Readers' reactions

Last week in The THES...Frank Burdett disagreed with the recommendation of the Nuffield languages report that all students wanting to go to university must have a foreign-language qualification

Harry Footitt Chair University Council of Modern Languages

Before we all leap to conclusions about bits of the Nuffield languages report we should make an effort to see what its overall messages are. Namely, that languages should be a key skill throughout the educational system and that we will need a nation languages strategy to "join up" the separate bits of educational provision if this is to be achieved.

In the context of an evolving national languages strategy surely there is a radical role for university language departments to play in this key skills agenda?