French back learning English

ONE of the biggest stumbling blocks for people moving to France is learning the language.

And often this frustration is only magnified by the fact that many French people take the chance to speak English in reply, and polish up their own skills.

Interestingly a major study into the language abilities of people in Europe shows that 91% of French people believe their children should learn English, after their mother tongue.

This compares to 77% of EU citizens who said that children should learn English as their first foreign language.

One of the main commitments of the EU is to try and get people to have an understanding of at least two languages, beyond their own.

For years English-speakers have relied upon the popularity of the language to get them out of sticky situations, and it appears this is unlikely to change.

Sixty-six percent of respondents from Ireland and 62% from the UK admitted not knowing any language other than their mother tongue.