This post is dedicated to the continuously evolving nature of the Maltese language and the influence of the English language on local culture. I found an extremely interesting academic paper online about how the Maltese language spoken by younger people is rapidly converging with English. At this time, English is widely spoken and a confirmed national language. The influence of English, though, has extended into the linguistic structure of Maltese itself. The paper calls out elements such as verb structure in Maltese that matches English ways of expressing things, rather than traditional Maltese syntax structure. The paper suggests that there are a number of elements contributing to this pattern, such as efficiency, lack of Maltese terminology, the desire to demonstrate familiarity with English culture, and unintentionally applying English-language background. Other news articles that I read point out that many Maltese natives move to English-speaking countries and return with limited knowledge of the language. The Maltese-speaking community abroad is very small, therefore people lose their ability to communicate in their native language. Additionally, the Maltese economy has become home to immigrants who do not speak the language. Rather, they know or acquire English language skills to be able to communicate in business. As I have mentioned in previous articles, Malta's economy is heavily supported by tourism.
The academic paper notes that languages are always evolving. A couple of factors stood out to me, though, that may make this development very complex. In addition to its evolution, the Maltese language is also dying. Unlike other changing languages, this one is surrounded by pressures of both Italian and English. The dominance of these languages, particularly English, increases the vulnerability of the Maltese language. The convergence of English and Maltese reminded me of a similar situation between Spanish and English. The emergence of Spanglish is the result of Spanish natives adapting their language with English elements in the US. The phenomenon of convergence between Maltese and English may be comparable. The big difference, though, is that this transition is taking place within the home nation, as a result of an invading language.
While the development of language is natural, the pressures Maltese language faces by more dominant languages could have a huge cultural impact in the long-run. The articles I read raise points that we discussed many times in 105 and reinforce the purposes for which we choose to study little-known languages. Language evolution and expression reflects power messages about cultural context. In order to fully understand the history of a culture, we can use language to supplement facts. The Maltese language is extremely diverse and historically rich. While I am inclined to say that language evolution is natural and should not be feared, I believe that there is significant value in preserving more obscure languages, such as this one.
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