A report from the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities urges ministers to give more consideration to the teaching of languages in primary schools.

Employing more language assistants is a key recommendation.

"We would welcome an increase in the use of language assistants in universities, as well as in schools," it says.

The report also calls for a government-led strategy to encourage UK students to spend time studying abroad.

It calls on ministers to press for sufficient European Union funds to maintain and expand the Erasmus-Socrates programme, which sets up student exchanges in Europe.

"We are convinced by the arguments for the community programmes as an investment," says the report.

"We consider that they work to the benefit of the populations of the participating countries. We also note that demand for these programmes far outstrips the resources."

Commitment

The report expresses concern at the "lack of co-ordination" of the UK's strategy towards Socrates-Erasmus, urging a more "positive and strategic" approach.

The chairman of the committee's inquiry, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, said there was an imbalance in student exchanges between the UK and the rest of the EU.

"More and more EU students are coming to the UK, while the number of our students going abroad is falling," he said.

"We need a government commitment to a national strategy which will encourage more British students to study abroad during their university courses."