team who wanted to speak in Maltese, said, ‘But she is Arabic, surely she understands Maltese.’ (Ironically, a lot of Maltese people say they don’t think Arabic is like Maltese, which comes from their mentality of racism towards Arabs).
Whilst the other foreigner simply gave up and said: ‘If you want to speak in Maltese, it’s fine, I will try to understand.’ (but you could tell that it was hard for her to try and translate the Maltese being spoken.. which in reality, even hindered her learning environment).
Seeing this interaction made me wonder why we are so stuck in our language and we can’t put our pride aside to allow for a bilingual environment. There are many instances where one can speak in Maltese, but some people want it to be ALL the time.
It is time to come to grips with the fact that English is a more prevalent language than all other languages.
I see it quite hypocritical for the country to want to preserve their lovely language yet there are no efforts made, not even from the government, to have translators learn Maltese for the European Parliament.
To understand this dynamic further, we must consider the historical context of our languages. Historical linguistics studies how languages evolve over time and how cultural and social influences shape them.
When discussing this topic with Elston Mamo, a linguistics student at the University of Malta, he explained how this field allows researchers—students and experts alike—to uncover how words and phrases have evolved into what we use today, “We even look into the etymology of words,” he added (are linguists secretly language detectives?).
Sign language offers another fascinating dimension to linguistic diversity. Each sign language has its own structure and vocabulary. Luca Ellul, a linguistics student at the University of Malta studying Maltese Sign Language (MSL), shared insights about its cultural significance: “MSL has adopted signs from other signed languages but retains unique elements reflective of our culture,” he noted.
The Quest For One Language For All
And we can’t forget: the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), the superhero of sound representation!
Developed by the International Phonetic Association in the late 19th century, it boasts 107 letters and symbols that help linguists transcribe speech sounds with pinpoint accuracy.
Military fun fact: Each letter of the English alphabet has its own assigned word for clarity during communication – think Alfa instead of A and Zulu instead of Z.
And we can’t forget the trusty sidekick: phonetic transcription, which is used for representing sounds through symbols. For instance:
- In English: «cat» is /kæt/; «ship» is /ʃɪp/.
- In Spanish: «gato» is [ˈɡato]; «perro» is [ˈpero].
Phonetic variations can change meanings faster than you can say “cat vs. hat!” For example, swap out /k/ for /h/ and suddenly you’re talking about something entirely different!
Maybe AI Will Speak Maltese?
Yep, you read right! Artificial Intelligence.. and language…
As technology advances, computational linguistics merges linguistic theory with computer science. Applications such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine translation are revolutionising how we interact with languages.
Elston Mamo remarked on these advancements: “Linguists are leveraging AI to enhance translation efficiency while respecting linguistic structures.” This intersection of technology and linguistics holds promise for future communication.
And if you’re wondering, AI has not yet been programmed for the Maltese language. When it comes to Maltese and technology, we go as far as Google Translate allows… and that’s how much we love the language.
AI transcribers can even recognise the Hawaiian language but not Maltese!
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Young Journalists in Europe – Meet the author
Juliana Zammit
Hello, I’m Juliana Zammit, a 20-year-old journalism student. I have loved writing and telling stories since I was little. Over time, I’ve grown to enjoy learning and researching new things. I also studied photography for two years, which taught me to see the world differently and find beauty in ordinary things. I hope to tell many stories through words and pictures.
This article reflects the views of the authors only. The European Commission and Eurodesk cannot be held responsible for it.