ONE Darwen company has proved that if the will is there, we Brits need not be such stick in the muds when it comes to foreign languages.

When Chapman Envelopes was taken over by French company GPV in 1999, courses were set up for employees, to learn the language.

Now, three years later around 30 employees have passed the course with flying colours and the company was given a national training award last year.

Management systems officer Brian Mizon, who passed the course too, said: "The benefits were manifold. In terms of morale, everyone thoroughly enjoyed learning a new language and everyone passed. It also sent a message to our employers that we were committed."

It is an issue which has proved to be a bone of contention at Lancashire County Council, which runs education services across Lancashire.

Their education overview and scrutiny committee is currently reviewing the components of the national curriculum in the county after the Government announced more flexibility could be given to the timetable.

Labour councillors are pushing for more time to be given to foreign languages, with members stating that Britain is now being frowned upon because older people do not speak foreign languages.

However, education boss Coun Alan Whittaker argues that it should not be to the detriment of other subjects, and that younger people are already leading the way in speaking foreign languages thanks to improvements made in schools.

A suggestion has been made by the Conservative group that foreign language time should be cut back and replaced in part by Latin, because many languages are based on the Roman tongue.