Chapter 43: Storja u Kultura Maltija (Maltese History & Culture)

To truly understand a language, you must understand the people and events that shaped it. This chapter uses your advanced Maltese skills to explore some of the cornerstones of Maltese history and culture.

Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Reading About Malta

The following are short texts on important Maltese topics. Use your knowledge to understand the main ideas.

Il-Kavallieri ta' San Ġwann (The Knights of St. John)

L-Ordni tal-Kavallieri ta' San Ġwann waslet Malta fl-1530. Matul il-ħakma tagħhom, il-Kavallieri bnew ħafna fortifikazzjonijiet u bini importanti, inkluż il-belt kapitali, il-Belt Valletta. L-aktar avveniment famuż kien l-Assedju l-Kbir tal-1565, meta l-Ordni, megħjuna mill-Maltin, irnexxielha tirbaħ lill-Imperu Ottoman. Din ir-rebħa hija parti fundamentali mill-identità nazzjonali Maltija.

Iż-Żmien tal-Ingliżi (The British Period)

Il-Brittaniċi ħadu kontroll ta' Malta fl-1800 u l-gżejjer saru kolonja u bażi navali importanti ħafna. Matul dan iż-żmien, l-Ingliż sar lingwa uffiċjali flimkien mal-Malti. L-influwenza Brittanika għadha tidher illum f'ħafna affarijiet, bħas-sewqan fuq in-naħa tax-xellug, f'xi kliem, u fis-sistema edukattiva. Malta kisbet l-indipendenza tagħha fl-1964.

Il-Festa tar-Raħal (The Village Feast)

Kważi kull raħal u belt f'Malta għandha l-festa tagħha, li tiġi ċċelebrata kull sena biex tonora lill-qaddis patrun. Il-festa hija tradizzjoni reliġjuża u kulturali importanti ħafna. Matul il-ġimgħa tal-festa, it-toroq jiġu mżejna bid-dwal u l-istatwi. Ikun hemm marċi mill-baned, purċissjonijiet reliġjużi, u spettaklu kbir tal-logħob tan-nar. Hija ġimgħa ta' ferħ u komunità.

Practice Activities


Comprehension Questions
Exercise: Test Your Knowledge

Answer these questions based on the texts.

  1. Min bena l-Belt Valletta? (Who built Valletta?)
  2. Liema influwenza għadna naraw illum miż-żmien tal-Ingliżi? (What influence do we still see today from the British period?)
  3. X'jiġri fit-toroq matul il-ġimgħa tal-festa? (What happens in the streets during the week of the feast?)
  1. Il-Kavallieri ta' San Ġwann.
  2. Is-sewqan fuq in-naħa tax-xellug, kliem, u s-sistema edukattiva.
  3. It-toroq jiġu mżejna bid-dwal u l-istatwi.

Looking Ahead

Prosit! By reading about its history and culture, you are connecting with the language on a much deeper level. In the final two chapters, we will explore how to discuss contemporary issues in `Politika u Soċjetà` (Politics & Society), and then wrap up with a final review and tips for lifelong learning.


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