THE notion that primary school pupils might benefit from learning Spanish or Latin - suggested by the government's chief curriculum adviser - is one that might usefully be employed to overcome the endemic ignorance and arrogance of English-speakers.

For so often aboard we are shown up by our inability to communicate in the local language.

But, alas, we are not shamed by it because, with English having become the planet's dominant tongue, we expect others to understand us - and, quite often, they do.

But though English is the second language of millions overseas, what is ours? The suggestion that Spanish be on the junior-school curriculum is sensible as it is one of the most widely-spoken and expanding languages where English is not understood.

But Latin - a dead language?

Surprisingly, there is evidence that learning Latin from the age of seven improves children's English, particularly their grammar, and, certainly, even those who have only a smattering of school-book Latin find how useful it is in understanding the so-called Romance modern languages which derive from it.

Ergo, progress in our primaries might be achieved by going back to the past.

But given the recent evidence of how junior school children are already way behind in basics, much extra resourcing and training will be required before this extra lesson may be added to the timetable.

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