Overall, I do not think I have reached the point yet where I can write my own thoughts in Maltese. In comparison to my class studies, I am studying Maltese closer to the way I learned my primary language, English. I have been focusing on learning important phrases in the context of a dialogue and vocabulary, more than grammar. For example, one exercise that has been helpful for me is writing out sample dialogues with the phrases that I know. Through these dialogues, I have been able to pick out keywords that will be important for when I do go more in-depth with grammar. As I notice these words, such as tajba (good) and int (you), I add them to a big list. Another writing exercise I have been doing is poetry translation to pick up vocabulary. I write out the poem in Maltese, translate in English, and highlight important vocabulary words. It has also been helpful for me to see how phrases are structured.
One component of the language that is especially tricky for me is the gendered nature of the words. In comparison to Spanish or Italian, which I have previously studied, there are more parts of speech that are fluid based upon gender. It has been a challenge to learn both the masculine and feminine version of words when it is not as simple as “a” for feminine and “o” for masculine. Based upon my poetry readings, though, I am finding that there are similarities between Maltese and Italian grammar. There is the use of “il” or “l” before nouns in sentences and prepositions function similarly. For example, “the” is dropped in the phrase “in the bay” (fil-bajja) similar to the way Italian drops “the” in a phrase such as “in the bank” (in banco). The way Maltese reads seems a bit choppy in comparison to English and the translation is not very clear, but my previous study of languages is making it a little bit more manageable.
In order to keep facilitating my ability to read Maltese and understand the grammar, I think I will focus next on learning the prepositions/pronouns. I have been able to pick up a handful of these words through phrasal context and reading, but it would probably be helpful to memorize them concretely. Tal (of) and fil (in) are examples I picked up through context and wrote down on my vocabulary list. Similar to the way babies learn their first language, I picked up these words through repetition and context. My learning process has been a balance between deductive reasoning and vocabulary memorization. I find it very enjoyable and interesting to learn this way.
On a final note, I have not been doing any typing in my target language. I find that it is definitely more helpful for me to write things out in my notebook, or on a whiteboard. Physically writing out words and drawing visuals has been most helpful for me. In addition, Maltese has a handful of characters that are difficult to type on the computer.
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