Languages of Malta facts for kids
Malta has two official languages: Maltese and English. Maltese is the national language of Malta. Until 1934, Italian was also an official language in Malta. Most people living in Malta can talk in languages that are not native to the country, mostly English and Italian.
The Eurobarometer poll done in 2012 says 98% of people living in Malta can talk in Maltese, 88% can talk in English, 66% can talk in Italian, and more than 17% can talk in French. In 1995, 98% of people living in Malta could talk in Maltese, 76% could talk in English, 36% could talk in Italian, and 10% could talk in French. Fluency in Italian has increased after Italian was no longer an official language of Malta because Italian television broadcasts reach Malta.
According to the 2011 census, there were 377,952 people aged 10 and over. Out of them, 357,692 people (94.7%) said they could talk in Maltese at least at an average level, 248,570 (82.1%) said they could talk in English "Well", "Average", "A little" and "Not at all". French, Russian, Spanish and German are the other main languages taught in secondary and tertiary education.
- Hull, Geoffrey. The Malta Language Question: A Case Study in Cultural Imperialism. Said International, Valletta, 1993.
Images for kids
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A Latin inscription from 1649 at Saint Agatha's Tower.
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A Maltese welcome sign to the village of Ħal Lija, making use of the letter Ħ, unique to Maltese. Suavi fructo rubeo is a Latin motto, meaning "I glow red with sweet fruit", referring to the many orange orchards present in the village.
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Bilingual danger sign at Comino in both Maltese and English
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Italian-language loading bill of the English steamship "Allegra", 1871 owned by Fratelli Agius, transporting cattle from Benghazi, Libya to Malta.
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Italian inscription from the former Ġnien tal-Kmand at Żabbar. This inscription dates back from the early 19th century, when Malta was a British protectorate.
