European Union legislation stipulates that each member state has the right to nominate one of its own official languages as that member’s official EU language. EU citizens are guaranteed the right to communicate with the Union and have access to information and documentation in one of the official languages.

Maltese language experts argue that Malta’s membership positively impacted the development of the Maltese language, including what is called “the development, if not the creation, of the translation profession in Malta”.

The fact that Maltese is one of the EU’s 24 official languages has created renewed interest in teaching Maltese at the tertiary education level as it opened new employment opportunities. But can one see a renaissance of the Maltese language due to our EU membership?

Despite the multi-lingualism that characterises the Union, the European Commission supports the notion that there are three ‘working languages’ or ‘procedural languages’: English, French and German. While all 24 official languages are useful for communication between EU citizens and the EU institutions, the procedural languages ease communication within the EU apparatus itself.

The procedural languages concept itself is misleading as, despite Brexit, English is the most preferred language for interaction at all levels and the popularity of English in such respects has been increasing steadily over time. In 2019, 90 per cent of all data at the European Council for translation was in English. For the European Parliament, the figures were 72 per cent.

Of course, the Maltese language will always be a fundamental element defining us as a nation. As such, it needs to be preserved by ensuring that as many people as possible living on these islands learn how to communicate well in our national language. The technical challenges posed by the fact that Maltese is one of the official languages of the EU are slowly being overcome thanks to the dedication of academics and IT tools that are constantly evolving.

The EU’s support to small countries like Malta and Ireland, which have two official languages, is indispensable to helping our translators carry out their work effectively.

However, other issues must be considered if the hope for a renaissance of the Maltese language is to become a reality. In the last decade, the Maltese population has increased dramatically due to the influx of foreign workers from third countries. Hardly any of these workers speak Maltese apart from a splatter of phrases to communicate socially with the locals.

If Maltese is to survive as a living language over the next two or three decades, more must be done to ensure that foreign workers are encouraged to learn Maltese at least to a level that enables them to communicate sensibly with locals. This is a formidable task as foreign workers are more likely to be motivated to learn English, which gives them more utilitarian advantages.

David Schembri, a field officer at the Directorate General for Translation in Malta, encourages people to continue contributing to the digital development of the Maltese language through social media, podcasts and YouTube. Those with a genuine grasp of Maltese know the distressing level of the Maltese language standards that prevail in social media communication.

Multilingualism will continue to be a bone of contention in the EU. Some understandably argue that the promotion of multilingualism in the EU may be a hindrance to more integration.

For the Maltese language to experience a renaissance, more must be done to ensure that the language remains alive as a means of social and official communication for all those living here.