TALE

English functions at various levels and occupies a variety of roles in Malta. It is compulsory from ages 4+ to 16.

At primary level learning English is essential for laying the foundations of the learners’ education at secondary level and beyond. Acquiring proficiency in English is essential for Maltese learners to function effectively in work and life, particularly in the local context where the English language enjoys official status and is fundamental in furthering educational careers. Furthermore, proficiency in English enhances the learners’ life-long learning abilities by providing the necessary tools and strategies that can help Maltese citizens participate and engage with the outside world, where proficiency in English is the key to success in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy.

The aims of the learning of English as a second language in primary and secondary schools are to enable students to: develop their knowledge of the conventions, structures, patterns and vocabulary of the English language so that they can understand the way the English language works, and develop skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing that are vital to learning in other curriculum subjects, and the ability to communicate confidently, appropriately and effectively for different purposes and in different contexts, and become creative by using their imagination and mastery of language to express thoughts, ideas, experiences and feelings; benefit from the use of the World Wide Web, react creatively to new technology and take responsibility for their own learning by becoming autonomous learners, enhance their lifelong language development, and prepare themselves for the world of work and further education in Malta and abroad; appreciate literature as a source of enjoyment, knowledge of the world and as artistic accomplishment, engage critically and creatively with a variety of literary, non-literary and media texts and appreciate how writers and speakers use the linguistic and literary features of the English language to convey meaning and to create desired effects, and develop an awareness and understanding of and respect for the culture/s of the people who speak the target language.