‘Ey up duck’ is not a phrase often associated with inhabitants of Jordan, Syria or parts of Africa.

Yet for asylum seekers living in Bradford, not only has learning how to ‘speak Yorkshire’ has become an integral part of English lessons - it may also be the solution to bridging the north-south divide.

Forster College, which is part of Bradford College, is running 12-week courses in Yorkshire dialect for mature students “to improve their spoken English”.

‘Ey up’, ‘ta love’, ‘I’m off t’shops’, and ‘flippin’ ‘eck’, are just some of the words and phrases which are taught to help them understand everyday conversations and to feel like they fit in with the local community.

Chris Baillie, manager at Forster College, told The Telegraph, that she began running the courses in June last year after her students said they would want to continue learning over the summer.