The population speaking foreign languages in Beijing has reached 4.87 million by the end of 2006, according to the source from the regular press conference of the Beijing Olympic Games organizers (BOCOG) on Wednesday.

Liu Yang, the deputy director and office director of the organizing committee of Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Program and vice group leader and office director of the Leadership Group of Standardizing Beijing Public English Signage said on the conference that Beijing would endeavor to lift that figure to over 5 million before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Meeting the press over the issue of standardization of English translation of public signs of Beijing and the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Program during the 2008 Games run-up, Liu said to stage an Olympic with good communicating atmosphere, Beijing will instill large investment to train the foreign language ability of service industry staff, government clerks and ordinary citizens.

To popularize foreign languages in the Olympic city, Beijing will recruit volunteers and invite experts and utilize mass media to provide handy learning sources for the people.

However, much is to be done to improve the popularity of foreign languages among blue-collar workers like taxi cab drivers. A driver told Chinadaily.com.cn that he had no time to learn English for he had to earn his wages first and it was not necessary to learn because he could take the foreign passengers to their destinations through the map or note they showed to him.

With the English learning drive in full swing, the standardization of English public signs is also underway to provide foreign guests an easy public atmosphere.

According to Liu, 6,530 public signs throughout the downtown area of the city had been standardized and those on all the major public facilities including tour sites, commercial service, hospitals and sporting facilities will be completed by the end of this year.

Asked about the standardization of the English names of menus, Liu said both Chinese catering culture and practicability will be taken into consideration.