Age, media and second language acquisition of Italian in Malta

The effects of age and media on the acquisition or learning of Italian in Malta are investigated in this article, following previous research which had confirmed the beneficial impact of TV viewing in relation to the development of L2 competences in Italian. The rapid decline of exposure to Italian media in Malta has motivated the research behind this article, which confirms the advantages of frequent and copious exposure to media in Italian, particularly when exposure begins in childhood.