Briefly, what does your job involve?
Reporting daily on stories from elsewhere in Europe for Radio 5-Live's 'Euronews' slot. Usually it's from a studio in London, about once every ten days live from a foreign location. I also travel abroad to record and present documentaries for Radio 4 (mostly on European topics) and occasionally present 'Europe Today' for World Service Radio.

Do you feel your knowledge of languages has helped you since working at Radio Five Live?
Definitely. Almost every day I use a foreign language, even if it's just during a telephone conversation or reading the website of a newspaper. A lot of the time, speaking another language isn't strictly necessary, but it really changes your relationship with someone on the other end of a 'phone. Even a few phrases utterly change the way you are dealt with. It's proof you're a little bit outward-looking.

What countries have you visited since you began working as a radio presenter, and which were your favourites?
I've been Pakistan, Afghanistan and Israel. And to all the European countries now, except Iceland, Romania and the Baltic states. I always enjoy my trips, even though regular travelling can be a bit tiring. I love sampling a bit of Mediterranean life, especially in the winter. And I'm a big fan of Scandinavia - maybe Norway's my favourite.

Would you recommend learning a foreign language to others who would like to work in the media?
Totally. I'm always amazed that people don't seem to see the advantages - how many doors it opens and how it can make your working life so much more varied and more interesting. If you're interested in communicating with people, surely you have to be interested in languages - it's fairly basic.

Do you have any anecdotes or funny stories about language barriers or misunderstandings that have happened during your travels?
I once tried to do a 'vox pop' (random interviews with passing members of the public), in a small mountain village in Andalucia in the south of Spain, asking people who didn't speak any English their thoughts on the subject of gay marriage…. Only I didn't know the Spanish word for 'marriage'. (It was early days in my efforts to learn the language.) I'm sure several people thought I was trying to come on to them.

What is the best thing about being able to work abroad?
Where do I start? Would you rather be sitting in an office in west London on a Tuesday afternoon or driving a car through olive groves in southern Italy on a reporting trip? Even the least glamorous locations abroad (the docks in Calais during a French ferry strike?) are different, interesting and the food tends to be better.

Do you feel that speaking another language has enhanced your life as a whole?
It has utterly transformed it. I almost did English at university. I'm so glad I didn't.

Which is your favourite language and why?
German is the language I'm best at… I've no idea why - something in the genes? I like the sound of French the most (when someone else is speaking it)

In your opinion, is it easier for children and young people to learn a language than it is for adults?
Don't know really. I think it's maybe less of an effort when you're younger. Schoolchildren in Finland often master three foreign languages by the time they're sixteen. They're not any cleverer than us, you know.

If you could learn any other language which would you choose and why?
Portuguese? -I've never met an ugly Brazilian.