Acceso usuarios
Loredana Muscat
, Michelle Panzavecchia
Malta has experienced shifting demographics in recent years. These changes are leading to a transition from a traditionally bilingual society to one that increasingly embraces multilingualism, a situation which is inevitably and significantly impacting school environments. This study examines how Maltese secondary school students engage with language and their views of multilingual environments. Data were collected from 402 students through a structured questionnaire. Findings show that students adapt their language use depending on the context, with Maltese mainly spoken at home, while English and other flexible language practices are more common in school and online communication. Students generally displayed positive attitudes towards both Maltese and English, expressing pride and confidence, particularly regarding their first language. Most participants associated multilingualism with cognitive, social, and educational advantages, with slightly lower endorsement of economic benefits; differences across domains were small and not statistically significant. Responses indicate that students see multilingualism more as a practical skill than as a cultural or identity issue. Overall, students support the idea of developing multilingual competence, emphasising the strong potential for promoting inclusive language practices. These findings highlight the urgent need to recognise linguistic diversity among young people and to align educational policies with Malta's evolving multilingual context.
