Shawn Khorassani, Director at Berkshire-based language services company Prestige Network, has added his comment to the current debate initiated by an article in Monday’s Daily Telegraph (8 February) about the number of schoolchildren in Reading who have been found to speak as many as 150 different languages.
The article said that this highlights the pressure placed on teachers by growing numbers with little or no command of English.
Mr Khorassani said: “The cultural richness which different languages and backgrounds add to a community needs to be celebrated.
“In our experience, where English is not a child’s first language, this invariably means that the child is multi-lingual and that English is spoken as well as other languages. English often becomes the predominant language.
“However, there are some situations where cultural and language divisions can cause problems, and it is particularly satisfying to be involved in projects which address language issues – this may be at schools or a range of other organisations. We would be very happy to talk to Reading Borough Council to support staff in any initiative they may launch to improve communication in classes.”
More details about Prestige Network are on www.prestigenetwork.com or 01635 866888.
