Revised texts of five papers from a conference on Dutch applied linguistics are presented. "Learning a Foreign Language in a Natural Acquisition Context Without Instruction" (Wolfgang Klein) advocates observing and analyzing language learning in progress in natural language learning contexts and presents data from a European project on second language acquisition by adult immigrants. "Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition" (Peter Jordens) examines the relationships between linguistics and second language learning. The discussion touches on contrastive analysis as an explanatory model, then looks at the interlanguage model and the possible relevance of markedness theory, and gives attention to universal grammar. In "Ethnic Minorities, Language Diversity, and Educational Implications: A Case Study on the Netherlands" (Guus Extra), cross-national trends in Western Europe, especially ethnic minorities in the Netherlands are noted and the consequences of language diversity in elementary, secondary, and adult education are examined. "Three Decades of Foreign Language Teaching in the Netherlands" (Arthur van Essen) reviews developments in Dutch foreign language teaching in the past few decades, drawing from experience and existing literature. "Policy-Making in Foreign Language Teaching" (Theo van Els) discusses the role applied linguists may play in policy formation in foreign language instruction, based on recent Dutch educational history. (MSE)