Attempting to discredit the widely held myth that the study of foreign languages serves only the interests of the college-bound student, this study describes a survey on the status of foreign language study in Illinois and proposes a new rationale for the study of foreign languages which would benefit the majority of students in American schools. Three main ideas are considered: (1) the importance of foreign language education in an international world, (2) foreign languages in an era of rapid communication, and (3) language instruction in a multi-racial and cross-cultural society. (RL)