Should primary school students be taught more foreign languages?

That was the hot topic for education chiefs who were questioned during Tynwald about the lack of languages taught to young students.

Manx Gaelic lessons are offered to island students and some primary schools provide French tutorage, but is this enough? We asked residents shopping on Douglas Strand Street.

’I learnt French and Manx once a week at primary school. I think it should be more regular than that especially if it’s at a young age because later on in life we don’t take it in as much,’ said Katharine Watling, 26, from Ballaugh.

Despite studying French and German at high school, she admitted she was not a confident speaker of the languages but a bit did come back when abroad.

’It feels so ignorant to speak English in a different country and seeing that other people have learnt your language,’ she added. ’I went on holiday to Sardinia where nobody speaks English. One day I ordered this pasta it tasted like they had put something like fish food flakes straight onto the pasta. It made me wish I had known some Italian.’

John Ainsworth, 77, from Glen Auldyn, said: ’I think it’s good to introduce people at an early age to languages. It’s so beneficial in today’s society, especially in the Isle of Man where there’s so many companies that deal with other countries.’

His partner Jill Blazier, 75, said: ’We learnt French and German only in the first two years of secondary school. That wasn’t here, but in Wales. We didn’t need to learn because we never went out of the country.’

John added: ’I know only a smattering of Welsh.’

Silver Kaddu, 38, from Douglas, thinks more language lessons will be ’beneficial’ for primary schoolchildren.

’Mandarin is the new thing these days. When they grow up and if they are trying to look for jobs outside then they are going to need these languages.

’I have a five- and six-year-old and they have been learning some of the Manx words and phrases. The younger they are the sharper their brain is. It’s easier to pick up a language then. They do enjoy languages it’s something that interests them because it’s different from the normal. I come from Uganda and speak a little of Swahili and my kids want to know how to say things. I find it gives them something new to learn and it’s inspiring for them.’

Gary Entwistle and partner Lizzie Brough, aged 40 and 29 from Onchan, agree that more lessons will benefit pupils.

Gary said: ’Between us we have four kids in primary schools. They learn French and Manx, but only the basics. They enjoy their lessons. These days people just rely on others to speak English.’

He added that at his sons’ school they are taught a bit of Polish to help make pupils from Poland fit in.

Lizzie said: ’When you’re younger you absorb more so it will probably be more easy for them to pick languages up.’

Vicky Moore, 32, from Laxey, thinks languages should be taught at a younger age, but that pupils should be given more options.

’I wanted to do Spanish at high school, but I couldn’t because it was an option. I did French and German and I can’t speak either.’