A Dungarvan language teacher says that Ireland is far behind when it comes to foreign languages.
It comes as The Irish Times reported this week that Taoiseach Micheal Martin thinks it would a good idea in light of Brexit.
Maude Cunningham is from The Language People in Dungarvan, who have classes for primary school children and adults who want to learn a foreign language.
She believes English speaking countries are further behind because we start much later.
"It's a lot easier for a young child to pick up languages whereas when children go into secondary school they have a lot more to deal with.
"There are nine or ten subjects and a completely new language on top of it - so if you could ease that at primary school age it would be a huge advantage to all children.
In the 2000s, a pilot programme of modern languages was rolled out in primary schools in Ireland. Maude was one of the people who taught in schools at the time and says that it worked well.
"They had a foreign language class for 5th and 6th Class in the primary school and it was a huge success at the time teaching at a primary school in Dungarvan.
"When you have the kids from September to the end of the school year a few times a week, what they learn and what they soak up - it's just amazing."
