In Defence of Language: Reconciling Maltese and English Language Users
Note: This episode is in Maltese.
In this episode, directed at those who prefer to use Maltese as their primary means of communication, I express my concern regarding certain opinions against English language users who prefer to use English as the primary means of communication.
While I prefer to use Maltese when in the presence of native Maltese speakers, I have no problem with engaging with English language users. In this sense, I come to appreciate the value of both English and Maltese in my life. In this spirit that I express my concerns about resentment I notice growing between Maltese and English language users who have expressed their preference for one language over the other.
I believe that it’s unrealistic to expect the world to accommodate Maltese speakers at all costs, although I hold that we should sustain and cultivate our national linguistic heritage. On the other hand, I hold that we cannot risk neglecting to continue educating our children in the proper use of English and in instilling love and respect to our second national language.
I believe that it’s neither healthy nor commendable to use language to impose our preferences on other and instead of using language as a means to bring us together, use it to impose our language as a weapon to impose power and division in Malta.
#Malta, #language, #division, #Maltese, #English, #respect, #diversity, #reconciliation