Can you learn a language in just two days?

'In theory," says language teacher Paul Noble, forming a steeple with his fingers in true professorial style, "you should learn Chinese today and tomorrow quicker than anyone has ever learned it on the planet." In theory, because I'm the very first student to take his intensive two-day course in Mandarin, which he is teaching me with his wife, native speaker Kai-Ti Chou, in the basement of a north London art gallery. If their prototype course works as well as they are hoping, then two days from now I will, as the spiel on Noble's website boasts, "have learned to speak Chinese the way it is really spoken".

The Guardian

Mandarin for all pupils, says Ed Balls

Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, said every secondary school pupil should have the opportunity to take the subject to meet the needs of business.

He said "up and coming languages" were increasingly in demand and pupils should be suitably equipped for the world of work.

The Telegraph

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