Learning a language can be a task, and often times, learning a language in class or from a course or another may not exactly match how native speakers actually converse. Grasping a language through traditional means may also prove to be somewhat taxing and even boring at times. And learning a language through courses may not allow you grasp its rhythms and nuances. In this blog post, we’re going to explore some unconventional ways to learn a language, particularly focusing on Maltese.
1. Read Poetry
Now, I get it, reading poetry might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but poetry can be incredibly helpful to grasp more complex vocabulary of a language, its sounds and its rhythms. Maltese is also a highly poetic and oral language having only been standardised, meaning that the nature of Maltese is very much reflected in its poetry. Now, I know what you’re thinking, how am I going to read complex poetry when I barely even know how to say “Bonġu”? Well, don’t fret! The whole point of this exercise is for you to practice the rhythms and sounds of Maltese so you can grasp the trickier elements of Maltese such as that pesky guttural /?/ in words such as ‘dqiq’ (flour) or ‘qrib’ (close.)
How would you go about it?
A. Well, all you would need to do is grab a poetry book written in Maltese. Ideally, the poetry book has a translation in English or whatever language you are comfortable reading.
B. Read the poetry out loud. This is particularly important so you can be able to grasp the rhythms and sounds of the language when speaking it.
C. This is optional but definitely helpful. Try out reading the poetry in front of a native speaker and ask them to give you feedback on your pronunciation.
2. Listen to Music in Maltese
As mentioned in the first point, Maltese is a highly poetic and oral language, and this is reflected in Maltese music. Maltese people love their music. Well, who doesn’t? But in Malta, lyrics are often the most important feature of a song, with melodies being secondary content in a song. For this reason, listening to Maltese music is a great way to not only learn the rhythms of Maltese, but to also practice your listening skills with the language. Songs are also mnemonic devices. In simple terms, songs get stuck in your head, and through them you can easily start to memorise new words and grammatical structures.
Here are a few recommendations of Maltese musicians and bands who sing in Maltese, which you can easily find on any streaming platform
1. Brodu - Named after Malta’s beloved broth, Brodu is an alternative band with quirky sounds and even quirkier lyrics. Their music is also highly sentimental, a characteristic of the Maltese. Once you start to actively practice the language, you’ll start noticing that emotions and politeness are integral to daily conversation and distinguishing levels of proficiency in the language. My personal favourite album by this band is Tfejt. Make sure to give it a listen!
2. Michael Azzopardi - A relative newcomer to the Maltese music scene, singer-songwriter Michael Azzopardi has been garnering a lot of attention in the past few years for his primarily acoustic material. His lyrics are relatively simple, are fun to listen to, and tell some great and entertaining stories. Make sure to listen to his first EP Pistola which features a young Michael Azzopardi in a cowboy hat.
3. Il-Budaj - This one might be a bit try and a task for more advanced learners of the Maltese language. Frans Baldacchino ‘il-Budaj’ was one of Malta’s most prolific għannejja (folk singers) having experimented with the form in many ways. Listen to Il-Budaj is not only an opportunity to
practice your listening skills in Maltese, but to also see how important the use of metaphor is in the language. Hearing his music is also a great way to start exploring Malta’s traditions, and one of the primary ways that news was communicated and feelings were expressed on the island throughout the centuries.
3. Listen to a Podcast
Podcasts have taken the world by storm in the past years and are listened to by millions of people around the world. And it’s not that different in Malta. Podcasts are a great way to tests your listening skills in Maltese, and especially engage with spoken Maltese in a variety of registers such as different dialects and different levels of formality in Maltese.
4. Take part in the OLS discussion forums
You can take part in discussions with OLS Community Managers and take part in forums with a native speaker of the language like me!
5. Have a conversation with an AI Chat Bot
Artificial Intelligence has been the talk of the town in the past few years. Although the subject is tricky and using artificial intelligence can have certain tricky implications, but it can be helpful to practice a language. Certain chat bots have the ability to converse in Maltese, and it’s a great way to practice your conversation skills. Experiment with how the chat bot speaks to you, adjust it’s register (formality) and to practice conversations in a variety of contexts.
Language learning can be very exciting when it’s unconventional, so make sure to try one of these techniques out and reach out if you would like any more tips for learning Maltese!
- Kris, OLS Community Manager