WATCHING My Fair Lady, the old movie, the other night, when Professor Higgins sings ‘why can’t the English learn to speak?’, I thought how important talking and understanding one another is.

Our country has always welcomed and absorbed people from other countries, who have brought brains, business acumen and skills, but the one thing that has bound us all together was a common language.

So, perhaps, we should be saying that if people wish to be happy here, and if they wish us to be happy that they are here, they must speak English.

It was brought home to me the other day when sat waiting in the bank.

Next to me was a couple with a pretty little girl of about three or four.

I remarked how sweet she was and asked ‘now, what’s your name?’ He father replied ‘she doesn’t speak English’ as if he was quite proud of the fact and I suddenly felt sad.

Here was a lively little girl, who was going to start school with a severe disadvantage.

As it was also evident her mum also didn’t speak English. I thought we were doing our immigrants a great disservice by not insisting that if they wish to settle here they should speak the language.

Otherwise we are condemning them to a second-class citizenship, perpetually to be held back, especially the women, who, if they can’t speak the language, are dependent on others to facilitate their wishes and needs.

It’s our fault, being a tolerant nation, thinking we are helping them by not insisting they are able to communicate, but aren’t we actually guilty of making them prisoners?