If we adopt an approach to language teaching which is closely based on the learner's specific needs and shortens the period that may elapse between the beginning of language study and the first time the learner can put his newly acquired knowledge into practice, we not only motivate existing learners to work harder and learn more but may also encourage people to begin foreign language learning who would never have considered it before. We can imagine a system which does not only divide up the whole of the language into those parts which are essential for learners of different occupations or with different needs, but which takes any one of those parts and divides it further into parts relevant only for specific operations found on a given job. We must then show how these parts are interrelated and guide the learner to suitable learning sequences, while, at the same time, maximizing his freedom of choice. Included here are a consideration of various hotel staff functions and, in particular, the writing of hotel correspondence and the waiter function. The paper finally focuses on one of the operations that constitute the waiter function, namely the understanding of orders and the vocabulary required for it. (Author)