The number of children learning foreign languages, including Japanese, at primary school has doubled in six years, government figures suggest.

Children learn to speak the languages of France, Germany, China or even India, before many know how to find the countries on a map, at eight in ten primary schools in England.

The number of primary schools teaching a second language is up from 70 per cent last year and 44 per cent in 2002.

Lord Dearing’s review of languages last year recommended that languages be obligatory in the primary curriculum after the Government scrapped the requirement for pupils to take a foreign language at GCSE. The Government aims to get all primary pupils learning a language by 2010.

French is the favourite with 89 per cent of primary schools teaching it compared to just nine per cent that offer German, the reseach indicates. Fewer than three per cent teach Italian, Chinese, Japanese or Urdu, the report from the National Foundation for Educational Research said.

The Government’s decision to ditch the language requirement at GCSE came into force in 2004 and was criticised by the National Association of Head Teachers. The policy has forced Cambridge University to drop its entry stipulation of a foreign language this year, out of fear it would penalise state school candidates.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said children find it easier to learn a language in primary school than starting in secondary.

“We have already trained 4000 primary teachers with a languages specialism and will have trained thousands more by 2010,” he said.

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