At a recent social gathering of British expats in my rural valley in Majorca, a discussion broke out about the EU referendum. Although few supported Brexit, most expressed concern about the prospect of mass immigration to the UK if we remained in the European Union.

What stopped me in my tracks was when several opined that it should be mandatory that all immigrants seeking residency in the UK learn English to a proficient level. Presumably the same rules should apply to British expats living overseas?

In a clear case of the pot calling the kettle black, a retired businessman insisted, somewhat heatedly, that Britons residing in Spain didn’t need to learn the language because everyone spoke English.

Of the dozen expats present it emerged that only four felt confident enough to hold a simple conversation in Spanish while the others admitted to having little social interaction with Majorcans, save ordering refreshments in bars and restaurants.

With an estimated 761,000 Britons now living in Spain, representing nearly two per cent of the population, getting to grips with the lingo should surely prove a key objective?