This paper argues the case for the establishment of local affiliates of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The author considers the process of language acquisition ("the central business of growing up and of becoming a useful member of society") and the role that both formal and informal education play in it. The author finds the area at which language and education intersect very important, because it is at this point that the child learns special uses of English such as reading and writing and the use of the "standard" forms of his language. This area is especially important for those students whose native language is not English, but it was only with the passing of the Bilingual Education Act that the special needs of such students were recognized. The TESOL organization, although instrumental in getting teachers involved in dealing with the problems of non-native speakers, does not really reach enough people. Local affiliates of TESOL could, however, perform the necessary function of "getting experts, teachers, and community...together to talk about and work out strategies to handle their problems." The programs of the New Mexico Association for TESOL and Bilingual Education, of which the author is president, are discussed in order to illustrate the role which local affiliates can play in making bilingual education programs more effective. (FWB)