LANGUAGE education officials are calling on more people to learn languages other than English ahead of the 2010 World Expo.

The city is seeking language professionals in a range of tongues to curb a shortage of multi-lingual volunteers for the Expo, which is expected to attract visitors from all over the world.

Officials will issue qualification certificates for professionals who speak one of eight foreign languages - French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Portuguese and Arabic.

Since 1995, the government has issued similar certificates for English proficiency. The certificates are highly prized in the country's crowded job market, and as of last year 100,000 people had obtained one.

Officials hope the new certificates will attract the same interest. But issuing authorities reported that only 500 people had signed up for the first qualification test, which will take place in December.

Most of the applicants were young students or white-collar workers who had studied language as their major or as a second foreign language at university.

"The number is far less than our expectation, not to mention the city's demand for foreign language professionals," said Shi Ronggen, an official with the certification application office.

"We believe that the number of people who can get the certificate is much higher than the number of people who have applied for one," Shi said.

Certificate holders will work as volunteers during the Expo, certificate issuers said.

The city is scheduled to receive 70 million visitors for the Expo.