Exploratory language courses are self-contained, nonsequential, interdisciplinary courses designed to introduce students to a variety of languages and cultures. They are usually offered in middle and junior high schools, to give students in the young adolescent stage of development a chance to explore a range of academic and vocational fields. They originated in the 1920s, but lost popularity to elementary school sequential language courses and were revived only in the 1970s. Course content generally consists of general language study conducted in English, trial study of several languages, or a combination. It may also include Latin, the United States' language heritage, career awareness, and languages not included in the school curriculum. Implementation requires a detailed curriculum and guide, a basic daily lesson format including foreign language practice, exercises linking the foreign language with English skills and vocabulary building, culture, phrase review, and songs. Scheduling can be very flexible. The teachers are most often foreign language teachers, but all should have an orientation session. Materials can be adapted from those already used in social studies and foreign language departments. Some successful school district programs are willing to share their experiences and materials. (MSE)