Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/955503
maltatoday SUNDAY 18 MARCH 2018 News MATTHEW VELLA THE education ministry will be pre- paring a proposal for public consul- tation, to allow students to take an 'alternative' Maltese O-level exam for entry to the University of Malta and MCAST. The ministry is proposing both an examination to teach Maltese "as a foreign language", but also an "Ap- plied Maltese" course for entry into MCAST. This newspaper understands that students seeking entry to the Uni- versity of Malta, which requires pos- sessing an O-level in Maltese, could be allowed to learn Maltese as a for- eign language instead. The option of "Applied Maltese" is for those seeking instruction in a course at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology where job prospects might not necessarily en- tail speaking in Maltese, as a minis- try official told this newspaper. There has been confusion about the ministry's proposal after critics, academics, publishers and writers slammed the move as an effective demotion of the national language. When asked to explain who will be allowed to sit for this examination, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo told MaltaToday that the option would be open for non-Maltese stu- dents or Maltese students with one foreign parent. It is still unclear how English- speaking students in Malta with no foreign parents will be prevented from sitting for the prospective 'Mal- tese as a foreign language' course. While the language of instruction at the university is indeed English, the Maltese are predominantly Mal- tese speakers in everyday affairs and business, politics or the law courts. "A lawyer and architect will study in English, but they will speak in Mal- tese in the courts or with the build- ers. The same goes for the Parlia- ment or inside a church," the head of the Maltese department Dr Bernard Micallef said. "This [course] will institutionalise the deterioration of communicative ability and Maltese literacy." Critics say the move is intended to facilitate certain students' access to their university course by sitting for the simpler versions of the Mal- tese O-level, in what is a dereliction of the education ministry's duty to further knowledge of the national language. Prof. Arnold Cassola, a researcher in Maltese linguistic history, at- tacked the "demotion" in a post on social media. "Imagine the Italians sitting for Italian 'as a foreign lan- guage', the French for French 'as a foreign language'. As usual, for [Jo- seph] Muscat and his cronies, all that counts are numbers… and mon- ey generated. It seems that, as from now onwards, Dun Karm will be speaking to his canary in Maltese... as a foreign language!" The head of the University of Mal- ta's department of Maltese, Bernard Micallef, was equally concerned, dubbing it a 'new language ques- tion'. "It is positive that foreigners living in Malta will have the opportunity to learn Maltese, but it raises a number of questions if this same subject will be offered to Maltese students," he said. The novelist Guze Stagno was quick to point out the obvious, for the predominance of spoken Eng- lish in Malta is confined to the An- glophone middle-classes. "It's not a question of ability. Children of ordi- nary ability should have no problem picking up two or more languages, and speak them well. This is clas- sism. We're going back to the times when Maltese was considered 'the language of the kitchen'." The online debate has been playing out on social media with the pub- lisher Chris Gruppetta saying this latest move was "exaggerated". After his comment was posted, Gruppetta said he had received at least 50 sepa- rate emails and messages on the is- sue by people deriding the Maltese language. On Facebook he posted that he had received 'hate' messages such as "Maltese deserves to die" and "Maltese can't be extinguished soon enough". Minister: 'foreign language' Maltese open to students with non-Maltese parents Education minister Evarist Bartolo has said the new Maltese course was an alternative pathway for students with foreign parents who required an easier version of the Maltese O-level Mosta Road, Lija LJA 9011, Malta. Tel: 23311126 / 23311131 Mgarr Road, Xewkija XWK 9012, Gozo. Tel: 21550962 Email: sales@autosales.com.mt Kind's www.autosales.com.mt Dacia Sandero Practical, economical, comfortable Shockingly affordable from €9,190 * Dacia Logan MCV @ €14,700 Dacia Stepway @ €12,150 * Dacia Duster @ €17,000 * *Price is inclusive of Scrappage Scheme. T&Cs apply. 5 year Service Plan also available.