Some basic problems of current lower-division foreign language instruction are discussed from the standpoint of real-life language use, and specific measures for meeting some of the problems are suggested for learning German as a second language. Some of the significant discrepancies between the use of a language in real life and in the language class concern the following issues: the extent to which language use in the classroom is capable of transferral to real-life use; the role of the first-language habits and decoding strategies in second language learning; how to sequence and subdivide the presentation of learning tasks; the presentation of sentences in language exercises so that the context and situation of occurrence are known; the role of rules, non-logical criteria for the application of rules, and interference from the first language habits; and the personal nature of language use, which contrasts to the structuring and timing of study areas in the classroom. An adequate investigation of the difficulties for Americans learning German demands a detailed comparative description of the two languages. It would be desirable to coordinate foreign language with English instruction; illustrations of English and German sentences are presented. The advantages of computer-assisted instruction are outlined. (SW)