No Languages Please, We're British!

Britons in search of sun take more than 11 million European holidays a year, but not many will be able to order a snack or say please and thank you in the local language. Only 30% of Britons can speak a second language - 17% can speak French, and a tiny 3% speak Spanish. This is compared with 99% of Luxembourgers, 91% of Dutch, 88% of Danish and 45% of French having a second language.

Partly to blame is the attitude held by a third of the population that 'everyone speaks English' abroad. 40% believe that a language would not have helped their business or working life, a poll from Trade Partners UK has shown.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England is to spend £4.5m on a drive to encourage more students to take up languages after a massive decline in students studying a foreign language at both secondary school and undergraduate level, after ministers dropped compulsory language lessons.

Read more about Britain's lack of language skills>>