Posh no model for language learning

Victoria Beckham has admitted that despite moving to Madrid over three years ago she still speaks hardly any Spanish. The former Spice Girl relies on translators, admitting 'I can speak a little - the important stuff like 'bugger off' and "where's the Gucci?' What else do you need?'

Husband David is better, claimed the one-time Posh Spice who says he can communicate with his team-mates en español. Certainly Beckham does have some Spanish. He was recently sent off in a game for calling a referee an 'hijo de puta' (son of a whore)!

News of the golden duo's linguistic lack comes at the same time as a new report says all primary schoolchildren should be taught a foreign language. Lord Dearing, who headed the Government-appointed commission, criticised a previous decision to make languages optional at GCSE level, saying it had 'undermined' education policy. He called for languages to be taught in all primary schools and for ministers to reconsider their previous decision though he didn't go as far as to demand a compulsory GCSE.

In over forty English schools last year there were no pupils studying languages after the age of fourteen and Lord Dearing warned that while a return to compulsion was not his 'preferred option' failure to improve could mean that there was no alternative.

The main thrust of the report was 'for languages, the earlier the better. For today's young people, languages matter - they are an investment that can enrich their lives socially, culturally, and economically.'

Lord Dearing said a major reason for the decline in languages was the perception that they were more difficult than other subjects and called for 'highly stressful' oral exams to be replaced by ongoing assessment.

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