American incompetence in second language skills can be remedied by training academically gifted children as true bilinguals in languages widely used and badly needed for business and political interactions in an increasingly interdependent world. Those identified as gifted, who also exhibit the characteristics of successful second language learners (identified by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in 1975), should be encouraged to enroll in second language classes. Their coursework can be accelerated and should include enrichment exercises exploring aspects of the language and culture. Linguistically talented students should be encouraged to begin studying a second foreign language after achieving some proficiency in the first and should be urged to study languages other than the traditional French, Spanish and German. (JW)