SIR – Some of your correspondents and Shipley MP Philip Davies, seem unaware that children are more than capable of coping with several languages.

I lived in a country where children starting school, many of them immigrants, had to cope with the vernacular (Luxembourgish – a mainly-spoken language) and lessons conducted in German and French – two languages they had to learn.

By the time they were 12, English became part of the curriculum as well.

Depending on the ability of a child, the system worked well and they went on to play a full part in the economic life of the country as adults, speaking at least three languages fluently.

Here in the UK, I had some experience of working with children from ethnic minorities who needed help with their reading.

Their spoken English was invariably excellent, but some struggled with written English.

That said, many children from ethnic minorities go on to higher education and have successful careers.

Being able to speak and read Urdu as a child, or any other language, is no obstacle to mastering the English Language in my experience.

Stuart Baker, Markham Croft, Leeds