The Perspectives section of this MLJ volume is devoted to national language education policy. Of the 14 brief articles only 3 devote more than passing mention to the Standards. Magnan's article, "Reconsidering communicative language teaching for national goals," argues that the goals outlined in the Standards cannot be achieved under communicative teaching approaches as they are practiced in most American classrooms. She suggests that the profession look to sociocultural theory to frame the kind of learning that would promote enhanced language skills and intercultural competence. Jensen's article, "National foreign language policy in the nation's interest: A state language coordinator's perspective," provides an overview of the implementation of K-12 Standards-based world languages programs in NJ and suggests that states need national policies to support the credibility of any long term changes in language education. Phillips's article, "foreign language education: Whose definition?" describes the ways the National Standards project (1996/2000) created consensus among many constituencies, in part because the language of the Standards was designed to communicate with a larger audience. She concludes with a note that pragmatic concerns, such as national security, should not drive language education policy.#All #Curriculum #All5Cs #Substantialmention #Research #Standards #TheoriesandMethods #JournalArticle #Proficiency #PolicyorAdministrative #All #Research #Outcomes