The teaching and learning of Italian in Malta : toward a new dimension

In talking about the presence of Italian in Malta one needs to look at the linguistic influence of a succession of many foreign rulers. After the Arabic domination (870-1092) that marked the semitic base of the Maltese language, the Normans who took over Malta in 1091 introduced Latin as the administrative language. From around 1400 onwards the official language used between the local Maltese government and the Central government in Sicily was not only Latin but also the Sicilian dialect (Wettinger 1993). The taking over of the Maltese Islands by the Knights of the Order of St. John and their long domain (1530-1798) marks a fundamental stage in Maltese linguistic history. The Tuscan dialect adopted by the Knights as their official language became the language of culture on the Islands. From the second half of the XVI century, official documents were written in Italian. This, however, did not hamper Maltese writers from making use of other Italian dialects, especially Sicilian and Neapolitan (Eynaud 1979). The brief period of French rule (1798-1800) does not entail important changes from a linguistic point of view. However, the primacy of the Italian language is put in jeopardy during the English domain (1800-1964). After the relative calmness of the first years, the English rulers started to make reservations against the use of the Italian language, perceived with suspicion following the Unification ofltaly. These events brought about the much discussed issue of The Language Question that characterised the socio-political history of Malta up to the Second World War. The year 1934 was decisive: the Constitution of Malta was modified so that the Maltese language became an official language alongside Italian and English. At a successive stage the Italian language was ousted from the University and the law courts. The definite degrading of Italian from official language came about in the month of May 1936. The subsequent entrance of Italy in the war of 1940 closes definitely the Language Question. The 1964 Maltese Constitution elevates the status of the Maltese language, promoting it to National Language, with English as the other Official language. Paradoxically the Italian language again gains position, at least, as to the number of Italian speakers in Malta. Today, all political controversies of the first half of this century are forgotten, and Italy has become the greatest partner of the island, not only in the political and economic fields but also in the cultural spheres. The diffusion of television programmes by RAJ and other private Italian networks has rendered the Maltese viewers almost completely dependent on Italian television, at least until the recent arrival of cable television. As a consequence, the young generation not only absorb and reproduce Italian modes of saying, but look up to Italy as a way of life to admire and imitate.peer-reviewe

Long term and recent climate changes recorded in North Atlantic oceanic archives around iceland

This contribution will compile paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic works which, over the last decades, provided major insights in our understanding of the Earth's climate natural variability and the underlying forcing mechanisms. A focus will be made on peri-icelandic marine records which document the climatic pace at different time-scales and are supported by multiproxy evidences. A special attention to the link in between the ocean and the cryosphere will be done

Sicilia e Malta nelle relazioni di viaggio del secolo diciassettesimo

For 18th century intellectuals, travelling to Europe meant a fundamental moment of cultural formation in their lives. Their favourite countries, besides Italy and its south, were Northern Europe, the Balkans, Russia and Spain. In their travel accounts the reader finds fascinating descriptions of cities, landscapes, famous and common people, traditions. Diaries and travel accounts become, therefore, the first studies of a sociological nature. This article will focus on the travel accounts written by European writers, such as Rezzonico, Byrdone and Denon, who included Malta in their itineraries. The Maltese intellectuals of that epoch, such as Leonardo A be la, Domenico Magri and Francesco Buonamico, have also left interesting accounts of their travels especially to Africa, Northern Europe and the Middle East.peer-reviewe

L'analisi degli errori e l'insegnamento dell'Italiano (Ricerca condotta su discenti maltesi)

L'insegnamento delle lingue straniere non e una cosa nuova, pen) e soltanto negli ultimi anni che si cerea di dare a questo studio una base piu scientifica e piu efficace. L'analisi contrastiva e uno di questi nuovi metodi scientifici nella didattica linguistica e si porie come scopo principale di rinnovare i metodi di insegnamento e riprogram- mare il materiale didattico nella speranza di ottenere migliori risultati.peer-reviewe

Translations and interpretation : building connections for a changing world

The technological revolution which accelerated so rapidly with the advent of the Internet, combined the increased mobility of populations, has brought about great changes in international communication. This has led to an increasing demand for translation and for greater intercultural understanding, which in turn has resulted in a proliferation of translator-training programmes. Translators and interpreters are needed to facilitate international exchanges, both commercial and political, and at the same time ever more sophisticated machine-translation programmes are being developed to cope with the growing body of material that requires translation. Unquestionably the role of the translator is changing and the confusion around the terminology of translation reflects growing discomfort with the traditional concept of translation as interlingual transfer.peer-reviewe

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm with a horseshoe kidney : an uncommon but potentially troublesome coexistence

We report a case of an elderly patient with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) associated with a horseshoe kidney (HSK) treated by an emergency open repair and discuss the anatomical features and surgical challenges attendant to this rare combined pathology.peer-reviewe

Trans-oral resection of Nasopharyngeal Pleomorphic Adenoma : a case report

Introduction: Around 80% of all salivary gland tumours are pleomorphic adenomas, most commonly found in the parotid gland. This case report regards the rare finding of a pleomorphic adenoma in the nasopharynx. Case Presentation: a 29 year old lady presented to the ENT department with a 4 month history of worsesning and non-resolving nasal obstruction, change in voice, snoring and right aural congestion. A smooth mass pushing the uvula forward was seen on oral examination, and flexible nasoendoscopy revealed an exophytic mass from the right nasopharynx. CT and MRI showed a non-erosive mass in the right nasopharynx. Incisional biopsy was carried out which showed features of pleomorphic adenoma. Lesion was excised using transoral technique to remove the tumour with an intact capsule. Literature Review and Discussion: A PubMed search found only 12 previously reported cases of pleomorphic adenoma from 1970 to 2015. The treatment of choice was surgical in all cases, one case reports the use of radiotherapy, without affect. The trans-oral technique used in this case ensured that the tumour was removed with the surrounding capsule intact, thus reducing risk of recurrence. Conclusion: This is the first reported case of nasopharyngeal pleomorphic adenoma from Malta. Diagnosis was made by the triple assessment – examination, radiology and histology. The tumour was excised completely and the plan is for the patient to have regular follow up.peer-reviewe

The last interglacial in the northern North Atlantic and adjacent areas: evidence for a more zonal climate than during the Holocene

We document climate conditions from the last interglacial optimum (LIO) or marine isotope stage 5e (MIS 5e) from terrestrial and oceanic sedimentary archives. Terrestrial climate conditions are reconstructed from pollen assemblages, whereas sea-surface temperature and salinity conditions are estimated from dinocyst assemblages and foraminiferal data (both assemblages and stable isotope composition of carbonate shells). LIO data from the eastern Canadian Arctic and northern Labrador Sea led to reconstruct much higher summer air temperature and seasurface temperature than at present by about 5°C. Data from southeastern Canada and southern Labrador Sea also suggest more thermophilic vegetation and warmer conditions although the contrast between LIO and the Holocene is of lesser amplitude. On the whole, the terrestrial and marine data sets from the northwest North Atlantic and adjacent lands suggest limited influence of southward flow from Arctic waters through the east Greenland and Labrador Currents as compared to the modern situation. The compilation of sea-surface reconstructions from the northwest and northeast North Atlantic indicate much reduced longitudinal contrasts of temperatures than at present, thus a more zonal pattern of circulation. The reconstructions also indicate a lower sea-surface salinity than at present, thus stronger stratification of upper water masses, which would be compatible with a reduced North Atlantic deep-water formation

The impact of governmental policy on the effective operation of CSOs: a French case study

Worldwide, civil society organizations (CSOs) are an integral compo- nent in the complex network that comprises the public sphere improving the welfare of our communities. In the second half of the twentieth century French CSOs’ contributions to their citizens’ welfare have become increasingly valued. Nevertheless, radical changes to employment policies during the Sarkozy regime (2007–2012) impacted social services to unemployed migrants. In addition, central government constrained local governments’ ability to fund social ser- vices, pushing a shift from a culture of “granting subsidies” to one based on “public procurement contracting” (Langlais 2008). These environmental changes are likely to transform CSO-government relationships. This research asks two questions: what is the impact of such radical changes and what possible responses can organizations make, if they are to survive? To answer these, we utilize a case study of a French CSO (Association), which is highly dependent on public funding to deliver its urban-based migrant pro- grams. We utilize the lens of resource dependency, focusing on the interrelation-ships and interactions that impact CSOs’ legitimacy and support. Effects of the reforms include a change from relatively cooperative relationships with govern- ment to adversarial exchanges. Moreover, this CSO’s activities are apprehended by public funders as short-term single projects considered in isolation from one another so that its overall outcomes are not quantitatively measured. As a result, the CSO’s overarching and long-term social and economic contribution to the territory’s public sphere is in jeopardy