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Language Attitudes and Ideologies in Malta: a Mixed-Methods Study

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Language Attitudes and Ideologies in Malta: a Mixed-Methods Study Language attitudes and ideologies in Malta: A Mixed-Methods Study Lara Ann Vella B.Ed (Hons) M.Ed (Melit) This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Linguistics and English Language July 2018 Statement of originality I hereby certify that I am the sole author of this thesis and that no part of this thesis has been submitted for any degree or publication. I certify that the content of this thesis is the product of my own work and that all the assistance received and sources have been acknowledged. Lara Ann Vella 2 Abstract Language attitudes and ideologies in Malta: A Mixed-Methods Study, Lara Ann Vella, B.Ed (Hons), M.Ed (Melit) This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University July 2018 Malta’s rich history of foreign conquerors together with its small landmass, has fostered an enduring history of bilingualism (in Maltese and English) on a societal level. In light of the value and status assigned to these two languages, this study sets out to investigate parents’ and their children’s language attitudes and ideologies towards Maltese and English, by using qualitative and quantitative research methods. In the qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were carried out in 11 families, with parents and children (age range 8 to 15). The data show that all participants link use of Maltese and/or English to economic, social, cultural and/or linguistic capital (Bourdieu, 1991). At times, use of language can lead to exclusion because the participants’ language use does not match what is expected of them in a particular habitus (Bourdieu, 1977). Ideologies related to social class, to language use and locality, and nationalistic feelings can also be traced in most interviews. At times, parents’ and children’s language use do not match, as different forms of capital are valued by these family members. The participants’ metalinguistic talk revealed links between their identity and language use (Davies & Harré, 1990; Bucholtz & Hall, 2003; Pavlenko & Blackledge, 2003) when they negotiate the use of Maltese and English in their daily interactions, and position themselves and others on the basis of language use. In the quantitative study, questionnaires were distributed to parents (N= 202) and children (N=357), coming from three school sectors (state, church and independent schools) in different geographical areas of the island (Northern, Northern Harbour, Southern Harbour, South Eastern and Western). Four age groups were targeted: adults, 14- to 15- 3 year-olds, 11- to 12-year-olds and 8- to 9-year-olds. The self-reports of language use illustrate that Maltese is the prevalent language used in the home domain. The association between age, locality, mother’s employment and school sector, respectively, was significant with language used with mother. Nine constructs emerged from the exploratory factor analysis of the language attitude questionnaire. Moreover, the multiple regression analyses revealed that language spoken to mother and at school are the most influential predictor variables across all language attitude constructs. The data also showed that school sector and age group have a significant effect on most language attitude constructs. The older groups (adults and 14- to 15-year-olds) showed more positive attitudes to Maltese than the younger ones (11- to 12-year-olds and 8- to 9-year- olds), who demonstrated more positive attitudes to English. Significant differences were also found in language attitudes based on the three school sectors, with children attending state schools showing more favourable attitudes to the Maltese language constructs, those attending independent schools being more positive to the English language ones, and those attending church schools exhibiting a blend of attitudes to both languages. This study contributes to the theoretical debates on how speakers position themselves and others in their metalinguistic reflections (Davies & Harré, 1990). The findings make an important contribution to the area, by highlighting the role of the languages spoken at home, particularly by the mother, in the development of language attitudes. The study also makes a unique contribution in showing how qualitative and quantitative paradigms can complement each other to provide a more holistic insight into the association between language use and language ideologies in Malta. 4 Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the support of so many people. First and foremost, I must thank my dedicated, patient and knowledgeable supervisors, Mark Sebba and Marije Michel. I am thankful for the many hours they have dedicated to reading and commenting on my writing. I thank them for the numerous meetings we had in person and also in virtual space. I consider myself very lucky to have such tremendous professional role models and mentors. Their invaluable support during my PhD journey has been a driving force for me, especially in times of doubt. I would like to express my gratitude to all participants who took time to participate in the interviews and to complete the questionnaires. I am truly indebted to the families who welcomed me in their homes. I thank them for ensuring the interview sessions were effective and enjoyable experiences. All the families made sure I was well-fed during the sessions. Such hospitality and generosity were much appreciated. I would also like to thank the Heads of Schools and the teachers who allowed their lessons to be disrupted by me and encouraged their students to participate in the study. Thanks go to the children and their parents who took part in the quantitative study. Without their willingness to fill in the questionnaires, the quantitative study would not have been possible. Big thanks go to the staff at the Department of English and Linguistics at Lancaster University. The PhD journey was made more worthwhile thanks to the structure of the PhD by Thesis and Coursework route, where I had the opportunity to balance work, life and studies. It was an excellent opportunity to meet other students and academics and make friends. I would like to thank Elaine Heron for her prompt replies to all of my emails. I would also like to thank my course mates, Anne, Lynn and Sarah, who supported me and who offered valuable advice in the process. Knowing that these dear friends were passing through the same experiences was a great solace. I also thank all those coordinating the MGSS scholarship scheme for facilitating my studies and expenses incurred in the process. I am also grateful for the support offered by the staff at the National Literacy Agency, in Malta, particularly its chairman, Mr David Muscat and its 5 academic advisor Professor Charles Mifsud, for their constant encouragement throughout these years. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to all of my family and friends, both near and far. My parents Andrew and Rosette, have always encouraged me to pursue this dream. My in-laws Paul and Anna never failed to believe that I would get there. I thank them all for their love and support. I would like to thank my brother, André, who was always there to listen and to provide any technical support I needed, especially in the final weeks before submission. Though I was physically far away from all of you during the last phases of the journey, I always felt that you believed in me, and I thank you all for this. I would also like to thank my friends who provided me with words of encouragement throughout this journey. And thank you dear Krista, my oldest friend who was always ready to lend a helping hand, especially in proofreading the document with such care and dedication. I am indebted to her for her time, her critical eye, and enduring positivity. Last, but surely not least, I would like to thank my two boys, Joseph and Francesco. I dedicate this study to you. Thank you, Joseph, for sharing this journey with me and for loving me every single day, even more so, when I doubted myself as a wife, as a mother and as an academic. I thank you for making this thesis a priority in our relationship, and ensuring that I could and would be successful in its completion. And I would like to say thank you to my little boy, for teaching me how to work more effectively, despite the odds. I thank you for your little smiles and hugs each moment I spent with you and for teaching me that all will be well, if you manage to do it with a smile. This thesis was partly funded by the Malta Government Scholarship Scheme. 6 Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ 5 Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... 7 List of Tables ................................................................................................................ 12 List of Figures ................................................................................................................... 14 Transcription conventions ............................................................................................... 15 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................
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