(Applies to Northern Ireland) Learning a foreign language should be made compulsory in primary schools here, a new report has said.
In Northern Ireland, learning a second language is not a statutory part of the primary school curriculum.
In England and Scotland, by contrast, primary school pupils are expected to learn a foreign language.
The review of primary languages in Northern Ireland has been carried out by researchers from Stranmillis University College. The authors surveyed language learning at over 100 schools.
They found that Spanish and French were most popular in schools where languages were taught. Some pupils also learned German or Mandarin.
However, not all primary schools taught an additional language.
This led the authors to conclude that there was "a lack of equity in provision for children" across the country.
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