Cushty! Think-tank says foreigners should learn English from Del Boy

FOR a character known for mangling other languages, it might seem a strange choice. But migrants are being told how they can learn English... from Del Boy Trotter on Only Fools and Horses.

Think-tank charity British Future wants a new TV channel featuring classic shows from the UK so arrivals from abroad can find out how ordinary Britons speak.

It means Del Boy, famous for misusing phrases such as ‘mange tout’, could be teaching new arrivals how to say ‘cushty’ and ‘lovely jubbly’.

Other suggested shows for the ‘Learning English’ freeview channel include Fawlty Towers and Midsomer Murders. The channel could also show more serious programmes like Simon Schama’s A History of Britain. Report author Jill Rutter said: ‘Speaking English is the key to integration, helping migrants find work and become part of their community.

‘Many work long hours and find it difficult to attend daytime college. A Learning English freeview TV channel is a costeffective way to offer flexible learning.

Britain has made some of the world’s best television programmes and drawing on that archive would help introduce migrants to British life and culture while they learn the language.’

Some 8 ,000 people living in England – 1.6 per cent of all residents – do not speak English well or at all, the 2011 census states. The report also recommends reform of fee regulations so people can start learning English when they arrive.