In recent years, English has become more and more widely spoken all over the world. Yet, while a growing number of people in other parts of the world are learning English, fewer Americans today are studying foreign languages. That trend has created serious shortages of foreign languages speakers in American diplomatic services, in the armed forces, and in companies dealing with international trade. And, it is a trend that is causing concern among an increasing number of Americans.

       These people point to some alarming facts. At the start of the World War I, 36 percent of all American students knew at least one foreign language before they entered a university. Today, the number is only 15 percent. And, less than five percent of those young people complete more than two years of foreign language study. In 1915, 85 percent of America's universities demanded that students know at least one foreign language to gain admission. Today, only 8 percent of all universities make such a demand.

      Some of the foreign languages studied least are those spoken in counties of major importance to America. A study released in1979 found there were less than 900 American business representatives in Japan, and few spoke Japanese. Yet, there were about 10,000 Japanese business representatives who spoke English in the United States. Other studies have found that there are more  teachers of English in Soviet Union than there are students of Russian in United States.

      Sometimes,  the failure to comunicate can have serious results. A few years ago, General Motors built  a new car,  and called it the "NOVA". The company could not understand why so few people to bought the car in Latin America. Then, company officals dicovered that in Spanish, "NOVA" means "DOES NOT GO". After the car's named was changed, sales improved.

    In 1979, the presidential Commission on Foreign Languages and Internation Studies released a report on the situation of foreign language study. The report charged that many American  teachers were using uninteresting --- and ineffective -- methods to teach foreign languages. It urged these teachers to seek new ways to make foreign study more exciting.

      The Commission called for a number of other reforms. It said that American students should begin learning foreign languages at a much younger age. Today, only one percent of all children in The United States study a foreign language during their first six yars of school. Yet, language experts have found that during these years children can best learn to copy the sounds of a foreign language.

      The presidential report said that schools should continue iving most attention to the foreign languages most often studed in Ameria -- Spanish, French, and German. But, it also urged that more attention be given to languages less commonly studied, such as Japanese, Chines and Russian.

      The report said that  extra financial aid should be given to schools that expand their foreign language programs. It called for creation of special foreign language high schools across the country. And, it urged universities to reestablish rules that all students must gain some skill in at least one foreign language.

      Efforts are now being made to improve sxisting language programs. One of the most sucessful eforts has taken place at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. There, the entire foreign language program has been reformed by a professor of French, named John Rassias.

       Professor Rassias believes students should not depend too much on books to learn a language. And. he gives them almost no written work to be done at home. Instead. he urged them to speak as much as possible -- even through they make many mistakes.

      The students spend 50 minutes each day with their language professor, Then, they spend another 50 mintes with their foreign language assistant. Then. they spend more time working with tape recordings in a foreign language center. The students are forced to answer questions in class to so quickly that every student speaks about 65 times during each period. In most foreign language class, students speak only about four times each period.

       At Dartmouth College. more and more students are learning foreign language. And , they are doing better on national tests than students taught by traditional methods. As the result, 38 other American universities now are using Dratmouth method.

       But. some observers say broader measures are nessary if Americans are to communicate well with rest of the world. They say foreign language skills must be demanded at all parts of the system -- from 95 university entance through to positions in the American diplomatic service.