Of course, the best thing is to raise children to be bilingual, isn't it?

I've always taken being bilingual for granted, but I now realise how lucky I am. My brother and I grew up in Alsace, raised by a Scottish mother who spoke English to us, and a French father who spoke French. It sounds confusing, but, like all young children, we managed perfectly well.

Learning another language at a young age isn't just about acquiring a skill. It makes for confident, open-minded, curious and possibly more tolerant people. It also makes learning other languages easier.

Seven years ago, I moved from Paris to Lockerbie. I am now the mother of a 20-month-old daughter and I am expecting another child soon. I always took the fact that I would raise my children bilingually as a given. To my horror, however, it has proved difficult. I am no longer immersed in all things French, and my natural instinct is to speak to very small children in English, so Rose is nowhere near being bilingual. I've got the dual-language books and the bilingual talking frog (I would be offended if it weren't so cute) but, after a long day at work, I just want to be with my daughter, and I just can't be bothered to turn every conversation into an educational exercise.

Being French is part of who I am, and I want my children to share that identity, but I've decided to leave it to fate - they might pick it up from me later on. But, short of learning at home, being taught a language at primary school is the next best thing, and I believe it's almost as important as reading and writing.

In fact, it should be compulsory, and I'm horrified Scottish children can give it up so easily. It works all over Europe, so why wouldn't it work here? Are we so arrogant to think it's not necessary? Just because English is spoken almost everywhere doesn't mean we can't make the effort. If we want to turn our children into unemployable, self-centred citizens, burying our heads is the best way forward.