Parlez vous français? If you can, a group of youngsters and their parents in a York suburb need your help. Education reporter Haydn Lewis found out why the children of Osbaldwick need vous

IF THIS were a job advert, it would read something like this: qualified French teacher required to teach 20 Osbaldwick primary school children after school, please contact...

This week we are highlighting the plight of the children of Osbaldwick, who are desperate to find a French teacher.

Mum and part-time teacher Jenny Wootten, whose seven-year-old daughter, Katie, goes to Osbaldwick primary school, explained how the need arose.

"A letter was sent home from the school last term asking if any children were interested in learning French, and I gather there was a good response," she said.

"But the difficulty arose when it came to finding a teacher. Now we have been left with the situation where you have about 20 interested children, but no one to teach them.

"I know my own daughter is really keen to learn French, she has always been interested in it, and most of the driving force for this has come from her, not me.

"That said, I do think it's important for children to learn a language when they are young, because they can pick it up so much quicker."

Now the parents have turned to La Jolie Ronde Ltd, a company which specialises in teaching youngsters French.

Julie Wilson, the company's marketing co-ordinator, said: "These children desperately need a French teacher to enable them to start learning French after school from now on.

"They are all so keen to parlez français' but we have been unable to find them a teacher and feel sure there must be a fluent French speaker out there who would love to take up the challenge.

"If anyone speaks fluent French and would like to teach these children, please call 01949 839715 to ensure the children can begin learning."

A venue, times and class sizes would all be determined once a teacher is found.

Established since 1983, La Jolie Ronde offers an educational French programme worldwide.

By the start of the autumn term of 2009, the Govern-ment expects every seven-year-old in the land to be learning a foreign language. Language skills are becoming increasingly important in the world outside the classroom.

At present, 60 per cent of the nation's primary school pupils are learning a language, but it is not a compulsory part of the curriculum.

Last year, The Press reported how steps were being taken in York towards meeting that target.

Teachers from 83 per cent of the city's primary schools turned up at York St John University College to sharpen their skills and find out ways to work languages in to what some see as an already overcrowded timetable.

Languages other than French and German are being taught, with Spanish and Italian being tried out at some York primaries.

Ann Gregory, trainer and St John language specialist, who helped organised a language workshop with City of York Council, said: "This is the start of things to come, and it's a very exciting and challenging time.

"We hope that those who are not confident in languages will gain language skills. You don't have to be qualified to degree level and we will be here to support them every step of the way."