A rationale for teaching foreign languages in Venezuelan schools is discussed. An included sociolinguistic profile of Venezuela indicates that Spanish is the sole language of internal communication needs. Other languages spoken in Venezuela serve primarily a group function among the immigrant and indigenous communities. However, the teaching of additional languages could serve general cultural, scientific, technological, international trade, and tourism needs. Spanish meets the local needs for scientific and technological investigation and as such is a local language of science. However, English, as the international language of science, needs to be included in the Venezuelan school curriculum. English is a foreign language in Venezuela and not a second language since it fulfills no societal function. As such, motivation to learn English is typically low. In the schools, too little emphasis is placed on scientific reading and the quantity of reading material is insufficient. It is suggested that Venezuela, as a nation seeking to improve itself through science and technology, place great emphasis on reading comprehension of English for Science and Technology (EST) at the senior high school level. English, instead of being an isolated subject, should be functionally integrated into the overall curriculum. (Author/JK)