OVER A 3-YEAR PERIOD, THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED MANY FACETS OF THE ACHIEVEMENT, BEHAVIOR, AND INTERESTS OF GROUPS OF STUDENTS WHO BEGAN THE EXTRACURRICULAR STUDY OF THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE IN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADES. IN ADDITION, SEVERAL CONTROL GROUPS WERE STUDIED TO ALLOW COMPARISONS OF THE EFFECTS OF THIS LANGUAGE PROGRAM. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT, REGARDLESS OF IQ OR WHETHER THE LANGUAGE WAS TAUGHT VIA TV OR WITH A LIVE INSTRUCTOR, THE STUDENTS TAKING RUSSIAN APPEARED TO HAVE PROFITED FROM THE EXPERIENCE. NOT ONLY DID THEY GAIN CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE OF RUSSIAN BUT THEY ALSO APPEARED TO HAVE IMPROVED IN THEIR REGULAR CLASSROOM WORK AND BEHAVIOR AS A RESULT OF THE EXPERIENCE. REGULAR CLASSROOM WORK OF THE "AVERAGE" STUDENTS TAKING RUSSIAN WAS PERFORMED AS WELL AS, OR BETTER THAN, THE CONTROL GROUP OF "SUPERIOR" STUDENTS WHO WERE NOT TAKING THE LANGUAGE. OTHER RESULTS ARE REPORTED IN TERMS OF SEVEN HYPOTHESES TESTED. (JC)