The instructional settings and teacher-learner relationships observed in English-as-a-second-language classes at the secondary and university levels in Poland by an American senior Fulbright lecturer are characterized by very formal instruction with heavy emphasis on pronunciation and grammar exercises, large classes with little opportunity for individual participation beyond answering questions and reading passages aloud, and no visual aids other than maps and scenic posters. However, motivation to study English is strong. The university's program for English majors is an immersion program, broad-based in content but generally amethodological. Student-teacher relationships are extremely formal, often adversarial. Texts are limited and must often be shared, and although there are film projectors and a language laboratory at the university, materials are limited. Administration of American standardized language proficiency tests revealed a relatively high proficiency level despite the instructional format and limited amount of time spent in language study. By the third year of university language instruction, standardized test scores are in the 91st percentile. The main conclusion from these findings and observations is that, before any comprehensive theory of second language learning can be developed, it will be necessary to investigate the learning process as it occurs in a variety of pedagogical and cultural settings. (MSE)