Matt Goodwin

Seriously, British immigrants don't try to learn the language of their new countries?

Agreed Casdon, and not only in the Middle East.

Ever watched an episode of ‘Bargain Loving Brits in Spain’?

Integration into the Spanish way of life - non existent!

Speaking Spanish - proud to proclaim ‘lived here 20 years; don’t speak Spanish’!

It’s so hypocritical for British people to complain about people from other countries not speaking English when they live here, because a pound to a penny our natives are one the worst at not bothering to learn other countries’ languages when they live abroad. How many of the thousands of Brits living in the Middle East have learned Arabic I wonder.

sundowngirl

"Should people take personal responsibility to attempt to learn the language of the country where they have immigrated?"

Of course they should. Being in this country, they would be immersed in the English language, from television, radio, newspapers, hearing it spoken every day in shops, on transport etc.

Free apps like Duolingo provide English courses from many other languages (like Hindi, Bengali, and Arabic) and others like Lingapp offer courses in Urdu.

I was an au pair in Germany many moons ago, to a couple who did not speak English. I very quickly found that hearing the language every day I slowly understood and was able to hold a conversation. I also had to pay for any additional teaching myself.

There is no excuse for being in this country since the 70s and still cannot speak a word of English.

We cannot be expected to pay for everything.

You raise a good point there sundowngirl regarding picking up German from your employers. You did so because you were integrating with them. Many of these Muslim women never leave the house so never integrate. It is dreadful that they never get that chance because of domineering, selfish husbands.

Maremia

Yes, it's much cheaper just to make a fuss about people not knowing/learning English, than to actually pay to help them learn.

Why should we pay to help them learn???? They have a vested interest and should pay for themselves.

"Should people take personal responsibility to attempt to learn the language of the country where they have immigrated?"

Of course they should. Being in this country, they would be immersed in the English language, from television, radio, newspapers, hearing it spoken every day in shops, on transport etc.

Free apps like Duolingo provide English courses from many other languages (like Hindi, Bengali, and Arabic) and others like Lingapp offer courses in Urdu.

I was an au pair in Germany many moons ago, to a couple who did not speak English. I very quickly found that hearing the language every day I slowly understood and was able to hold a conversation. I also had to pay for any additional teaching myself.

There is no excuse for being in this country since the 70s and still cannot speak a word of English.

We cannot be expected to pay for everything.

No, in this case the poster was told her BiL should pay for the Assad himself for his employees!!

Where is this mentioned please?

Many Thanks

Thank you Graphite. It's good that this gentleman has "gone back to check", but perhaps a responsible writer might have checked before publishing a lie.
Allira, if I might refer you to my previous post this morning, I have knowledge of free language classes in the West of Norway, and Andalusia in Spain.

Assad

Absolutely no idea where that came from 😲
Lessons!!

Oreo

Are we expected to pay for every single thing from the public purse?!

No, in this case the poster was told her BiL should pay for the Assad himself for his employees!!

It's interesting. I wonder what other countries do about this?
Should people take personal responsibility to attempt to learn the language of the country where they have immigrated?
Should LAs provide lessons for a nominal fee? There are volunteers who do teach ESOL to immigrants and refugees (my DD did this for some time).
There are also lessons available on the BBC.

CLC. Journalist John Merrick, whose article Matt Goodwin's intellectual suicide is in New Statesman 24 March 2026 …

archive.is/20260324155829/https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2026/03/matt-goodwins-intellectual-suicide

… reproduced this extract from Goodwin’s book on SM yesterday with the comment: Once more, absolutely nothing about where these dodgy stats came from.

And note the odd use of English by Goodwin himself … x percent of children no longer use … as if they suddenly wake up one morning and decide not to speak English as their main lanaguage any more.

Type “Is it true that in Kent 51% of children longer use English as their main language?” into AI and it will tell you the claim is not true.

Goodwin has now written in the Spectator 30 March 2026:

I’ve gone back to check the numbersfrom the Department for Education. The percentage of primary school pupils who do not speak English as their first language is 53 per cent in Luton, 59 per cent in Leicester and Slough, 65 per cent in Tower Hamlets and 72 per cent in Newham.

spectator.com/article/ai-didnt-write-my-book/

No mention of Kent, Bury, Birmingham, Manchester ...

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

May I ask for a response to my post of the 25th, referring to my understanding that the book states that 51% of pupils in Kent schools have English as a second language? Can someone who has read the book verify this, as I may have been misinformed. The correct statistic is 7.8%.
Oreo and Primrose, places vary in offering language lessons. Friends in Andalusia had free lessons, as did my daughter on arrival in Norway.
These have proved a good investment, my friends setting up a successful business in Spain, my daughter working in academia in Norway.

Yes, it's much cheaper just to make a fuss about people not knowing/learning English, than to actually pay to help them learn.

Are we expected to pay for every single thing from the public purse?!

sixandahalf

Primrose53

The TV baker Nadya Hussain says that her mother still cannot speak a word of English yet has lived here since the 70s. That is nothing to be proud of and shows no attempts whatsoever to integrate.

My BIL has a fabric business in Leicester and pays female outworkers, mainly Muslim. They usually leave their kids to show the driver where the boxed goods are because they don’t speak English and they don’t want to be in the company of a man other than their husband (s).

Do you know anything about ESOL I wonder please?

Or how people learn or how many barriers are placed in the way of people who want to learn?

Perhaps your BIL could be progressive and innovative? He could set up informal groups in libraries with a female volunteer or 2? Talk English is a great scheme. You could pop along and contribute.

Or he could just sit back and churn out tired old stereotypes.

I can imagine his face if I suggested that! 🤣🤣

My friend moved to Berlin and had to pay for all her German lessons herself as did my friend who moved to Spain.

They should be paying for their own lessons. My BIL has enough to do.

foxie48

There was time when ESOL classes were funded by the EU, I used to bid for ESF money and generally got funded for several classes a week. There was also LA funding for adult education classes but most of that has finished and what remains of adult ed is fairly expensive. I also could get money for classes which I organised (literacy and numeracy) in a couple of factories that employed women from ethnic minorities. The owner of the factories was public spirited and women were able to drop in for tuition during their work time. This was in the 90's but times are very different now....sadly.

That sounds brilliant. Meeting people where they are. Kind and economically sensible.

There was time when ESOL classes were funded by the EU, I used to bid for ESF money and generally got funded for several classes a week. There was also LA funding for adult education classes but most of that has finished and what remains of adult ed is fairly expensive. I also could get money for classes which I organised (literacy and numeracy) in a couple of factories that employed women from ethnic minorities. The owner of the factories was public spirited and women were able to drop in for tuition during their work time. This was in the 90's but times are very different now....sadly.

Thanks sixandahalf.
Keep posting, and ignore the ones who think they are GN Prefects.
You being called an 'aggressive leftie', says more about them, than about you.

sundowngirl

Sixandhalf - "how many barriers are placed in the way of people who want to learn?"

Please can you give examples of barriers that are put in the way
of these people who want to learn our language?

Less and less community based ESOL groups.

The catch 22 of having to be at a certain level before you can enrol on a course. How do you get to that level?

Being semi literate in your native language.

No creche provision.

Complex enrolment processes.

I have been called an agggressive leftie and told I didn't comment on a thread when infact I did, so somewhat hesitant about sharing.

Thanks in advance.

Sixandhalf - "how many barriers are placed in the way of people who want to learn?"

Please can you give examples of barriers that are put in the way
of these people who want to learn our language?

Primrose53

The TV baker Nadya Hussain says that her mother still cannot speak a word of English yet has lived here since the 70s. That is nothing to be proud of and shows no attempts whatsoever to integrate.

My BIL has a fabric business in Leicester and pays female outworkers, mainly Muslim. They usually leave their kids to show the driver where the boxed goods are because they don’t speak English and they don’t want to be in the company of a man other than their husband (s).

Do you know anything about ESOL I wonder please?

Or how people learn or how many barriers are placed in the way of people who want to learn?

Perhaps your BIL could be progressive and innovative? He could set up informal groups in libraries with a female volunteer or 2? Talk English is a great scheme. You could pop along and contribute.

Or he could just sit back and churn out tired old stereotypes.

To put it into perspective, according to the 2021 census, UK wide, a small percentage (0.3%, 161,000) of the overall population could not speak English at all.

The TV baker Nadya Hussain says that her mother still cannot speak a word of English yet has lived here since the 70s. That is nothing to be proud of and shows no attempts whatsoever to integrate.

My BIL has a fabric business in Leicester and pays female outworkers, mainly Muslim. They usually leave their kids to show the driver where the boxed goods are because they don’t speak English and they don’t want to be in the company of a man other than their husband (s).

In various cultures now living in the UK, the children learn quickly at school, the men learn at least some English as they go out to work but the wives are left in the home and only shop with other wives or sisters or with their husband. Not going out to work for years if ever really limits their lives and prospects and they don’t get to practice English.