‘Maltese Students, Knowing A Foreign Language Is Fundamental,’ Expert Advises
An official proposal for all sixth formers to take a foreign language has proven quite controversial, with several people warning it will impinge on the rights of students to choose their own subjects.
However, academic Mario Pace, an expert in foreign language teaching, has urged students to welcome MATSEC’s proposal, arguing that it has become “fundamental” for Maltese people to learn a foreign language in this day and age.
“We need to look at the global context,” Pace explained to Lovin Malta. “The world has become so globalised that if someone applies for job, there’s a chance that people from European countries and beyond, who know three to five languages, will also apply.”
The Junior College sixth form
“European countries are launching foreign language learning initiatives; for example, Italian students are now learning foreign languages from primary level. If we observe what’s happening around us, we cannot be content with knowing English and Maltese, because it’s not enough.”
The European Commission has recently stated that students should be able to confidently express themselves in a third language by the end of sixth form while the EU’s ET2020 strategy in education and training notes that the demand for communication and language skills is steadily rising across the continent.
“If you become an engineer, a basic knowledge in German is fundamental because most engineering companies are German-based and often send their staff to German training,” Pace said.
“Pharmaceutical companies often require employees to have a basic knowledge of French, law and banking companies require them to know Italian and gaming companies require them to know a number of different languages.”
The GCHSS sixth form in Naxxar
“Companies often call us up at the University’s Faculty of Education to inform us that they need more graduates who can speak, for example, German.”
He said that over 1,500 people have recently applied for lifelong learning courses in a foreign language at the University, not only in Latin and Germanic languages, but also the likes of Japanese, Chinese and Greek.
“When people start working, they’ll come face to face with the reality that there are a lot of foreign employers in Malta,” Pace said. “If an Italian or Spanish employer carries out an interview, part of it will possibly be carried out in their own language, especially if they have Italian or Spanish clients.”
“People will eventually realise the importance of knowing a foreign language, so why not learn it at a younger age when it’s easier to learn?”
The sixth form revamp is up for public consultation ahead of its proposed implementation in time for the 2020/21 scholastic year. You can read more details about it here.
Cover: Left photo: Stock image; Right photo: Mario Pace (left) with Matsec director Dario Pirotta
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