The Role of the Catholic Church in the Maltese Australian Community and Its Impact on Language Maintenance

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  • Author(s): Adrian Muscat
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    International Journal of Multilingualism. 2024 21(4):1855-1867.
  • Publication Date:
    2024
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      13
    • Subject Terms:
      Church Role; Catholics; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Foreign Countries; Immigrants; Semitic Languages; Language Maintenance; Family Relationship; Native Language; Language Skill Attrition
    • Subject Terms:
      Malta; Australia
    • Accession Number:
      10.1080/14790718.2023.2212908
    • ISSN:
      1479-0718
      1747-7530
    • Abstract:
      This paper discusses the role of the Catholic Church amongst the Maltese diaspora in Australia, and its impact on the maintenance of the Maltese language, a small community language spoken largely by the first generation of immigrants who left Malta after the Second World War. The study is based on interview data collected among three generations of Maltese in Melbourne and Sydney. The findings of this research demonstrate that the Church has been one of the main institutions that supported the Maltese community throughout the years and consequently it had a positive impact on language maintenance. On the other hand, the aging population of the Maltese community will be detrimental to the Maltese language in the years to come, and thus, probably, resulting in a complete shift to English, the dominant language of Australia.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2024
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1446302