Language teachers need to do more to introduce creativity in the classroom, according to a respected educational practitioner.

Bernice McCabe, headmistress of North London Collegiate School, said that language subject specialists should not restrict themselves to “functional phrasebook competence” and instead do more to foster self-expression in pupils.

Speaking at the launch of a new course aimed at language teachers, which is being overlooked by the Prince’s Teaching Institute, the expert advocated professionals do more to be innovative.

The BBC quoted her as saying that language teachers should be far more radical, “a thorn in the side of British insularity and reticence”. In short, she said she just wants to see “new life” in the way the subject is taught.

“We are not here to wring our hands over the demise of language teaching but to look for ways of giving it new life and prominence," explained Ms McCabe, who is also director of the Prince’s Teaching Institute.

"The best teachers represent for our pupils a cultural confidence and an outward looking perspective on the world, a world with which they will connect much more than previous generations.”

She continued by saying that the best language teachers do not limit themselves to certain strategies, nor do they follow “pre-digested workbooks” that serve no other function other than developing a competence in phrases.

The BBC said that one of the things Ms McCabe is keen on seeing happen in the foreseeable future is for more overseas trips to be encouraged.

This will expose students to other cultures and embed in them the value of being able to communicate with other people in their own language.

The Prince’s Teaching Institute is a charity formed by the Prince of Wales. It is focused on fostering a culture within education whereby inspiring teachers are the norm, professionals who are equally knowledgeable about their subjects as they are passionate.