CHILDREN will be taught one foreign language from primary one and then start to learn a second one in primary five.

Learning Minister Alasdair Allan made the announcement during a visit to Glasgow.

At the moment most youngsters start learning languages when they are in primary six.

The Scottish Government is now looking at having languages taught in the first year of formal education. Children could then start to learn a second one in primary five.

A pilot programme could be run in a number of primary schools in 2012-13. Mr Allan made the announcement at Sacred Heart Primary School, Bridgeton, which is already recognised for its work in teaching foreign languages.

He spoke to teachers and pupils who already have a programme in line with the new recommendations, with pupils learning a language from primary ones.

He said: "The world is changing rapidly and radically and the Government has a duty to ensure that Scottish schools prepare young people so they can flourish and succeed in the globalised, multi-lingual world we now live in.

"One indisputable aspect of modern life is that more people travel widely for jobs and leisure and we must respond accordingly."

The Scottish Government currently provides councils with £4million a year to support the teaching of modern languages.

Under the new plan, Scotland's National Centre for Languages will receive £600,000 over 2012-13 to support language learning, with a fifth of this cash for pilot programmes to look at teaching from primary one.

The recommendation that children start learning languages from then was made in a report by the Modern Languages Working Group.

Mr Allan said the change could help ensure people can speak two languages, in addition to their native one.

He said the approach the Government would, "bring us more into line with other EU member states".