A BUDDING linguist from Abergavenny who spent his summer holidays learning Japanese reached the final of a prestigious national competition.

Ojas Shanbhag took up his place in Friday's final in London after progressing through several rounds in the Junior Language Challenge 2017.

The 10-year-old pupil from Monmouth School Boys’ Prep was among the final 32 candidates in the country after learning French, Japanese and Zulu.

Although he was not placed in the final, Ojas was presented with a bottle of champagne after the school was named the most supportive in the competition after raising £800 for charity.

“The hardest language for me to learn has probably been Zulu, followed by Japanese and then French," said Ojas.

“It was a bit tricky at first to learn the new things in Japanese but once I got it into my head it stuck and it became easier.”

In a separate event for teachers and parents, Madame Le Moal finished sixth and Ojas' mum was fourth overall. The Junior Language Challenge is an annual language competition for UK primary schools and aims to inspire a love of languages and encourage children to become independent learners.