Representative programs and new approaches to foreign language education in the elementary school (grades K-8) are identified. Included is a review of foreign languages in emerging adolescent education, or programs for students in grades 5-8 or 6-8 that are housed in a middle or junior high school. A discussion is presented of major curriculum trends of the 1970s, the nature of the elementary and emerging adolescent learner, and the kind of curriculum needed for students at these levels. Current programs and techniques include programs for the gifted, use of television and radio, use of paraprofessionals, total immersion, school within a school, "options-for-learning" concept, and magnet learning centers. Few individualized instructional programs at the elementary level have been reported. Research on divergent thinking and the long-term effects of foreign language study in the elementary school on the development of language skills is cited. An assessment of foreign language programs and prospects for the future are covered. (SW)