ABSTRACT
This chapter provides readers with an overview of Malta’s language history, focusing on how its colonial heritage has shaped its current bilingual status and its education system. The rising global interest in multilingualism and multiculturalism is a consequence of an increase in worldwide immigration, a growing interest in ethnic minorities and indigenous languages, and the language problems which arise in literacy and education within multicultural societies. Translanguaging refers to the natural, spontaneous, and fluid ways in which language is practised and utilised as a valuable resource within multilingual communities. The majority of Maltese children are considered to be crib bilinguals, exposed to both languages from birth. Countries already supporting bilingualism in the classroom, such as Malta, may be looked upon as examples of good practice, although their practices need to be extended and contextualised for increasingly diverse contexts. Malta’s strategic position meant that throughout the course of its history, the Maltese population was always exposed to a variety of languages.
