The project objective is the literary norm in the Albanian language verbal system and its application in school. The survey targeted the full education cycle, from the first years of education to the last year of secondary general education, through which students are expected to have gained linguistic and literary knowledge and skills.

1. The literary norm in the Albanian
language verbal system and its
application in school
eneidapema75@yahoo.com
5th International Conference Sustainable Multilingualism 2019
Eneida Pema

2. PROJECT OBJECTIVE
The project objective is the literary norm in the Albanian language verbal system and
its application in school. The survey targeted the full education cycle, from the first
years of education to the last year of secondary general education, through which
students are expected to have gained linguistic and literary knowledge and skills. The
trinomial Language Grammar-School Program-School Text is addressed both as a
unit in itself and as a cause-and-effect impact on students, who build and develop
their linguistic competence based on such trinomial. Such knowledge serve them and
are necessary for them to be critical and active members of the society, successfully
meeting their personal, social, and professional requirements.

3. ABSTRACT
The purpose of this article is to take a critical look at the impact that innovation has
on students’ linguistic education. It focuses on the new school texts (2016-2017) used
in our schools. The analysis addresses particularly the literary norm in with the verb
system and its application in schools. The verb system of the Albanian language is
distinguished by a wide variety of tenses and paradigmatic forms, which double a
verb conjugation in its active and passive voice. The linguistic coverage of grammar
issues in our school texts is quite important for our students’ grammar training,
considering its direct impact on them. The study involved teachers and students, who
became subject to testing to identify the origin, progress, issues, and consequences of
the phenomenon.

4. INTRODUCTION
The Grammar of the Albanian Language covers the verb system following and
making use of the tradition of Albanian grammar studies in paradigms of verb forms,
description of various grammar categories of verbs, and meaning and use of verb
forms. Grammar knowledge of verbs in morphology has been a key area in the
development of linguistic competency, starting from the basic level of education.
Students are equipped with knowledge, skills, values, and the attitude they must
develop to life and communication. Such competences are further developed and
improved in a life-long process with no specific destination to be reached.The
analysis serves this study to investigate the level and quantity of knowledge received
by the students through their school text, as they develop their key knowledge and
skills on such basis. The texts needs to be in line with the students’ emotional and
intellectual stage of development. Year after year, students study texts, whose level of
difficulties keeps increasing.

5. METHODS
 A series of qualitative methodologies were applied in
developing this study, including: a) surveys that
consisted of information shared with the students and
teachers about the focus of the study; b) focus groups
with students of the 9th and 12th classes, c) analysis
of the text of the Albanian Language for the 6th to the
12th classes.
 The focus participants included: teachers and
students working with the relevant school texts
according to the new competence-based curriculum.
They all contributed to identifying the problems faced
with such texts, and the standard-setting trends and
developments. Surveys were designed as
questionnaires filled by 120 students for each of the
9-12 classes, i.e. a total of 240 students, and 6
teachers of this subject. The survey was combined
with test exercises adopted to the level of students for
each class.

6. ANALYSIS
 The study focused on analyzing the level
of application of the standard language
regarding the verb system. In addition to
the regular normative forms, there are
certain types of verbs in the spoken and
written language, which are improperly
used by the students, often in different
dialects, and not in line with the
contemporary literary norm. Such forms,
94 in total, were tested among students
of the 9th and 12th class given their
importance for these education cycles for
the students’ knowledge.
Personal Indicative Form

7. Proper and improper application in diathesis
category
 The diathesis category, which was covered in the 9th class with the old curriculum, is no
longer included in the school programs. As it will be shown below, this has its
consequences, because not only is this category of verbs not known, but there are even
cases when the different forms are wrongly used in an interchangeable manner. According
to the “Literary language for all (Gjuha letrare për të gjithë), verbs have three diathesis:
active, passive, and personal voice. It also mentions an intermediate voice and describes it,
but does not rank it as fourth voice. The “Grammar of the Albanian language” (Gramatika
e gjuhës shqipe) and the school texts of the old curriculum talk of 4 diathesis, including the
intermediate one.
 The “Literary language for all” (Gjuha letrare për të gjithë), page 101, notes “Intransitive
verbs have no diathesis. They are mainly used in the active voice”. The “Grammar of the
Albanian language” (Gramatika e gjuhës shqipe), page 270, notes that “The category of
diathesis applies to verbs that may be used both in the active and passive voice with their
respective meanings, but this category is sometimes wider, including intransitive verbs.”

8.  In the Dictionary of the Albanian language (1980), the verb ndaloj (point 5) is presented as
an intransitive verb.: v. III ndalet; ndërpritet: i ndaloi zemra.
 In the Dictionary of the Albanian language (2006), the verb ndaloj (point 8) is presented
as an intransitive verb: Pushoj së ecuri, së lëvizuri a së bëri diçka, ndalem; ndërpritet:
Ndaloj tek ura. Ndaloi në vend. Aty ndaloi. Ndaloi ora. Ndaloi fabrika. Ndaluan
lëkundjet. I ndaloi zemra. Actually, an object could be used in all these cases, which
means that the verbs used are not intransitive.
 Ndaloj (vrapin) tek ura. Ndaloi (hapat) në vend.. Ndaloi tik-takun ora. Ndaloi (punën)
fabrika. Ndaluan (ritmin) lëkundjet. I ndaloi (rrahjet)zemra. (inverse transitive).
 In order to demonstrate the intransitive use of these verbs, they should have been used in
the following forms: U ndala tek ura. Fabrika u ndal. Lëkundjet u ndalën.,etc.
 The examples used in school grammar must be accurate, clear, and understandable.
Sentences must not have figurative meanings. Albanian is one of the well-established old
languages of Europe, with a rich and resourceful vocabulary, and should be treated as such
even in didactic texts.

9. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Participants in these focus groups included: teachers and students who contributed to
identifying the problems faced in practice with these texts, as the use of standards.
Students were tested for their knowledge and command of the school program. The
study focused on two main issues: the ratio between the proper and improper use of
the verb system in the diathesis category. Regarding the former, the level of use of the
standard language in the verb system was analysed. In addition to the regular,
normative forms, in the case of certain types of verbs, wrong and dialect-based forms
were found to be often used, not in line with the contemporary literary norm. Such
forms, 94 in total, were tested among the students of the 9th and 12th classes, given
the importance in these education cycles for the students’ education. The second issue
subject to review was the ratio between the proper and improper use of the diathesis
category. In several cases, it was found that the verb diathesis is wrongly or
interchangeably used in our school grammar.

10. CONCLUSION
The purpose of this article was to analyze and take a critical view at the impact that innovation has on the linguistic
education of students. The new texts used in our schools were reviewed for this purpose. The specific focus of this
review was the literary norm of the verb system and its application in school. The new texts were compared with
those of the old curriculum, and changes made to the program, along with their negative and positive effects were
analysed. Lack of coherence with the system of the new curriculum was identified as an issue, together with the
timing of the drafting of the Albanian Language school text for the different classes, with the one of the 6th class in
this case being drafted before the ones for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th class. This has nothing to do with innovation, or
methodology. This does not contribute positively to students’ achievements.
A series of qualitative methodologies were used for this study, including:
 a) surveys;
 b) focus groups with students of the 9th and 12th classes
 c) analysis of the text of the Albanian Language for 6-12 classes.
Participants in these focus groups included: teachers and students who contributed to identifying the problems faced
in practice with these texts, as the use of standards. Students were tested for their knowledge and command of the
school program. Innovation is now a normal expectation for as long as everything develops. Every step made in
science, however, needs to be constantly measured