The National Council of Maltese Language launched an initiative to encourage better practices in the use of Maltese, under the patronage of the Office of the President.
The initiative will take the form of a series of seminars with the aim of getting a snapshot of how the Maltese language is being used in different sectors of everyday life and encourage better practices in both the written and spoken language.
The launch of the initiative coincided with International Mother Language Day, an observance launched by Unesco in 1999 with the aim of promoting the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world.
Speaking on Friday afternoon at San Anton Palace, President George Vella said it was important to encourage not only a more prolific use of Maltese language, but that when used, the language should be spoken and written correctly.
"The language is a hallmark of Maltese identity. Our identity and our language are to me one and the same," Dr Vella said.
The President said that while learning foreign languages and adopting loan words to accommodate an expanding lexicon were important, existing Maltese words should not be sidelined for words with Latin origins or tweaked English words.
"We want our children and youth to learn and get an appreciation for their mother tongue," Dr Vella said.
Photo: DOINational Council of Maltese Language executive director Thomas Pace said the seminars would target all relevant sectors and engage with stakeholders to identify the primary challenges of Maltese use.
The sectors will include healthcare and education, retail and hospitality as well as print and broadcast media and will tackle issues such as bilingual signage and translation services.
The programme will also explore how to further engage with foreigners who have settled in Malta long-term and how best to connect them to the Maltese language.
The initiative is being led by the National Council of Maltese Language together with the Akkademja tal-Malti, Għaqda tal-Malti, Għaqda Qarrejja tal-Provi tal-Malti, Għaqda tal-Għalliema tal-Malti, the University's Department of Maltese, and Inizjamed.