The National Minimum Curriculum recommends that English lessons should be taught in English, with some code-switching if necessary for the pupils to understand. Maltese and English are the official languages of Malta and both are used in primary education. The aim of this study was to explore the actual use of Maltese and English by student teachers during English lessons. This was done through the use of case studies of three participants: Anne, Suzanne and Lisa. I was interested in how the student teachers used English and why and when they drew on Maltese during their lessons. Through the process of data collection, coding and analysis I became more aware of the possible pedagogic use of Maltese that was involved in the teaching and learning process. I came to the conclusion that both languages were being used to mediate learning and to negotiate meaning and understanding in Maltese primary school classrooms. I also realised that the choice of using Maltese or English in the classroom depended on the identity of the user, as constructed through lived experiences, knowledge about language, and beliefs about language use and teaching as well as the social, cultural, educational and linguistic context. In the classrooms I observed, Maltese was drawn on frequently to ensure understanding and learning, for procedural issues, to address classroom management issues and at times to establish a friendly atmosphere during English lessons. Thus, I came to question the 'English-only' immersion policy in view of the use of Maltese as an additional pedagogical resource in the classroom.

This thesis investigates the relationship between the motivation of secondary school teachers and students of English in Malta. The study involved 34 Form Four teachers of English and their 612 students (15 year-olds). A mixed methods research methodology, involving a survey and an interview study which complemented each other, was employed. The survey measured levels of teacher and student motivation and the relationship between them through questionnaires. Some of the teachers who had taken part in the survey were then interviewed about their motivation to teach and their perceptions of the relationship between this motivation and their students' motivation to learn. The results show that mainly two factors link the motivation of teachers and students of English. These are a good rapport between teachers and their students and high teacher efficacy. Both of these factors increase the motivation of the students and their teachers. Type of school and the students' attitudes toward Maltese speakers of English were also found to be influencing factors in the relationship between teacher and student motivation. Recommendations which stem from the study are that teachers should seek ways of professional self-improvement through support groups and Continual Professional Development courses. Other suggestions, both at the school level and the policy level, are put forward. These recommendations, if implemented, should improve teacher motivation which would in turn lead to improved student motivation as a positive relationship between the two has been established. The study is one of its kind in that it has established, for the first time, that an empirical link exists between teacher and student motivation.