Leading article: Si, says Beckham

David Beckham has had a marked influence on the nation's football and is a fashion icon renowned for his hairstyles. He has now also done his bit for education: interest in studying Spanish has reached an all-time high since his departure from Manchester United to Real Madrid last summer.

Now, thanks to a welcome agreement between the United Kingdom and Spanish governments allowing would-be primary teachers to train in Spain for a month, Beckham may be able to help in encouraging seven-year-olds to learn Spanish, too. How about a video for schools of the footballer and his wife, Victoria, teaching simple Spanish words to their own children, Brooklyn and Romeo?