NEW e-mail links have exposed the gap between the modern language skills of primary pupils in East Lancashire and their continental peers.

Leading language specialists today called for more action as the Government prepares to publish its national languages strategy document this week.

Only a handful of primary schools in East Lancashire offer some form of language teaching and many are struggling to find time for foreign lingo.

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Blackburn recently became the first independent school to give lessons a continental twist with children as young as four learning French in the early years department.

So teachers have taken the issue into their own hands and set up an e-mail link between primary schools in Rossendale and the twin town of Bocholt in Germany.

But the e-mail exchange has exposed the void between modern language study here and abroad.

While German pupils can read and write in both German and English, the Year 6 pupils at Water Primary School in Rossendale can not understand e-mails written in German.

The primary pupils need to pass over e-mails they receive to students in Year 8 at nearby senior schools for a translation, in order to reply themselves in English.

At present primary students have an "entitlement" to modern language lessons but teachers are under no obligation to deliver them under the National Curriculum.

A Lancashire County Council spokesperson said that foreign language study was largely delivered through after school clubs or "ad hoc" lessons.

But linguists in East Lancashire want to see modern languages pushed to the fore of teaching strategy.

Mike Vizzard, director of languages at All Saints Roman Catholic School, Rawtenstall, urged the government to avoid being "short sighted".

"We need concrete investment and ring fenced provision to address the issues," he said. "We need to enhance the children's enthusiasm and build up a level of interest.

"Head teachers struggle to prioritise languages because the burden of other work is too great and we have not always been able to host assistants from other countries.

"Efforts to bring in languages in primary schools has fallen flat on its face."

QEGS teacher Jacqui Osborn said the children have thrived in the half-hour-a-week lesson and would advocate a more "concrete" place in the curriculum for languages.

"Children are like sponges at this age," she said. "They don't make the distinction of learning a language. They see it as fun and really enjoy the lessons."

The Government is expected to publish the national language strategy document before Christmas and is expected to propose assessments of primary students before they leave for secondary school.

The Green Paper on language study states as its fundamental premise "that unless our children learn languages earlier we will fail them."

A spokesperson for the Department for Education and Skills said: "The provision is to provide more language teaching in the primary sector and the necessary finance has been committed."