Vol. 13 no. 2 / December 2019 / Special Issue on English Education in Malta

At times there seems to be a lack of consistency between what teachers state they do and what they actually do in classrooms. This mismatch between practice and beliefs may also be evident in the perception of language use of teachers or student teachers in a bilingual and multilingual setting. This departure from practice in line with stated intentions or beliefs might be undertaken consciously in order to respond to the situation in a responsible manner. In class teachers may engage in practices that do not support their beliefs or intentions about language teaching or learning due to various reasons. In this paper I delve into the experiences of a student-teacher during English lessons in Maltese Primary Schools to explore whether her practices tally with her stated beliefs. Reasons for tensions between stated beliefs and classroom practices will be studied through qualitative data collected through classroom observations, questionnaires and interviews with the student-teacher.

The study investigates the attitudes and ideologies held by adults and children towards English in Malta. Questionnaires were distributed to parents (N= 202) and children (N=357), coming from three school sectors (state, church and independent schools). Four age groups were targeted: adults, 14- to 15-year-olds, 11- to 12-year-olds and 8- to 9-year-olds. The self- reports of language use illustrate that Maltese is the prevalent language used in the home domain. Five constructs emerged from the exploratory factor analysis of the language attitude questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses revealed that language spoken to mother and at school are the most influential predictor variables across all language attitude constructs. The data showed that school sector and age group have a significant effect on most language attitude constructs. The findings make an important contribution by highlighting the role of the languages spoken at home, particularly by the mother, in the development of language attitudes. It also illustrates ways in which language attitudes are shaped by age and school sector in Malta. Such factors should be considered in the teaching of English in Malta, in a context where learners are in contact with English not only at school, but also in their everyday lives.

The curricular reform underway is ostensibly aimed at providing an equitable education for all which acknowledges the different pathways learners may take and their different rates of development. Additional contenders for the reasons behind the reform lie in the acknowledgement that schools could be delivering more to improve results on international
examinations and to increase the numbers of qualified school leavers as well as the numbers of those continuing into post-secondary and tertiary education. To achieve this, the discourse of teaching and learning is being reframed as one of outcomes of learning. While there are potential benefits in competency-based models of education, it is here argued that a part- solution to the problems that prompted the reform might lie in improving students’ academic literacy skills. In an educational context where several school subjects are mediated through English, where classes are increasingly multilingual, where post-secondary and tertiary education is mediated through English, where mobility is a growing trend, focussing on academic literacy skills is a worthwhile goal.

This research paper attempts to create a snapshot of the perceptions of assessment among teachers of English within Church secondary schools. The aim was to bring forth the teachers’ opinions about assessment as they experience the myriad changes that are affecting education now. It also seeks to give an overview of what assessment procedures were in place before the reform, and if any changes were made, what were they. Data was collected using an online questionnaire made up of multiple-choice items amd items on a 4-point Likert scale. The research found that many teachers still view examinations as being useful in this day and age, but that diversifying continuous assessment is the way forward. However, they do not think that stress will be alleviated with the new proposals being proposed. Teachers in Church schools feel that they are not ready for these changes, nor are their students or their parents. Thus, there is a clear demand for support and professional development sessions to be provided by the Secretariat for Catholic Education (SfCE).

This paper takes as its point of departure the Report of the Working Group on the Future of Post-Secondary Education (2017) and following a brief overview of the institutions that provide education at this level, turns the spotlight onto the two state institutions that provide education at post-secondary level. Their characteristics and the challenges that they face are expounded on and recommendations made are revisited in light of this analysis. The discussion is informed by data
collected during focus group meetings with teachers and students. Prior to this Report, the post-secondary landscape had been relatively unchanged for several years, and a major overhaul was proposed one that factored in among several other considerations, the divide between the academic and the vocational streams. The paper briefly analyses the Matriculation Certificate Reform (2019) and questions the extent to which this reform has adopted recommendations made for the post-
secondary sector in the 2017 report.

Language, which is social in nature, is the primary tool used by human beings to communicate. It is inextricably intertwined with culture. Every language should be safeguarded because of its criticality to human identity and survival. Bearing in mind the afore-mentioned, this paper examines the preservation and revitalisation of marginal languages, as in the case of Creole languages. The paper launches into a critical discussion about language and domination, with specific reference to colonialism and its profound impact on the marginalisation of language and the origination of Creole languages. It outlines some of the issues which may arise from these endangered or extinct languages. By means of an examination of the case of Saint Lucian Kwéyòl, the paper considers adult learning and education as a possibly powerful tool to preserve, revitalise and promote a marginal language. Some of the impacts and challenges of adult learning and education, as it relates to the implementation of this initiative, are also addressed. Consequently, it is argued that every attempt should be made to ensure the protection of marginal languages, in order to promote linguistic and cultural diversity, and human rights.

There is no abstract for this report.