YOUNGSTERS from seven countries are going on the record to learn each other's lingo.

Teenagers from France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Slovakia and County Durham are working on a CD and book of valuable phrases for young travellers.

The Eurolingo project has been devised by Durham County Council's international office as part of European Year of Languages.

The project has the backing of Prime Minister Tony Blair who said: "It will be of great help to those who come to use it.''

The CD will be recorded this week at the Northern Recording studios, in Consett.

A Durham County Council spokeswoman said: "Groups of young people from Park View Community School, Chester-le-Street, St Bede's Roman Catholic Comprehensive, Peterlee, and Durham Sixth Form Centre have been working on the project and corresponding electronically with their European counterparts since last September.''

The project would feature recordings of essential phrases in different languages covering situations such as meeting someone for the first time, shopping, ordering food, travelling, counting and understanding money.

The youngsters will also write a guide to each country with information about their home town aimed at visitors from abroad.