Community languages 'lack status'

Languages such as Arabic, Bengali and Mandarin should be given higher status in England's schools to enable more pupils to learn them, Ofsted says.
"Community languages" should have the same status as French, German and Spanish, the education watchdog said.

Thursday, 21 February 2008
BBC website

Boy, 10, has learned ten languages

A 10-year-old schoolboy has mastered 10 languages - and is busy learning his 11th.

As well as English, Arpan Sharma speaks Hindi, picked up from his parents, and has learned Spanish, Italian, German and French at school.

Tuesday, 30th October 2007

Guardian Unlimited

Hindi by podcast

Harry Potter is faced with the realisation he is getting older. After his cousin Dudley pulls a prank on Hedwig the owl, the ensuing squawking drills through Harry's hangover; enraged, the wizard turns Dudley into a replica of Michael Jackson's nose. Meanwhile, Ron Weasley, swooning over his classmate Hermione, breaks in to a love song. No, JK Rowling has not lost the plot: this is an imagined Bollywood reworking that features in a podcast to teach people Hindi.

Tuesday, 23rd October 2007
The Guardian