Your Comments on Dr Douglas Kmiec as Ambassador to Malta

We published the news of Ambassador Doug Kmiec's resignation at http://www.starsandstripesmalta.com/News201105.html#DK20110511. We received many comments from you on the matter and have decided to create a space where you can recall and recount your impression of this man during his stay in Malta. 

You can either post directly here or, if you prefer, email us on info@StarsAndStripesMalta.com. Those who email us should  specify that you would like your email to be to publish to our blog.

SASM Annual Report – 2010 / 2011

Stars and Stripes Malta is an organization that, over the past year, has worked hard to make a mark in the Maltese and US areas of play. Admittedly relations between the United States and Malta have always been positive. The recent decisions by the United States to take hundreds of refugees who reside in Malta demonstrates beyond any doubt that this great country is sometimes more of a friend than other counties geographically closer to us.

One of the tasks that SASM has been involved in since its inception is to try to help materialize project requested by its members. Over the past year we were involved in projects to trace people who lived a century ago or more for our members, projects relating to education, projects relating to citizenship of both Maltese who wanted to get their US citizenship or Americans who wanted to get their Maltese citizenship. We even got a request by a member to help trace down basketball players of Maltese descent who live abroad. Even though we do not have a 100% success rate, we are satisfied that many of the projects we embarked on ran to fruition.

Besides these projects, SASM has become a hub that distributes relevant news and information to its members. Whenever I meet an acquaintance on our mailing list they always comment positively about our regular mailings. Many like the short and concise format of the news and everyone I have spoken to seems to agree with the frequency of the mailings which is set to an average of one every two weeks.

The two countries from where the majority of our members originate are Malta and the USA—we are called Stars and Stripes after all. Having said that, we now also have a decent following from Australia. Recently we began to communicate electronic publications produced by Maltese and those of Maltese descent living over there.

SASM is an organization by members for members and we want like to keep it that way. For example, the survey we are conducting amongst all members will give us direction as to what we should do to better serve our current and future members. Even after the survey comes to an end and the results are tallied we will still want your input and direction as to how we can be more effective.

In my previous paragraph I mentioned the phrase “members for members”. These three words sum up the most important ingredient to the success of an organization like ours. It is thanks to those who can spare a couple of hours researching the Internet for a school in New York that may want to pair up with an equivalent school on in Malta; calling a relative to inquire about basketball players; or who encourage us and suggest ways we can improve, that we can become better.

I would like to conclude by thanking the other SASM committee members: Louis Vella, Joe Meilak, John Mizzi and Joyce Grech who work as a team to make most of what SASM is in reality. Every one of these persons, in their own special way and with their own special abilities and skills, constitutes SASM’s main driving force.

SASM 2011 Questionaire / Kwestjonarju 2011

Stars And Stripes Malta (SASM) is conducting a survey so that we can better serve you and direct our resources where they are most required. We started life with the goal of becoming the most effective US-Malta friendship not-for-profit organization.

When we set up SASM we listed 9 points in our statute as being our organizational goals (you can read about these in our “About Us” page on our web site). Following the Convention for Maltese living abroad, many people of Maltese descent who live in Australia, Canada and the UK registered with us. We started getting feedback from these people and suggestions that SASM should also carry their activities.

We would like your input to help us provide the best service to our members. On the next two pages, we have a very short questionnaire. These are very important to us.

This survey is open to everyone who has a say in the matter. To participate in the survey direct your browser to http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=INDEGI_ac49bc98.

Tell your family and friends about SASM's survey.

Membership to SASM is free and open to anyone who has an interest in Malta-US-Malta events and relations.

The Journey of Gaining Maltese Citizenship

My name is Marc Sanko, I am a member of Stars and Stripes Malta and a third generation Maltese-American. Over the course of the past year I have worked with the organization in an attempt to claim my Maltese Citizenship. It has been filled with many ups and downs and great stories of along the way. These next few blogs will be the story of this journey and about my background and hopeful future.

The story starts in the 1920’s with my great-grandparents who moved from Malta to America, and unusually it was not because they were searching for higher paying jobs and the typical promises that awaited everyone in the United States. Instead it was for medical reasons. My grandmother, it turns out, as a child would get very sick from the sun in Malta and the doctors advised that they seek a milder climate. So it was off to America where my great grandfather immigrated to Detroit, Michigan and found employment at the Ford Assembly Plant. It was from this job that he was able to make enough money to build a home and send for the rest of his family to move to Detroit and rejoin him after a considerable time apart.

By the end of World War 2 most of my grandmothers and grandfathers families made the move to Detroit and joined the Maltese Community living in Detroit’s Corktown on the South side of the city. As the years wore on the families began drifting slowly apart, some had begun to move over the river into the Canadian city of Windsor and others gravitated towards the new and expanding suburbs of Detroit. That is where I come into the story; 22 years ago I was born in the suburbs of Detroit to a Maltese family.

At this point in time (late 1980’s) the Maltese community in the Metro-Detroit area had long lost its sense of closeness, no longer would you walk out your door and hear all your neighbors conversing in Maltese, rather it was a time where everyone was raised to speak English and be American. However in the mid to late-1990’s there seemed to be a revival among the older generation to share with us the roots of our family, the Maltese stories and many times even attempts to teach our generation the language. Unfortunately in my family the language didn’t stick very well as those who knew it and spoke it began to die off before any substantial teaching could be done. Needless to say it did inspire me.

All through grade school and even into my undergraduate studies in college I have been deeply interested in the history and lifestyle of the Maltese and myself and many of my cousins have done as much as we can to immerse ourselves in the Maltese culture. From learning to make pastizzi to more (failed) attempts at learning and conversing in Maltese, and it was at this point I personally began to want more of a true connection with my ancestral homeland. So I began to formulate a plan to study abroad in Malta or at least get my Graduate Degree at the University of Malta. I thought, ah ha! What an opportunity to also get my Maltese citizenship and all the advantages that would bring. It was about a year and a half ago that I finally contacted Stars and Stripes Malta to inquire about the process.

I have also found this book to be very insightful and full of pictures of Maltese in Detroit. Check it out, even if you just look at the pictures online!

http://www.amazon.com/Maltese-Detroit-Images-America-Andreassi/dp/0738583375

Next Blog – Uncovering my past to find my future, the process of gaining citizenship.

Respect towards the Flag

Few countries revere their flag as much as the United States. This could be because the United States’ flag is designed such that each part of the flag is so closely associated with the country’s history and depicts so well the struggle of this land to become a nation. The fifty stars on the flag represent the 50 states and the 13 stripes represent the original thirteen colonies that rebelled against the British monarchy and became the first states in the Union. 

The United States has a Flag Code. This code incorporates a set of laws relating to how the flag should be handled, folded, when it should be displayed and during what times of the day. The flag code also lists how the flag should be taken care and disposed of. 

In my opinion proof of the United States’ respect towards its flag lies in the rules on how the flag should be disposed of.  The flag code states that “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning”. Veteran service organisations such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Marine Corps League, Disabled American Veterans as well as the Boy and Girl Scouts offer free flag disposal services. Those who wish to dispose of the flag themselves should burn the flag in a dignified manner and should bury the ashes. On the Internet one can find ceremonial scripts one could follow to dispose of the flag honourably. 

Flags made of nylon and other synthetic materials should not be burned since these can create hazardous gases when they are burned. A good alternative to dispose of synthetic flags is recycling. To recycle a flag, simply write "Recycle" on the header of the flag before handing it over to one of the organisations mentioned above. 

All nations have a flag; for some the flag is seen to be a living emblem of their country, for others it is just a piece of cloth marking territory or a ceremonial object.

Membership drive

The success of any group depends, to a considerable extent, on the number of members. With a larger headcount, we will be in a better position to increase the chances of success in those issues that matter to us. We are currently in the mid-hundreds yet I believe that this number should be a four digit value. We need those numbers.

Here are some tips that may help you “discover” other Stars And Stripes Malta (SASM) potential members:

• Do you recall someone your parents used to mention? Can you track them down?
• Did you have a friend at school (Malta or the US) who could be a member? Are they on Facebook or other social network?
• Is there a relative who might know of people who have lived in the US?
• Are there mechanisms, clubs, schools, parish notice boards, etc. you may post a note about us?
• Can you write about SASM in the press? This will help others discover SASM by reading what you are writing about us.
• Do you know of any Maltese groups in the US who could help; do you have their email addresses (preferably) or postal addresses? Were you involved with these groups (or maybe your next of kin)? SASM will help you if you need our assistance.
• Could you take it upon yourself to give SASM a mention on a community radio? Don’t know what to say or you’re radio shy? – talk to us.
• Does your parish publish a weekly Bulletin? Can we get a mention over there?
• Other ideas?

It would be nice if you kept SASM in the loop. We need all the help you can give us. Summer is now upon us and this may give some of you more opportunity to mix and mingle. Make it a point to proudly promote SASM in your exchanges. And don’t forget that membership to SASM is completely free.

Learning Maltese

During the Convention of Maltese Living Abroad, held between the 14th and the 20th of March, a number of delegates highlighted the fact that there are scarce resources available to those living abroad who would like to learn Maltese. I must admit that even though I had an inclination that there are people of Maltese descent who would like to learn the native language of their ancestors, I did not realise that this desire was significant. Even if one factored in that, most probably, the people I spoke to had a greater than average interest in the Maltese language, I came to the conclusion that, if Maltese language resources could be made available to Maltese living abroad a healthy number would have a go at mastering it.

This article aims to analyse the different categories of people who would want to learn Maltese and the degree to which they would like to master the language. It also tries to have a look at who could create or sponsor content creation. The people being targeted here are those for whom Maltese would be a foreign language to which they are rarely exposed. In researching this paper I looked at what is available to people who would like to learn a foreign language such as English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.

Individuals who want to master a foreign language do so for either economic gains or for personal reasons. By economic gains I mean that the perceived outcome of learning a new language would be to increase one’s earning potential. No foreigner would learn Maltese for economic gains. This is because Maltese is not widely used globally, English is an official language of Malta¹, business is conducted predominantly in English and Malta is a miniscule island that has been dominated (influenced) by others and has never dominated (influenced) other nations.

There are many reasons why a person may want to learn a foreign language for personal reasons. A few examples are:

• Wanting to learn the language of one’s ancestors;
• Taking a trip to Malta;
• Curiosity;
• Love of languages;
• Moving to Malta;
• Speaking to Maltese friends or relatives

The type of language training available can be classified as follows:

• Introductory or Basic: the person would be interested in discovering what the language is all about. Normally a person would seek such training if s/he is curious about the language or is planning a holiday to the country and would like to learn a few basic words used by the natives. This type of training is normally designed to be completed over a short period of time and different modules do not necessary have a sense of continuity between them.
• Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced structured learning: the person wants to master the language in a more structured way. Each module is made up of lessons. The successful completion of one lesson is necessary to the understanding of successive lessons. Each module would have a test or other feedback mechanism that would allow the learner to check his level of understanding.
• Targeted: the person is interested in learning a language for a specific purpose. Targeted instruction is designed to equip the learner with the necessary skills to be able to perform a single or limited number of tasks and is normally packaged with other non-linguistic training. For example, a business course aimed at business persons who want to trade in a foreign country may incorporate business language-related training but would also incorporate training on the business customs of the natives with special emphasis on the do’s and don’ts. Since Malta is an English speaking nation with English being the predominant language in which most business transactions are conducted and with a very British approach to business, I do not think that there would be any interest in providing this type of training in the Maltese language.

The available training is normally provided by one of three entities:

• State sponsored training: the government of the native country makes available scholarships or makes available grants to those who want to learn the language. For example, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs grants foreign citizens, as well as Italian citizens permanently residing abroad, scholarships for Italian language and culture courses. ²
  
  State-sponsored training may come in the form of lessons that are either free or are provided at reduced prices. Deutsche Welle provides online courses that are free³. For example, its Deutsch Interaktiv is a free 30-part self-study course that covers levels A1 and B1 of the Common European Frame of References for Languages. Other language related materials on the site are fun courses such as Radio D, a course aimed at Students. Paula and Philipp lead the user through a 26-part series. The two radio producers have to travel across Germany to research mysterious cases. Radio D is ideal for both beginners and those who have some previous knowledge of German.
  
  Radio France International has a daily downloadable news podcast in simple (and slow) French aimed at those learning the French language⁴. One of the problems many non-native French language speakers face is that of not being able to follow a conversation spoken at a native’s standard rate of speech. These broadcast also attempt to use a limited vocabulary to make understanding and following the news easier.
  
  RAI has a TV channel called RAI Education. Part of this station’s programming is aimed at helping followers learn English. The station combines an online site called Il D at http://www.ild.rai.it with TV programming that aims to help Italians master the English language.
• Commercial: Commercial content covers a wide spectrum. Unlike state-sponsored training, commercial organisations must see the potential of earning a profit on the language module they are developing. The following are some examples of what is available on the market:
• Computer-based training. Interactive lessons allow you to learn a new language at your own pace and in the comfort of your home. You can repeat a module many times over and use the program to gauge your progress and point out areas you need to improve. Rosetta Stone (http://www.rosettastone.com/) is a leader in this type of training. They have courses in 31 languages. Maltese is not listed.
• Audio-based training. This type of training is based on the concept of Hear It, Learn It, Speak It. Lessons are available on CD or MP3/iPod player format. Pimsleur (http://www.pimsleur.com) is one company that has developed language training of this sort in over 50 languages. Maltese is not listed.
• Video-based training. These can come in the form of DVD or online content one can watch. The BBC Language Course for Children based around the character Muzzy is an example of this type of training.⁵
• Tutor based distance training. There are numerous variations on this category. One model is that in which the students follow a structured lesson plan in which the tutor facilitates the learning process, hands out assignments and corrects submitted work. On the other hand, there are internet sites such as Verbalplanet.com (http://www.verbalplanet.com) that allow you to select from a list of tutors (who have been rated by previous students). The tutor you choose will set up a personalised lesson plan. You book the time when you want the lesson to be held and communicate online with your tutor on a one-to-one basis using the Skype communication program. Although Maltese is listed as one of the available languages, there are no tutors listed for this language.
• Holiday based training. Combine learning a language with a holiday. Malta has many commercial English language schools that offer this type of service. Students spend the morning attending classes with the afternoon dedicated to getting to know the country they are visiting while at the same time getting a change to practise the language. For example, the Gothe-Institut provides specialised language courses in which learning German is combined with other activities. Three courses listed on their web site are German plus music, German plus soccer and German plus winter sports⁶.
• Institutional training in which a student follows a language course by attending an institution. The difference between this type of training and holiday-based training is that here an individual attends a training institution. What this person does after hours is not taken care of by the organiser of the language training.
• Free: free training is essentially of the same type as what is described above. It is normally mostly of an automated type that rarely comprises the use of tutors. One of the best sites that catalogue websites which offer free language courses is appropriately called Free Language. It can be found at http://freelanguage.org. The source of free training can be classified as:
• State-sponsored (described above)
• Hobbyist: people who enjoy creating content for others to consume. The quality of the material can vary depending on the technical capabilities and resources of the person creating the content.
• Commercial: many commercial companies that provide electronic content provide a free first lesson or a sample of the training in order to let students experience what they will be getting if they enrol/purchase the course.
• Others: Anything that cannot be classified above would be listed here. For example, the BBC has a portion of its online website dedicated to teaching visitors foreign languages. Here one can find language courses on various languages. It has a page with 12 phrases read out in Maltese⁷.

The groupings listed above do not have fixed boundaries and are therefore not intended to be taken as such. The languages researched are spoken by millions and appertain to countries that have strong economies. There are many reasons why an individual may decide to learn one of these languages other than a love for the language itself. Suffice to say that the languages I have looked at are used natively by millions and belong to countries that are economically very strong.

In the case of Maltese, the majority of those who would like to learn it would do so out of a love for the language and the nation that speaks it. We should therefore look at what resources exist and try to make some of them available to those wanting to learn our language.

This article was written by Alan and Connie Bonnici with the input of Joe Meilak.

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¹ Malta. (2010, April 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:04, April 8, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Malta&oldid=354318587

² Scholarships And Financial Aids. In Scuola Leonardo da Vinci. Retrieved 15:22, April 9, 2010, from http://www.scuolaleonardo.com/Italian-language-scholarships.html

³ Learning German. In DW-WORLD.DE. Retrieved 15:22, April 9, 2010, from http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,2547,00.html

⁴ Understanding the news. In RFI - Langue franҫaise. Retrieved 16:22, April 9, 2010, from http://www.rfi.fr/lfen/statiques/accueil.asp

⁵ http://www.early-advantage.com/Default.aspx

⁶ Courses for children and teens. In Goethe-Institut. Retrieved 17:25, April 9, 2010, from http://www.goethe.de/ins/de/spr/kuj/kur/deu/enindex.htm

⁷ Languages. In BBC – Languages. Retrieved 15:49, April 12, 2010, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/