LONG ago, when Britannia ruled the waves and our manufacturing industry reigned supreme, Englishmen abroad were given advice on how to communicate with Johnny Foreigner.

Usually it had nothing to do with learning the local language. The trick was to speak English very slowly, very clearly and very loudly.

There may have been a time when this was enough to secure an order but there are few places today where British business people can still get away with this kind of arrogance.

It is true that much of the world has obligingly learned English, but Johnnie Foreigner now makes brilliant products a lot cheaper than we do.

He has been educated, is more prosperous - and he expects visitors to do him the courtesy of learning at least a few words of his language.

Britain's struggle to maintain its overseas markets is becoming tougher all the time, and yet this year 64,000 fewer youngsters sat GCSE French and German, preferring instead to study softer subjects they are more confident of passing.

The National Association of Head Teachers described this dramatic fall in the number of young linguists as "catastrophic".

It is certainly a worrying portent for businesses that rely on overseas sales for their survival, and there are many of these in Dorset.

The government should reconsider urgently its decision to make languages voluntary.

Much greater efforts should be made through the National Curriculum to make languages more interesting to pupils.

And why, with the emergence of China as a superpower, are we not making huge efforts to teach Chinese languages in schools - potentially a far more useful subject than, say, German?

Business people who have links with schools may have a role to play in helping to convince children that learning foreign languages provides a passport to a life that is richer in experiences and a route to many of the most exciting jobs that industry has to offer.