Study abroad is not a frill of the foreign language major's curriculum, but rather a component that is crucial to the linguistic preparation of a successful language teacher. During the study abroad experience, the student can obtain the ability to use the language freely and spontaneously, thus helping create an atmosphere of excitement and challenge, a climate frequently missing in foreign language classrooms. Study abroad as it has been traditionally defined for undergraduate foreign language majors and for current teachers on the graduate level must be radically restructured toward an intensive and disciplined language experience. The study abroad experience should be a rigorous program of structured field work in which students spend more time actively using the language with native speakers, than attending passively-oriented, classes and should dramatically facilitate the development of oral language fluency. However, direct government subsidy is needed to facilitate foreign residence as a regular component of language teacher training. The language teaching profession must pursue this financial assistance as a priority in improving foreign language instruction in America. (MSE)