Ironic Times
I was chatting with a friend who moved to Malta a couple of years ago. Specifically, we were talking about our experiences learning Maltese, and the difficulties in finding proper lessons.
In my case, I began teaching myself. At one point I tried attending a government-sponsored course of Maltese language for foreigners, but found the classes of very bad quality. Even though I joined mid-year and the class had been going on for several months, I was already at a higher level. For some reason, they were using children's books which were not well suited for the purposes of the class. Native speaker children learn much differently from foreign-speaking adults! In addition, the teacher did not seem very competent (and I say this as someone with teaching experience) and I was surprised to see that she was not even explaining things properly. At one point I wound up explaining something to a fellow student and she said "wow, why are you even here, you could teach this class!" I took the advice and never went back.
Frustrated at the quality of the "official" classes, I quickly realised that there are virtually no opportunities to formally study Maltese. All of the dozens of language academies that dot the island teach English only. Private tutors focus on preparing Maltese students for their O-level and A-level (higher education) exams, but not on Maltese as a foreign language. The University of Malta announced a special course geared for this purpose, which I awaited eagerly only to find out that they were only offering the beginner level.
I continued learning on my own (with the few books available) and at my own pace.
My friend had a similar experience. She signed up for classes with what appeared to be a proper academy but it wound up being run out of a private house with a grand total of two students. She would show up for class and the teacher would tell her to do the exercises on her own, with no explanation. Very soon, she gave up on the course as well.
And so in the end she was saying that seeing as I managed to learn Maltese on my own, how about if I became her private teacher? At first I was embarrassed at the thought. I have only been here for a little over a year and I am not a native speaker, how could I teach Maltese! But my friend insisted, saying I had teaching experience which is what really counts, and her Maltese husband said he found my level good enough to impart lessons. Flattered by her request and his approval, I accepted.
So, irony of ironies, I am teaching Maltese lessons. As someone who has recently gone through the experience, I have all of the rules fresh in my mind, and can explain particular points of the language that are hard for a non-native speaker. We are making good progress so far, but I still find the idea surreal!
When I came to Malta I really did my best trying to find an Academy which would teach Maltese. However, the offer was basically non-existent and when I finally found someone who was willing to teach me I had the idea that I would have many classmates because I also wanted to learn Maltese while meeting new people and making friends in the process.
I only had a classmate who was preparing herself for her O-levels. Needless to say, the class was totally unbalanced with the other girl basically reading novels while I was learning the ABC :(
Anyway, I will buy the text book soon so I can do my homework! :)
Cheers,
Have a great weekend! (Comment this)
In my view, learning the language spoken by most of the other inhabitants surrounding you is very important for two reasons. First, it increases your chances of finding a good job. Here in Malta, most job vacancy ads mention that an applicant would need to be fluent in Maltese. Second, knowing the language allows an individual to participate more fully in the country's events.
When I went to Spain in 2003, I barely knew any Spanish words. I had never studied the language. As time went by and I was trying to find a decent job, the fact that I could not communicate in Spanish was a great hindrance. Furthermore, it was quite depressing to be in an environment which felt almost totally alien to me since I could not understand what other people were saying! I still remember a rather humorous episode when I saw a girl who captured my attention and I tried talking to her on a train; she did not know how to speak in English and my Spanish was still terribly broken! We somehow managed to communicate, but it was one of the toughest conversations of my life!!! :))
I also eventually trained myself to speak and write Spanish since I really wanted to belong to the community I was living in. I also realised that equipped with a knowledge of the language, more opportunities - social and work-related ones - were available to me.
When it comes to Malta, many people say that since English is widely spoken and understood, there is no need to learn Maltese. Well, if one wants to be confined to some English-speaking group and only watch foreign TV channels, this choice is perfectly possible. Yet, when politicians are discussing various strategies related to the country's future, they are doing so in Maltese - not in English or in Italian or in any other foreign language! When somebody is talking about matters that could affect your future, I believe that it pays to know that language well!!!
I admire your determination to master Maltese, especially since it is often considered as a particularly difficult language! You are a great teacher and I am sure that Wen will do extremely well under your guidance. :)
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