Terminology, bilingualism and language planning (or lack thereof) : the case of Maltese

Abstract

Malta’s accession to the European Union in 2004 placed considerable terminological challenges on the Maltese language. The long-standing practice of using English in business, science and technology severely limited the development of Maltese terminology in these domains. This article shall analyze how the status of an EU official language affected the terminological requirements of Maltese. A brief historical overview of language use in Malta provides the necessary context to understand current issues specifically concerning terminology, such as deficiencies in language planning, perceptions and attitudes of Maltese language users, and strategies being adopted by stakeholders to make up for lost time.