YOUR article "Foreign Policy" (April 12), did not mention "Springboard". This is a primary school introduction to foreign languages, using the simple international language Esperanto.
Esperanto is an ideal starter language. It has a regular grammatical structure which helps learners develop a feel for nouns, verbs, adjectives etc. It has word-building features which appeal to young learners. It is multicultural. It can be learned more quickly than other languages.
It has been shown that children who study Esperanto for a year can learn another foreign language, such as French, more quickly than children who learn another foreign language directly.
One of the supporters of "Springboard" is David Kelso, former HM Chief Inspector of Schools (in Scotland). Schools can learn from Esperanto House, telephone 0845 230 1887 or www.springboard2languages.org.
Angus Wilkinson,
Cross Hills Lane, Selby.
Updated: 10:13 Wednesday, April 19, 2006
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