In 1980, Midwestern State University (Texas), a typical college in several respects, held a series of panel discussions aimed at making students aware of the practicality and applicability of language study. Originally conceived as a "work fair" that would help recruit English majors, exigencies of a changing academic situation and the English department's incorporation into a department of humanities, languages, and literature forced a change in focus to the importance of language study in general. Because the program was scheduled during regular class time, panel discussions were chosen as the most effective means of increasing student interest. Midwestern State University graduates in a wide variety of fields--psychiatric nurse practitioner; writer, producer, narrator of films; police officer; and others--described how language skills were important in their careers. Although it is impossible to ascribe to the program any causal relation, in the fall following the number of English majors at the university increased 24%. (JL)