This paper reviews several articles with language-based teacher empowerment themes, discussing empowerment in relation to secondary school language teaching (particularly less commonly taught language teaching) and teacher development. The paper extrapolates from the ideas proposed that second language teachers can be empowered, or at least set on the road to empowerment, in their preservice teaching experiences. After defining empowerment, the paper looks at important keys to empowerment, which include: interaction with colleagues, families, and friends; the ability to change curriculum when students' needs are not being met; exposure to authentic classroom situations; personality traits; and morale and external influences. The paper also examines impediments to empowerment, which include: negative teacher attitudes; lack of time for interaction and discussion; lack of adequate teacher development opportunities; lack of opportunity for interaction; and political and bureaucratic impediments. Suggestions for strengthening the confidence of future language teachers include: using realistic case studies dealing with the dynamics of teacher-teacher and teacher-student interactions; providing students with an understanding of the social and political dynamics of school systems; sending the preservice teacher to another country where a second language is spoken; and taking a mandatory course in Computer Assisted Language Learning. (Contains 15 references.) (SM)