Malta and it's streotypes - the real truth
Like every other country - Malta comes with its own set of stereotypes. Keep reading to see some conventions proved and debunked.
1. North and South
The Stereotype
Although Malta is tiny, a divide still exists between the locals originating from the North and those originating from the South. While the Northern part of the island is envisioned to be jam-packed with English speakers (tal-pepe), the South inhibitors are said to be foul speakers (hamalli).
The Truth
The prominent number of English speakers in the Northern areas is accredited to the numerous expats in the locations. Regardless of this, while most adults prefer to speak in their native language, most students carry themselves in English due to the principal language of the national curriculum.
2. Bad drivers
The Stereotype
With just about 365,000 registered vehicles on the road, Malta is victim to numerous recurring jokes about its citizens’ poor driving skills.
The Truth
The Maltese themselves admit to being bad drivers. The busy roads and the heat play a heavy role in the business. Noone is perfect, right?
3. The Maltese can all speak Italian
The Stereotype
Tourists assume they can simply waltz into a Maltese store and practice the rusty Italian they learnt throughout their childhood with the cashier. People who live within 382 km of Italy must know Italian, right?
The Truth
In reality, Italian is the 3rd most spoken language by the Maltese citizens. The knowledge of the language is accredited to the rule of the Order of Saint John in the 1500s. Maltese satellites also pick up a range of Italian channels from Sicily which exposes the locals to the language even further. Regardless of their understanding, most Maltese are still estranged to the language and feel very uncomfortable speaking it.
3. Conservative
The Stereotypes
The Maltese are seen to be very conservative due to the prevalence of the Catholic faith in the island.
The Truth
While the Maltese are very modest in terms of clothing and attitude, they are no saints. The islanders are light-hearted and understanding as long as no profanities are uttered regarding their country or religion.
4. Hard Working
The Stereotypes
Most Maltese are known to be hardworking and knowledgeable with regards to school and work.
The Truth
The Maltese are truly hard working, it is for good reason that the British chose to lay their roots in the island. As a matter of fact, the Maltese were awarded the George Cross following WW2 as an homage to the hard work and bravery they showed throughout the war.
5. Loud and noisy
The Stereotypes
Most Maltese are loud and noisy, both when they speak, when they party and whatever else they partake in.
The Truth
As a Mediterranean country, most Maltese people tend to be loud and bubbly. Conversations tend to get quite loud and to outsiders it might seem that nobody is making any sense an people might actually be arguing, this loud state of affairs is business as usual for us. You'll actually find that during many of our loud conversations, you'll also find lots of boisterous laughter.
To top that all off, we like our festa's with all of the loud petards, our car's might be "tuned" to be louder, our cars and their stereos are "pimped" and when a team which we support wins a competition, expect lots of carcading, honking and general all-round partying.
While not all Maltese are loud, truth is, as a nation, we are quite noisy. That's not to say you won't find quiet spots in Malta, but do expect crowdy places to get quite noisy.
Know of any other Maltese stereotypes? Let us know in the comment section!
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