Maltese for all

Abstract

In 2016, education minister Hon. Evarist Bartolo faced calls to remove Maltese O-Ievels as a prerequisite for autistic youths to enter the University of Malta. The Maltese language has a reputation for being quite a tough one to master, and a cross section of parents, politicians, and educators felt that people with language difficulties were being held back in their personal and educational goals. The idea sparked hefty debate throughout the Maltese community, with many expressing their concern that making the Maltese language an optional subject to study would be another nail in its coffin. Linguist Dr Sarah Grech (Centre for English Language Proficiency) says Maltese is no different from any other language to learn. What it suffers from is a lack of resources when it comes to mastering it. 'Television, cinema, games, books, apps-there are so many choices when it comes to absorbing the English language. The same cannot be said for Maltese: she says. Thankfully, this situation is changing.