English should be language of instruction - Labour MP Evarist Bartolo

Replying to a parliamentary question by Bartolo, Education Minister Dolores Cristina was non-committal, insisting that any decision on whether English should be the language of instruction in schools has to be analysed by those drafting the national language policy in the new curriculum. 

But Evarist Bartolo’s suggestion was shot down by linguist and President of the National Council for the Maltese language, Manwel Mifsud.

Bartolo contends that making English the language of instruction in schools will ultimately benefit students.

Speaking to MaltaToday, Bartolo argued that students who become competent in the use of English will get on in life and do better.

“Billions of dollars are spent worldwide in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language as millions of people realise that they need a global language to participate fully in the world of the 21s century”.

The greater use of English will also make children more conversant with modern technology.

“Children at the age of three and four are already coming into contact with IT software, which is in English. If they do not start learning English at such a young age, they will fall behind”.

Bartolo contends that there is close connection between the digital divide and the language divide.

“Our students need to know English well to get on in other subjects as all our text books are in English”.

Bartolo also expressed disappointment at the Minister’s reply to his question, arguing that Malta has already missed a decade when this issue was shelved in the last curriculum revision in 2000.

He refers to national conference was held on the subject in 2000, when lots of papers were published but no decision was taken.

“I hope that the same does not happen now. The framework that has been published does not have the courage to propose what is to be done regarding the language of instruction. That is wrong, and a big failure in the framework”.

Bartolo lashes at ‘linguistic Talibans’

Bartolo insists that making English the language of instruction in schools will not have a negative impact on the Maltese language.

“I love the Maltese language. I love Maltese literature and we must do all we can to enhance its use and all our children must become competent in Maltese as well”.

Bartolo is aware that his proposal is bound to be controversial and that “some linguistic Talibans were shocked” that he is proposing English to be the language of instruction in our schools.

“But I will stick to that proposal. Other countries like Singapore have taken that decision and it has helped them enormously with moving ahead in terms of economic development without destroying their cultural identity and different endogenous languages on the island”.

Bartolo insists that we should not look at the language policy in schools as some zero-sum game as students need competence in both English and Maltese.

“I was born and brought up in a family where only Maltese was used but we were exposed to English through the extensive library we had at home. Whenever I read a book in English I never felt I was betraying the Maltese language, or vice versa”.

But for such a system to work, Malta needs massive training programme for our teachers to make them feel adequate in English. It is only then that they will be able to help children learn English.

“We need to use the know-how we have in the TEFL sector to pass on skills and methodologies to teach English well. We also need to improve the way we teach Maltese. We need to have our children feel multilingual in our globalised world”.

Bartolo not in line with UNESCO principles –Manwel Mifsud

Contacted by MaltaToday, National Council for the Maltese language President Manwel Mifsud expressed his disagreement with Bartolo’s proposal, insisting that this goes against the advice of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

He refers to the first principle of the UNESCO Guidelines on Language and Education, which state that: “UNESCO supports mother tongue instruction as a means of improving educational quality by building upon the knowledge and experience of the learners and teachers”.

According to UNESCO, mother tongue instruction “is essential for initial instruction and literacy and should be extended to as late a stage in education as possible: every pupil should begin his [or her] formal education in his [or her] mother tongue.”

Mifsud expressed his agreement with Bartolo that proficiency in the English language is of great importance in today’s world.

“But am very worried when I see our leaders in the educational sector lose their heads so quickly. It is a pity that, when facing the storm generated by globalisation, the first thing that they think of throwing overboard is the Maltese language, which is the source of our identity and therefore very important in our children’s education”.

Misud also contends that Bartolo’s opinion runs contrary to the Maltese Language Act, which was unanomously approved by parliament in 2004, which states that the State must ‘promote through all possible means the widest use of the Maltese Language in education, broadcasting and the media, at the law courts, and in political, administrative, economic, social and cultural life.’

He also contrasts the views of Bartolo to those of Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat who, when opening the Convention for Maltese Living Abroad in 2009, argued that students who prefer using Maltese in university examinations should not be penalised.

“We are reassured by these authoritative declarations which safeguard the place of Maltese in the educational sector. We hope that in view of these statements, Bartolo will also change his position,” Mifsud said.