DAVID Cameron’s announcement that he will invest more into languages is music to the ears of a Kingston and Richmond organisation that teaches English to isolated women.

The Prime Minister announced last week that a £20 million fund is now available to help Muslim women in the UK learn English.

Kate Brown, director of Learning English At Home (LEAH), said that although focussing on a specific group of people – in this case Muslim women – “is not necessarily helpful” the organisation thinks his message that language is essential is “brilliant”.

Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: "I’m not saying there’s some sort of causal connection between not speaking English and becoming an extremist – of course not, that would be a ridiculous thing to say.

“But if you’re not able to speak English, you’re not able to integrate, you may find, therefore, that you have challenges understanding what your identity is and you could be more susceptible to the extremist message that comes from Daesh.”

On Mr Cameron’s suggestions lack of language could increase the possibility of extremist reactions Mrs Brown said: “Language learning does improve people’s confidence and that equips them to be more engaged, and for those that know more about extremism, that is part of the puzzle.”

LEAH works mostly on the basis of referrals, which come from GPs or midwives. The process of language learning in this case involves volunteer tutors visiting students at home, building skills and a friendship.

Amira Medjodvic, once a student and now a volunteer tutor and trustee for LEAH, arrived in the UK from Bosnia in 1993.

She said: “I was extremely unconfident, I didn’t want to go anywhere really and at that moment I was pregnant with my second child and it was very difficult to talk.

“It was so important to have someone who would come to your house and give you lessons. It just gives you that little bit of confidence.

“LEAH for me was like something sent from heaven.

“That was the first step. That organisation was really close to my heart, I know how important it is to have this. It’s not just learning English. The volunteer helped me so much to learn about society.”

The majority of LEAH’s clients are women. There is no time limit for lessons, but on average clients are paired up with a volunteer for about a year.

A concrete rule is that learners cannot be matched with a volunteer who speaks the same first language as them – English must be used at every opportunity.

Volunteers must be over 18 years old, available during the day and able to commit weekly for a minimum of one year. No prior teaching experience is necessary as volunteers will complete a 10-week training course.

LEAH currently works with more than 300 people.

For more detailsabout what it takes to become a volunteer, or to apply to take on the role, visit the website www.leah.org.uk/volunteering-would-you-like