Wednesday, 17th March 2010 - 10:42CET
Minister explains why University exams have to be in English
Education Minister Dolores Cristina has explained in Parliament why University students are being required to submit their exam work in English and not Maltese.
Replying to questions by Labour MP Evarist Bartolo, she said that a legal notice issued in October last year had confirmed the long-existing practice with regard to the languages which could be used for exams and assessments. In the past, there were students who were allowed to submit their work in Maltese, she admitted, but this was not with the approval of the Senate.
The minister said the Senate was insisting on its policy for all courses at the University (except language studies) for various reasons.
Among them was the fact that English was the preferred medium for higher education across the world. This meant that most literature available for researchers, in practically all disciplines, was in English.
Malta needed to have students who were competent in the use of English in all areas of their studies so that they could compete with students abroad.
It was ultimately beneficial for the students to develop their English language skills, something which many other far bigger countries also desired.
Mrs Cristina said the University should not distinguish between exams and study units. All assessments and study units were important and should be submitted in the same manner. It would be unfair, even to the students, to be allowed to submit some work in Maltese and the rest in English. Furthermore, foreign examiners, who did not know Maltese, had a right to see all study units, and they, therefore, all had to be in English.
RSS
Comments
Ma nahsibx li Dun Karm kien qed jahseb bhal ma tinterpretah int.
Jiena wisq nahseb li Dun Karm kien qed jirreferi ghal xi minoranza ii malli kienu jitghallmu xi lingwa barranija, donnhom kienu jitilfu l-accent jew aghar, jaqilbu ghal-lingwa l-'gdida'.
L-Ingliz huwa it-tieni lingwa ufficjali ta Malta w ghaldaqstant ghandu tintuza fejn huwa aktar ta siwi, bhall-Universita fejn kotba ta ricerka f'oqsma differenti huma miktubin bl-Ingliz.
Kieku Dun Karm kien qed jirreferi specifikament ghal-lingwa Ingliza, ma nahsibx li kien ser jibza li jsemmiha direttament!
B'din il-mossa, saret illegali li jekk trid, f'pajjizek, twiegeb b'lingwa tieghek...li hi lungwa ufficjali wkoll.
Anyone wanting to develop his/her English skills should follow a course in that area and NOT through another course.
As the Minister of Education you are responsible to see that our students develop their English skills BEFORE they enter University - you have to strengthen the Educational system re this matter from kindergarten level!!!! By the time they reach 16 all students need to have developed their English skills amongst others. Some students are finishing their secondary schooling still illiterate - then that should be an issue!
It is ridiculous to expect University students to improve their English skills by means of other courses. Someone studying Law should be judged for his knowledge on the matter and not on the language skills!!! And with regards to the Maltese Studies students - don't you see a super contradiction in your arguments????? On one hand you are promoting Maltese culture and identity through such a course and on the other hand you deny the use of the Maltese language!!! ONLY IN MALTA.
Our students are tested in English in many subjects, yet the English produced is very poor. Answering in English will not necessarily improve their language skills!! Ask this to any teacher who corrects science or business related essays/short answer questions. The same goes for geography, marketing, philosophy etc at a higher level.
Moreover science, geography, business teachers DO NOT have the time to correct language mistakes, but only those related to the subject in question. So, the change will not automatically bring the benefits in language improvement!!
1) Oral exams and final year exams must have external examiners in order to guarantee impariality on administering the final grade - a universally accepted system throughout most universities of good repute
2) The external examiner has the right to review all coursework submitted by the student - especially in cases where the student is on the cusp of a passa nd a fail.
3) Since Malta only has one university and an external examiners, as the name implies, has to come from outside the university the only option is to bring in examiners from other countries. Larger countries do not have this problem as for e.g the University of Strassbourg can invite an external lecturer from Paris or the univeristy of Groningen an external from Amsterdam.
4) I can only talk about science/medicine as this is my particular field - Scientific literature with the highest impact value, i.e where the best research is published, are all English publications - they contain publications from French, German, Italian, Korean, Chinese, Russian (i could go on) universities - all written in English. In science inability to speak English = sidelining
Anything different amounts to being stupid if you allow me that adjective.
There is a whole bunch of absolute nonsense below that is not possible to answer point by point.
I hope that reason overcomes emotion and there is only one way to go in higher education i.e ENGLISH.
In the schools, the argument is different i.e the teaching in schools, must be in the mother language i.e. MALTESE while the kids are learning good ENGLISH that will come them in good stead later on, such as higher education and research.
There is strong neuro-physiological evidence in favor of this approach to being BI-LINGUAL i.e. MALTESE + / ENGLISH where appropriate.
Alex. Felice
Ara ssejħux elezzjoni għada!
But please keep the word "Fanaticism" out of this.
...It-tradutturi jezistu / qeghdin hemm biex f'kaz li persuna ma tifhimx bil-Malti jkunu jistghu jeqilbu ghal lingwa ohra skont il-bzonn.
... jekk persuna Maltija, tifhem bl-Ingliz izda thossha aktar komda tesprimi ruhha bil-Malti, ghalfejn se tiddiskriminha? Fejn hi l-liberta ta' l-espressjoni?
... minhabba l-insularita taghna persuna ghandha bzonn tkun tajba fiz-ZEWG lingwi ufficjali taghna, u tithalla LIBERA tuza liem lingwa trid.
... nispera li l-pass li jmiss mhux se jkun li jitnehha l-bzonn li student igib l-ezami tas-SEC tal-Malti biex jidhol l-Universita....
Well said., spot on.
The present situation must change. Today we are having students who attend university, graduate and still cannot write good English. As for speaking in English ? This is even worse the accent of some of them is atrocious. We say that we are bilingual , it will do university students a world of good if they somtimes use English in their everyday life.
lil dan l-ilsien li bih int Malti sewwa?
Hobb, jekk jiswielek, l-ilsna barranija,
izda le tbarri lil min hu ta' gewwa.
Dun Karm - Ghaliex? - Jedd l-ilsien Malti.
INKITBET AKTAR MINN 70 SENA ILU U GHADNA MA TGHALLIMNIEX!!!!!!!!
Also, University should be shaping the leaders of tomorrow. I wonder how persuasive and assertive these leaders can be if they cannot string together a coherent sentence in English and can only make themselves heard in a language that is totally incomprehensible to 5.999 billion of the world's 6 billion people.
I am all for due appreciation of one's heritage. What I am against is pig-headed fanaticism - so manifestly promoted in some of the comments below - that serves no purpose other than to cloud the mind, jeopardize the development of our country and imperil the future of our children.
Għandu miljun elf raġun dak li qed jinsisti li ħadd m'għandu d-dritt li jġiegħel lil ħadd ieħor jesprimi ruħu b'lingwa oħra għajr il-Malti. Aħna għandna żewġ lingwi uffiċjali, l-Ingliż u l-Malti u safejn naf jien it-tnejn li huma qegħdin fuq l-istess livell. Jiġieri l-għażla għandha tkun biss f'idejn l-istudent jekk jogħoġbu jikteb bil-Malti u f'idejn ħadd aktar!
Li hemm bżonn huwa li jinkitbu aktar kotba bil-Malti fuq livell akkademiku terzjaru. Il-Malti f'dan il-lat huwa fqir immens u mhux fil-vokabularju jew fl-espressjoni kif qegħdin jippruvaw jimplikaw ħafna nies f'dawn il-kummenti. Pereżempju dawk li jistudjaw biex jiksbu dottorat jew inkella l-professuri diġà mlaħħqa (fis-setturi tal-ekonomija, tal-ligi, tal-mediċina eċċ) għaliex m'għandhomx jingħataw ir-riżorsi meħtieġa biex jiktbu l-kotba li tant għandna bżonn u biex pereżempju jippreżentaw dokumenti b'ricerka ġdida.
We are indeed blessed to have this bi-lingual skill as a nation - it has been one of the reasons for our economic success - and that has nothing to do with our love for the Maltese language!
We are lucky that we can communicate with a large percentage of the world and are proficient in the language of technology. Wake up!!
Very good point !!! It has been proven through the study of the psychology of communication, that when people use extravagant vocabulary in their writings or speeches, it does take its toll on the level of understanding, even attention. Even when it comes to presentations or the selective use of company names, it has an interesting effect upon human perception. The simpler the vocabulary is, the better the chances are for success.
Generic observation:
These comments with respect to the use of the Maltese language simply show the emotional connection a mother language has with its own native speakers. Its speaks for itself.
Bil-Malti "and" = u MHUX hu (mingħajr h)
Qabel tikkoreġi 'l ħaddieħor darb'oħra ara x'taf int
The language question dominated the political arena for nearly half a century as it was debated around the end of the 19th century till the outcome WW2. The Axis bombs not only demolished most of our building but also raised to the ground this important aspect of any nation.
This blog is a perfect demonstration of how irrational the tone in this debate has become and our political and cultural elite since independence are to blame for this situation. their silence on this matter contributed for a complete havoc in the identity of our nation!
Is it not funny to study law in English and then use Maltese, with Italian expressions in the deliberations.
Żewġ versi minn Dun Karm li ta' min jirrifletti fuqhom -
"Ħobb jekk jiswewlek l-ilsna barranija,
Iżda le tbarri lil min hu ta' ġewwa." JEKK JOGĦĠOBKOM!
What would be unfair is the prohibition to use the Maltese language in a country which holds the same language as its official one (together with English). Moreover it is also the country's only national language.
It would be unfair to judge and come out with these statements. You are implying that those who write in Maltese (very few) do so because they are not competent in English. This is a ridiculous argument.
As the Minister of Education you should be looking for other strategies to improve the students' English skills - but please don't insult us any longer by humiliating the Maltese language.
We have heard so many positive comments these last days re Maltese culture and Maltese language - and then ironically you come out with these statements and explanations!
Does this also apply for German Universities and French Universities among others?
We are creating such a confusion where our Maltese language is concerned that nowadays the pupils in the Primary schools are being instructed to say "jum bix-xemx" instead of"jum xemxi" and "jum bis-shab" instead of "jum imsahhab" even though the pupils can speak our native language very well. So, do we really want to preserve our language or are we doing our best to hasten the day when we neither speak it nor write it?
I am in academia (not in Malta) and believe me that all non-English speakers HAVE to know English for the majority of text is in English. This has nothing to do with national language. In future, perhaps, students would have to learn Chinese as the literature in that language is growing exponentially. Maltese is spoken only in one country as is Italian. French and German are spoken in fewer countries. Suffice it to say that this is nothing to do with language or politics.
That Maltese should be spoken properly and taught and actively encouraged is beyond question. I agree with you. However, the level of English in Malta is horrendous - just read some of the posts here or overhear some people talking. The problem in Malta is that we are combining two disparate languages rather than keeping them separate and teaching both properly like they used to up to 30/40 odd years ago.
Wishing you a lovely day
u titlef għaqlek wara Lsien barrani?
Maltija kienet l-ewwel kelma f'fommok
b bil-Malti tkellimt tifel daħkani.
U kiber miegħek dal il-Lsien ewlieni,
u ġmielu ntiseġ mal-ġrajjiet ta' ħajtek:
bih fissirt qalbek meta sfajtli hieni,
bih fissirt għommtok meta mbikki rajtek. Għomm=sħana
Għaliex immela tiċħad, Malti ħija,
lil dan il-Lsien li bih int Malti sewwa?
Ħobb, jekk jiswewlek, l-Ilsna barranija,
iżda le tbarri lil min hu ta' ġewwa.
Hekk ghamilt int Sinjura Ministru, gharmejt l-ilsien li tatek ommok, u tlieft għaqlek wara Lsien barrani.
So let me interpret this.
So Dolores is saying that Malta does not need students competent in Maltese. Right?
So the Education Minister of the REPUBLIC OF MALTA is saying that English should be given priority over Maltese. Right?
In my opinion, if Dolores was in France or any other country that has a minimum of national pride she would be fired on the spot.
Hon. Minister of education, reading your contribution linked to the Maltese language one feels that you are saying that foreign Universities use English language in preference to their own mother tongue for their examinations You wrote: “It was ultimately beneficial for the students to develop their “English language skills, something which many other far bigger countries also desired.
“Among them was the fact that English was the preferred medium for higher education across the world. “This meant that most literature available for researchers, in practically all disciplines, was in English.”
Go and write this in another language and you will read the reaction.
There is no worst misrepresentation than that. Are you sure of what you are writing? Do French University Students prefer to use English in their research and examinations?
Do you think that Italians do their examinations in the English Language, the same for Germans, Russians, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese and all other universities except U.K. and USA.
The English language is used solely to learn English as we do in Malta. Other subjects are taught and learned in their country’s tongue. Your remarks debase all foreign languages except English
So as a Minister don’t try to mislead.
Ministru, nistmerrek. Iddiżappuntajtni bil-kbir.
Yes, our native tongue i.e Maltese forms part of the EU Group languages.
but
The Maltese vocabulary is not vast enough to cater for many subjects studied at university
It is urgently needed for students to improve their command of spoken English .
Soon enough it will be needed for Malta to engage translators but unfortunately although having studied the language and passed God knows how many exams many students lack a professional command of the spoken English .
The picture is clear - English is universal , Maltese is not .
Yet we lack good spoken English during public speaking.
The route cause - Students at secondary level are studying English grammar but they are not practising it with compositions , essays, reading and comprehension.
In order to speak and write good English one does not need to go to extremes using bombastic words and expression which few can understand but making it correct and simple for all to understand will be enough.
Ma naqbilx li billi ma naccettawx il-Malti ghal kull suggett fl-Universita morna lura. L-anqas mal-mod kif tkasbar il-kcina fl-espressjonijiet lingwistici tieghek. Wara kollox il-kcina u l-ikel huma l-bazi tas-sahha fizika u mentali (you are what you eat and what you avoid eating).
"foreign examiners, who did not know Maltese, had a right to see all study units, and they, therefore, all had to be in English." - Mhux biss naqbel ma din il-frazi izda nemmen li s-senate tal-Universita ghandu dmir sakrosant li jghin biex il-livel ta' tghalim, assignments, risposti f'ezamijiet, dissertations, thesis, marki finali etc. jigu wkoll "assessed" u "moderated" minn barranin ta' kapacita u integrita bizzejjed li lesti jghatu pariri siewja kif ukoll jigbdu l-attenzjoni ghal xi nuqqasijiet tal-istudenti u/jew lecturers. Ghalhekk hu importantissimu li "assignments" etc. jinkitbu bl-ingliz biex l-universita ikolla acces anki ghall-pariri ta' l-aqwa esperti - anki dawk li assolutament ma jafux il-Malti. Min hu veru patrijot lest li jitghallem minghand kulhadd specjalment ghall-gid ta' pajjizu u mhux jintilex fi snobizmu biex ideffes il-lingwa tieghu f'kollox akkost ta' kollox.
Jekk huma daqshekk ta' integrita' ghandhom jitghallmu l-Malti bhal ma kien hemm tradutturi barraninj li tghallmuh. Tghallmuh niex komuni mhux kapaci jitghallmuh dawk li suppost huma PROFESSURI Marianna?
Be practical. How can a graduate whose knowledge of English is not excellent can ever hope to obtain a higher degree from a foreign university. We had all better realise that no matter how much we love our mother tonge, we must utilise English for us to make headway outside and here in Malta. Unfortunately Malta is not a world power.
These students are being discriminated against when compared to English students who do not require Maltese O Level to enter University. Welsh and Scottish students have to pass Welsh/Gaelic O Levels to enter British universities.
All else being equal, a student who has a poor command of English but is highly proficient in Maltese will struggle to get through most University degrees and may also struggle later in their working life. On the other hand a proficient English speaker will have a much easier time getting through most degrees and will likely do better in life - depending on the chosen profession.
Make no mistake, Maltese is very much the spoken language of the people and we should all be proud of our own language - fact is that the majority of written communication is in English and commerce is conducted in English.
Ultimately, excluding these children from English speaking families from entering university achieves nothing - it does not help them nor does it help our economy.
@ Sandro Agius, Jekk tixtieq tiggieled krucjata - ala Don-Quixote - kontra l- irdieden tal-"influwenza barranijja", krucjata antikwata li m`ghandha l-ebda post fid-dinja ta`ghada, affari tieghek. Pero` naghtik il-parir illi jekk trid taghmel gieh lill-Malti, ibda billi tejjeb il-Malti tieghek. "Vassalli" huwa nom proprju hu bhal kull nom proprju iehor, ma taghmillux l-artiklu qabel.
Ghaliex qed tara sal-ponta ta mniehrek?
Yes in reality Maltese is an official EU language but if we want to go abroad, whether to study or work then we should have a good command of the English language, which unfortunately quite a few people don't (although they would like to think so).
Anyway, we have been studying course work in English for decades, why should we change this practice now, and to a language that is not widely spread. Don't you think we would be shooting ourselves in the foot?
Mrs. Cristina:
1) Your strategy fails to improve the weak standard of English at the University of Malta.
2) It damages the status of the Maltese language.
3) It disadvantages Maltese-speaking candidates who are now being told they CANNOT think in Maltese... even in Malta!!
A basic premise of a university education, Mrs. Cristina, is to develop the ideas of the candidate. If usage of that candidates' mother tongue will help him or her increase the complexity of his or her arguments then he or she SHOULD be allowed to use that mother tongue, given that the language has national recognition.
The only good reason for jusifying the use of only English is that of foreign examiners.
However, the other reasons given by the Hon. Minister shows a lack of respect for the Maltese language, and, as reported above, by none other than the highest academic institution of the land. Shame.
I do not know how legal this policy is, given the fact that Maltese is not only the national language but also one of the two official languages of the country.
Fuq ir-Rai, spiss naraw, tobba, psikologi, socjologi, politikanti u professjonisti ohrajn, li jharbtu bl-ingliz, kwazi b'mod komiku.
Ma tridx wisq gherf biex tinduna li dawn iggradwaw fis-suggett taghhom minghajr il-htiega li jkunu fluwenti fl-ingliz.
L-ahhar intervista ma wiehed mill assistenti ta Renzo Piano fuq TVM ukoll uriet li dan ibati biex jesprimi ruhu bl-ingliz.
Imma l-ministru Cristina, flok taghzel li tghidilna l-verita wara din id-decizjoni assurda, qed taghzel li tittrattana ta 'mbecilli, u tipprova tikkonvincina li l-professjonisti kollha ta madwar il-globu, qed ifittxu li jkunu kapaci jesprimu l-gherf taghhom bl-ingliz.
Mur ghidha lil Francizi din !!!
X'inhi l-vera raguni onorevoli Cristina ????
"foreign examiners, who did not know Maltese, had a right to see all study units, and they, therefore, all had to be in English." - Mhux biss naqbel ma din il-frazi izda nemmen li s-senate tal-Universita ghandu dmir sakrosant li jghin biex il-livel ta' tghalim, assignments, risposti f'ezamijiet, dissertations, thesis, marki finali etc. jigu wkoll "assessed" u "moderated" minn barranin ta' kapacita u integrita bizzejjed li lesti jghatu pariri siewja kif ukoll jigbdu l-attenzjoni ghal xi nuqqasijiet tal-istudenti u/jew lecturers. Ghalhekk hu importantissimu li "assignments" etc. jinkitbu bl-ingliz biex l-universita ikolla acces anki ghall-pariri ta' l-aqwa esperti - anki dawk li assolutament ma jafux il-Malti. Min hu veru patrijot lest li jitghallem minghand kulhadd specjalment ghall-gid ta' pajjizu u mhux jintilex fi snobizmu biex ideffes il-lingwa tieghu f'kollox akkost ta' kollox.
Furthermore, foreign examiners, who did not know Maltese, had a right to see all study units.
X mentalita! so we can't speak/write in Maltese to accomodate those who can't speak it. Having both languages is one thing, denying Maltese the use of the Maltese language is another. English is indeed the international language but it does not mean we are to forget the maltese, english is our second language and not the first and only.
Ma naqbilx mieghek Sandro Agius, "ma kasbarnihx il-Vassalli" b'daqshekk. Il-lingwa Maltija tista tuzaha fl-Universita ta'Malta, ma tistax tuzaha fl-ezamijiet biss. Ma nafx intix student ta l-universita inti personali, pero immagina kors bil-kliem tekniku kollu bil-Malti, iktar studju u konfuzjoni ghalik, u iktar diffikultaijiet u ostakli jekk tigi biex eventwalment tkompli l-istudju tieghek barra minn Malta. Dan huwa propju vantagg ghall istudenti, u mhux xi haga tal-misthija kif qeghdin inpeguwha uhud.
If I was really a native english speaking person living in either Germany (mind you, I do and proud of it too), or France, I would really be proud that my native language sustains LIFE, SURVIVAL and HIGHER UPPER EDUCATION WHERE IT IS TO BE EXPECTED THAT SPECIFC UPPER ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO BE USED. !!!!
While promoting the english language may be completely in order, I still think that provisions are to be made with respect to one's own native language. I AM MALTESE AND ENGLISH IS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE TO ME.
I do have another question. What about oral examinations like interviews, wether scieintific, political,or employment related for example ? Does accent come into this ?
I AM NOT A NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSON.
With all due respect to foreign examiners and the Minister, the students' rights and our language should come before mentioned considerations.
The Minister does do something important though, she confirms that the University Senate is against the Maltese language. Thanks for that.
P.S. @Sandro Agius
Qegħdin agħar minn żmien il-"lingwa tal-kċina". Almenu qabel fil-kċina l-Malti mitkellen kien ikun deċenti, illum bil-politika kulturali u lingwistika li tħalliet toktor fl-aħħar dekadi anke l-Malti tal-kċina spiss huwa farsa Ingliżata għal kważi kull klassi soċjali. "Mummy għaddili l-plate, ma rridx piżelli u carrots illum, please". Jew għati daqqa t'għajn il-"Malti" taż-żgħażagħ (u mhux) fuq siti bħal Facebook.
Get real, please!
JC.
Grazzi
Insomma, bħal dejjem nibqgħu ngħidu: Viva Malta u l-Maltin!!!
This shows how we still have those persons including in high authorities who are lackeys to anything foreign.
Other Universities in other countries lecture in their national language. Indeed, you are required to learn their language before being enrolled for a course.
I am proud to be Maltese and even more so to be bi-lingual.
Malta is the envy of many larger countries for this simple fact.
A fact also that has brought foreign investors to our shores....
and created more jobs.
It is quite confusing that whilst the whole world is integrating the English language as obligatory in Schools, here in Malta, who over all already possesses a very good knowledge of the language, we have politicians who are doing their outmost to destroy such asset!