The benefits of learning a foreign language and arguments in support of language requirements in the college curriculum are discussed. The arguments concerning the acquisition of indirect benefits not inherent in the language skill itself through the learning of a foreign language prove inconvincing and only serve to divert one's attention from the main purpose of foreign language learning--to use the language. Foreign language education should provide the student with the opportunity to learn from fully competent instructors and participate in courses where the language of study is used as the medium of instruction or in part of the courses' assigned readings. This allows the setting of realistic language proficiency goals. For such a program to succeed, (1) faculty must be convinced that foreign language competence is useful and attainable, (2) language competencies of the faculty must be raised, (3) educators must concentrate on materials providing access to higher levels of language skill, (4) language teaching capacity must be expanded beyond the more commonly taught languages, and (5) increased attention must be given to original teaching, to patterns and speed of attrition in language skills, and to the reinforcement and restoration of language skills once acquired. (JK)