Post-secondary students’ spoken English : a sociolinguistic perspective

Abstract

English is one of Malta’s official languages and various studies have shown that, in general, Maltese people are aware of the importance of being competent in English. Notwithstanding this fact, it cannot be argued that all Maltese people are competent users of English. Various researchers, linguists, journalists and teachers, amongst others, have expressed their concern on the waning levels of English. These concerns were culminated by the Minister of Education who declared that Malta is becoming a monolingual nation. From the written English we read in the Maltese media, as well as the spoken English we hear every day, it is obvious that the competence in English of Maltese nationals is very varied and sometimes is closer to foreign language competence. Acquiring a good level of competence in English is one of the main aims of ‘A National Curriculum Framework for All’ (2012) and the ‘National Minimum Curriculum’ (1999). The (in)competence of Maltese nationals in the English language may be seen as a direct result of what they have been taught during the compulsory schooling years in which English is studied daily for eleven years. This dissertation explores the status and the use of English in Malta in general, and focuses mainly on the school domain. The importance of exposure to spoken English and oral practice at school is highlighted and a discussion on allowing first language use in second language acquisition is also included. The study also considers whether the native speaker should be presented as an academic model. This study presents data obtained from post-secondary students, teachers of English and non-language teachers. The post-secondary students’ use of English is explored by means of a questionnaire, as well as audio-recordings. The study investigates whether non-linguistic variables influence the level of spoken English attained by these students. Teachers of English, as well as teachers of non-languages were interviewed and they offered valid insights on their own, as well as on their students’, use of language in the classroom context. Among the most important results obtained from this study, it was found that almost one fourth of the students interviewed still find expressing themselves in English difficult after studying English for 11 years. This study also showed that the type of school attended is a very important determiner in students’ competence in spoken English. Another important finding was that State schools are not the only school type with a preference for Maltese as a language of instruction; boys’ Church schools vastly use Maltese as a language of instruction too. The most shocking of the results obtained in this study was that half the students who attended State and Church schools stated that Maltese was used to different extents during English lessons. This study also revealed important results from the teachers’ interviews. The vast majority of the teachers believe that students who have attended State schools have foreign language competence in English. All the teachers of English believe that students’ socioeconomic status is positively related to their competence in spoken English. The vast majority of English teachers believe that not enough importance is being given to spoken English in State schools. Teachers of English, as well as non-language teachers, stated that Church school students’ competence in English was comparable to that of Independent school students, yet this study showed that the English spoken by Church school students is closer in level to that spoken by State school students.