A discussion of national language policy and planning in the United States begins with a brief examination of the de facto policy currently at work and lack of government initiative in establishing and meeting priorities in language education. It then focuses on three policy issues currently facing the American foreign language teaching system. The first is the choice of which languages to offer, including specific concerns about introduction of less commonly taught languages and the federal government's strategy for investing in language education through legislation such as Title VI of the Higher Education Act. The second issue is the amount of language training needed and articulation among levels of instruction. This broad issue includes increasing the number of individuals exposed to language training, the length of training they receive, and transitions between stages of training, especially elementary-to-secondary and secondary-to-higher education. The third issue discussed is the need for consistent measures to assess student progress, provide information to improve instruction, and certify achievement and competency. Policy initiatives for each issue are examined. (MSE)