Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542534
MIGRANT families in Malta continue to maintain their her- itage languages at home, but English dominates daily life, while Maltese remains com- paratively limited, a new study shows. The study, Speaking Home, Speaking Host: Family Lan- guage Policies in a Migrant Context by Phyllisienne Gauci and Amy Schembri, surveyed 32 migrant parents with chil- dren in state schools. Partici- pants represented diverse na- tionalities, including Ukraine, China, Albania, and Latvia. Most families had recently ar- rived in Malta, and all but one child was born abroad. Findings showed English is predominantly used for me- dia, schoolwork, and written communication, while heritage languages dominate mealtimes and parent–child conversa- tions. Maltese was the least used lan- guage across home activities. When asked whether a child must understand and speak the local language to feel a sense of belonging, 75% of parents agreed. However, only 34% said Maltese should be the primary language, while 63% prioritised English and 47% remained neu- tral, indicating lower emphasis on early Maltese acquisition. Parents strongly value herit- age languages 41% of parents agreed learn- ing them should be done at home, 28% disagreed, and 31% were neutral. Many highlight- ed after-school classes as ben- eficial (59%), and 66% stressed maintaining relationships with relatives to support language development. One parent explained, "[Chil- dren] have to remember where they come from, [their] origin country language and history," while another added, "If [a] child was not born in the host country, it's easier to express feelings and emotions in the heritage language… very im- portant for mental health." The study provided detailed insights into children's media and reading habits. English was the preferred language for most activities, including watch- ing television, playing online games, or watching videos on- line, with heritage languages used mainly for YouTube con- tent. Maltese was rarely used in media consumption. According to the authors, "the near absence of Maltese in these activities is noteworthy and raises concerns about the limited exposure children have to the national language out- side of school." Reading habits followed a similar pattern. Some chil- dren engaged in English read- ing 2–3 times a week or more, while others read English once a week or never. Reading in Maltese was infrequent, with many children never engaging in it, whereas heritage language reading occurred 2–3 times a week or daily in some homes. Book ownership reflected these trends, with children hav- ing significantly fewer books in Maltese compared to English and heritage languages. Tui- tion outside school showed the same pattern: English lessons were most common, occurring once or two–three times per week, while Maltese and herit- age language tuition were rare. Parents assessed their chil- dren's language competence across speaking, comprehen- sion, reading, and writing. In Maltese, children were pre- dominantly rated as having 'limited' skills in all areas. Eng- lish skills were generally 'limit- ed' for reading and writing, 'av- erage' for speaking, and 'good' for comprehension. Heritage language competence was strongest, with most parents rating their children's speaking and comprehension as 'excel- lent' and reading and writing as 'good'. The study highlights key con- cern The study highlights a key concern, that the Maltese language holds a less promi- nent role in these households. Gauci and Schembri note that "given that the Maltese lan- guage serves as a key marker of identity and belonging in the country, addressing its under- representation among migrant families is crucial." They recommend enhancing the accessibility and appeal of Maltese-language resources, particularly in digital media, and call for schools and lo- cal institutions to implement structured programmes that allow migrants to interact with native speakers and access en- gaging, high-quality materials. Overall, the research shows migrant families adopt a mul- tilingual approach, balancing heritage languages with Eng- lish, while Maltese remains underused. Promoting Maltese acquisition alongside heritage and English is essential to sup- porting integration, cultural identity, and inclusive language education in Malta's increas- ingly multilingual society. The study was published in the Malta Review of Education- al Research. 4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 JANUARY 2026 NEWS Amsterdam Trade Bank N.V. (''ATB'') was declared bankrupt on 22 April 2022 (F.13/22/77). On 5 January 2026, the supervisory judge in ATB's bankrupt- cy deposited the approved first distribution list at the Amsterdam District Court's registry. The list is available for inspection during 10 days for all of ATB's creditors. Creditors who have not yet received any message or interim payment from ATB's bankruptcy trustee are requested to contact ATB's bank- ruptcy trustee at infoatb@stibbe.com. ATB also operates under the names ATBANK, ATBConnect, ATBSavings, FIBR and FIBR Bank and is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under number 33260432. For more infor- mation about the bankruptcy, please visit www.atbank.nl. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Findings showed English is predominantly used for media, schoolwork, and written communication, while heritage languages dominate mealtimes and parent–child conversations Migrant families favour English, heritage languages as Maltese takes back seat i Migrant families favour English, heritage languages as Maltese takes back seat