In the last 15 years, colleges and universities have sought creative ways to encourage the study of second languages and to add an international dimension to the college curriculum. More extensive international exchange, higher language enrollments, and more widespread inclusion of language study as a college entrance requirement have resulted. A federal study of a diverse group of eight major United States-based international corporations employing over 400,000 worldwide investigated employer expectations and preferences of recent college graduates' language skills and international knowledge. It was found that: expectations differ significantly by industry, corporate culture, and nature of the entry-level job; prospective employees' claims of skills and knowledge are not usually validated in the recruitment process; newly-hired graduates are not typically involved in international operations or accounts for several years; international knowledge expected of those in liaison with overseas legal counsel and accountants is not well specified, and corporations rely heavily on local expertise overseas; second language proficiency is beginning to be valued more highly; human resource officers have mixed feelings about graduates' skills; and recent emphasis on multicultural education is viewed as positive preparation. It is concluded that overall, rather than specialized, internationalization of the college curriculum is desirable. Contains 12 references. (MSE)